18/08/2026
ONE PROGRAM IS REWRITING NURTURING CARE IN CHULU, KASUNGU DISTRICT, MALAWI.
Caregivers from Chulu, their schedules were packed. Fro, farming, preparing meals, house chores the list was endless. For the children aged 0-3 years of age, this meant there was little time left for play, talking, and learning. That is why our Tiakonde Ana (Moments that Matter) project is different.
WHAT IS TIAKONDE ANA all about? 🤷🏽♀️
What we do:
We run a gender-transformative parenting program for children aged 0-3.
1) Responsive Caregiving: We teach caregivers (moms and dads) how to talk, play, and respond to their baby’s needs using play materials made from local resources.
2) Early Stimulation + Nutrition: Through hands-on activities and interactive cooking demos, we show how to support brain development and dietary diversity at home.
3) Child Protection + Positive Discipline: We replace harsh punishment with patience, praise, and safe homes.
4) Shifting Social Norms: With faith leaders, ECD committees, and volunteers, we ask: What do we expect? Who influences us? What helps children thrive? Then we affirm what is positive and address what holds families back.
5) Training and capacity building: In partnership with Episcopal Relief and Development, we designed materials to equip our staff, faith leaders, volunteers, and primary caregivers with tools to keep this going.
6) Peer Support + Home Visits: What started as group sessions grew into a peer network. For the most vulnerable families, we added follow-up home visits to reinforce learning.
The Change? 🤷🏽♂️
In homes across Chulu project site, we are seeing the shift.
Fathers are showing up, attending sessions, sharing household work, and practicing nurturing care. 👏🏽🥳Mothers have more support! Children 0-3 are getting more attention, richer meals, and safer environments. Caregivers built their own support network and now learn from each other every week.
A recent Caregiver after Action Review confirmed it: better interactions, better nutrition, and stronger families. Participants loved it so much they asked for these reviews to become permanent, a proof that Chulu now owns this work. Because when we balance context, challenge norms, and lift up what works, children do not just survive the first 1000 days. They flourish. This is what happens when a community decides the youngest deserve the most.
This is TIAKONDE ANA ❤️👨👩👧👦 This Moments Matter.
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