Viva Network's Reflection on the situation, outcomes and actions and developing indicators

From HarambeeWiki

Briefly tell me about your network. What does it work to do? What is your role?

Tell me briefly about your network.

Viva is the ‘New’ Brand name for Viva Network, in Africa the Regional centre is registered as Viva Network Africa. Viva is a registered charity in Oxford (UK) with a reach of 70 national and international organizations, more than 7000 small projects and ministries connected through the local networks. At the helm of this great work are the regional centers based in Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Uganda which have helped facilitate the power of collaboration for ‘children at risk’ by locating the potential child focused agencies, connecting them, equipping them with practical tools, mobilizing the church into action and encouraging innovative thinking for solutions to the ‘children at risk’ issues.

Our vision: To see Christians be the most comprehensive, credible and connected body of care for ‘children at risk’ in the world, so that this generation of children and those working for them have the opportunity to become all that God intends.

Our mission: The mission of Viva is to play a leading role to mobilize, equip and connect Christians working with children and to build effective child focused coalitions able to improve and increase the response, as well as to influence decisions that affect children’s lives. In Uganda the team at the Regional Centre helps networks by facilitating and encouraging the development of networks of Christians working on behalf of ‘children at risk’ helping networks and their members increase their capacity to help Children. Networking is widely recognized as essential in addressing the huge problems affecting children across the world. It facilitates strategic joint planning and action; it prevents resource wastage and accelerates programme growth, increasing capacity so that more children receive better care.

Currently the Africa Regional centre (Viva Network Africa) is in link with over 12 Networks from South Africa , Kenya , Zimbabwe , Uganda , Tanzania , Malawi , Ethiopia , Zambia , Uganda , Kenya , and Burundi reaching over 300,000 children in their various localities. These networks are made up of different agencies involved in work related to children ranging from Community based initiatives to national level. So the role of Viva Network Africa is:-

• Locate – mapping who is doing what, where
• Connect – with the right people, ideas and resources through networks; consultations and conferences
• Equip – training to be better equipped for work with children
• Mobilize – encourage the Church and others to do more for children
• Innovate - new ideas and best practices shared on issues facing children
• Solutions – new effective responses to needs of children through working together.

All this is being done in order to:-

• Increase action on behalf of children
• Improve quality of care for children
• Influence decision makers to benefit children

What does it work to do?

The process of networking works to mainly achieve the following:-

• Increase action on behalf of children
• Improve quality of care for children
• Influence decision makers to benefit children

Who are the members?

The members are the different projects, individuals, churches that are linked up with the various Networks in Africa (12) as mentioned above.

What is your role?

As Viva, our main role is:-

• Locate – mapping who is doing what, where
• Connect – with the right people, ideas and resources through networks; consultations and conferences
• Equip – training to be better equipped for work with children
• Mobilise – encourage the Church and others to do more for children
• Innovate - new ideas and best practices shared on issues facing children
• Solutions – new effective responses to needs of children through working together.

As an individual I am the Finance & Resources manager, I oversee the general operations of the team at Viva Network Africa in the field of managing the IT, Finances and Administration of the office.

Question 1 - Situation:

1a. What do I think are the salient features of the situation that I face?

As Viva, we have realized that the situation we are working in has a number of salient features like:-

• Limited Finances for 'children at risk' activities
• Increased number of 'children at risk' in Africa due to political causes, poverty, neglect by the international community
• Lack of interest in the networking process by many agencies
• Limited skills in the areas of care & development of children
• Limited support from Governments in Africa for child related issues.

1b. Why do I think those are the salient features?

I think these are the features because we have had to experience some of them like limited finances, limited skills in the area of trainers of child carers

Question 2 - Outcomes:

2a. What outcomes do I think are desirable in this situation?

The desirable outcome is the increase in the concern for the plight of children in war areas like IDPs in Uganda, Darfur, Mozambique during the floods, Zimbabwe due to the political tensions

2b. Why do I think those outcomes are desirable in this situation?

The outcomes are desirable because this situation has created a hunger for networking. More & more people are appreciating the collective responses to handling issues related to children than individual strive which leads to burn out.

Question 3 - Actions:

3a. What actions do I expect to lead to those outcomes in that situation?

• Viva, will have to establish more networks at the grass roots, National, Regional levels to meet the needs of children
• Share our findings with more others agencies that have similar concern for children and able to offer their expertise in helping solve the problems of children.

3b. Why do I think those actions will lead to those outcomes in that situation?

I think they will because we have learnt from past initiatives and processes of networking that failed and have shared our ideas with many more partners who have advised and helped us re-shape our vision and future focus.