Our Work

FIRST 1000 DAYS

During the first 1,000 days, the foundations for optimum health, rapid brain growth and child development are laid. Our Bright Start initiative takes the baton on from Enable, giving parents the tools to provide a nurturing, stimulating environment for their child.

Bright Start, grounded in the world-leading research of Professor Lorraine Sherr, is bringing early childhood development support to hundreds of vulnerable children affected by HIV.

Community members are trained to deliver toy-based play sessions, applying the concept of cognitive rehearsal. Simple, repetitive tasks such as sorting shapes and doing puzzles can aid the development of visual, sensory and motor skills. Parents and caregivers are given these graded toys over multiple sessions, trained in their use and how to enhance the engagement and attunement with their child.

An unexpected additional and valuable output of this initiative has come from the safe space it affords to parents and caregivers. It has enabled them to have the confidence to seek support on issues of domestic violence and child abuse.

We work closely with academic partners on both programmes to ensure that we are using validated approaches effectively.

As with all our work, the methodology involves scaling such initiatives to the point where they can be handed over to and sustained by the local government.

CHILDREN

An estimated 1.8 million children are living with HIV. Children aged 0 – 4 years who are HIV-positive are more likely to die than any other age group living with HIV. Only 42% of affected children have access to life-saving Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).

One to One Children’s Fund interventions focus on community-based HIV prevention, healthcare and support for children living with the condition. We identify children as early as possible to ensure they receive treatment, care and support so they can live and thrive.

 

“The best counsellors for the children are their parents, we then have to support them to support their child.”
— Diana, Community Health Worker

 

Children living with HIV are less likely to receive ART than adults and without this treatment, one in three HIV-positive children die before their first birthday. Too often children are not tested or treated because of the enormous fear and stigma which keeps parents from seeking testing and treatment for themselves, and their children.

Our programmes ensure that children access quality treatment and child-friendly care in both health facilities and their communities. By visiting patients at home, our community health workers (CHWs) give children and families support in a comfortable setting where they feel safe. CHWs reach people who might be unable to attend clinics due to the distance and costs involved in travelling and engaging the whole family, which is difficult to do through a clinic but is hugely beneficial for the child.

We also work closely with local partners and clinics, allowing them to identify what we can do to provide the most crucial support for them.

Bright Start

Kick starting cognitive development for vulnerable children in South Africa

 

One to One Children’s Fund is addressing how to deliver early childhood development support to young children and families affected by HIV.

Early childhood is a critical stage of development that forms the foundation for children’s future learning, relationships and wellbeing.

However, there is mounting evidence that 70% of children who live in HIV-affected households experience developmental delays and cognitive deficit, whether the children themselves are infected or not. This can mean that children are denied the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

In response, One to One Children’s Fund is bringing early childhood development support directly to vulnerable children and families affected by HIV.

This initiative is grounded in the academic research of Professor Lorraine Sherr of UCL/Royal Free Hospital. It is based on evidence that play is essential to development, and that if play is led by caregivers in the home then children can benefit from positive developmental outcomes.

 

Key Facts:

120

children aged 2 – 5 years have taken part in toy-based sessions to improve a range of skills including attention, conceptual and memory, visual motor and reasoning

120

caregivers have been trained to better support the early learning development of their young children

70%

of children who live in HIV-affected households experience developmental delays

£45,000

will ensure we can deliver essential early childhood development support for 120 HIV-affected children and their families

I now know that you have to pay more attention when children are playing, by playing along with them so as to note where they are lacking. The only thing I knew was to just give them food and toys to play on their own.

Bright Start Parent

I have a 4 year-old girl and I used to be very distant from her… I am very thankful to Bright Start because I can now bond with my child.

Bright Start Parent

THE PROJECT HAD:

  1. Developed a ‘toy toolkit’ designed for graded learning that encourages one-to-one time with children and their caregivers as they play together in a step-by-step fashion.
  2. Trained community workers to deliver regular sessions for children and their caregivers.
  3. Delivered early learning support to 120 HIV-affected children aged 2-5 years.
  4. Adopted rigorous evaluation methods to understand the impact of the project on cognitive development and potential for scale-up.

 

IMMEDIATE IMPACT:

The Bright Start project has already proven to be a great success. Parents and carers were asked what changes they have seen in their child:

  • 94% said their child was a lot happier
  • 96% said their child had more concentration
  • 97% said they had more self-confidence

 

HELP SUPPORT BRIGHT START

Our Bright Start project costs £300 for each child, helping them to build their cognitive skills that are the building blocks for their future development.

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PROGRAMMES

ENABLE

Our Mentor Mothers provide in-home healthcare and support that is transforming the lives of vulnerable mothers and babies, and building the foundation for a healthier future for the whole community in Mankosi, South Africa.

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BRIGHT START

70% of children who live in HIV-affected households experience developmental delays and cognitive deficits. This project kick-starts cognitive development for vulnerable children in South Africa.

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