The Study Context

This section will present the context of my study. It briefly describes the main features of my research site and provides brief information concerning the organization I did research with.

2.7.1 Garden Compound

This study was undertaken at an ECCD centre situated in Garden compound. The compound is one of the low income neighbourhoods and among the oldest compounds located in the north of Lusaka. It shares boundaries with both low income area such as Chaisa and Chipata compound and high income areas such as Roma Township, Thorn Park and Olympia Park Township. The area is highly populated and people live in very crowded settlement. Most of the places have insufficient land with building structures constructed very close to each other. It is characterised by different socioeconomic problems such as unemployment, difficult access to potable water and sanitation to mention a few. The compound has a big market where trade takes place but some people still use makeshift shops in their homes usually in front of the house. For their survival, people in this compound depend more on sales and

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service occupation which sometimes dot not earn them much. The language commonly used in the areas is Chinyanja4.

2.7.2 The ECCD centre

The centre hosts a total number of 50 orphans and vulnerable children between the age of three and eight. The children come from the surrounding area of the compound. In term of infrastructure, the centre uses a small single hall that belongs to the local authorities. Due to limited available halls, there are no separate rooms for different age groups. Attached next to the centre are two halls that have been transformed into a health centre and council officers. In front of the structures there are remains of the old police post that was burnt down by the community a few years ago. The police post was burnt as a result of the community protest when one of community members who were arrested was one day found dead for allegedly being beaten by the police. The centres together with the other structures occupy an approximate area of 225 square metres. It has a very small space in front approximately 5 by 10 square meters which is also used as car park for people visiting the council offices and the health centre. As a result the centre does not have enough children’s play space. Besides, the building belongs to the local authorities who granted permission to Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development foundation (MECCDF) the organization that runs the centre. This foundation is not permitted to alter any structured and this has made it difficult to improve children’s play infrastructure.

2.7.3 Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development foundation (MECCDF) The centre where I undertook my study is among the nine centres in the country run by MECCDF. MECCDF is a local Non-governmental organization( NGO) founded in 2001 to supplement government’s efforts in the provision and expansion of ECCD services with special attention children between the ages of 0– 8 year old. Since its establishment, the organization has been focusing on providing Home-Based services to low-income communities to ensure good care, protection and development of their children. Over the years the organizations has grown and extended services to centres which offers services among others learning, play and counselling.

However, the foundation is donor driven; the cost of the running programs is covered by donor agencies. It runs ECCD programs to provide opportunities to children to play, interact,

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and develop foundational skills. The centres are coordinated by trained caregivers who are recruited from the local community.

The ECCD programs run by the Foundation can be grouped in to two categories and these include Home Based ECCD and Centre Based ECCD. The Home Based ECCD focus on children aged 0-3 with caregivers playing a fundamental role in conducting home visits. Caregivers provide antenatal advice and services to pregnant women. They also provide support and guidance to parents on nutrition and parenting issues. Through the Centre Based ECCD, the Foundation offers ECCD services to children aged 4 -8, focusing on empowering children with skills that will lay the foundation and help them easily adapt when they transition to formal schools.

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3 Chapter Three: Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This chapter will presents and discuss the theoretical and conceptual frameworks employed in my study. Social actions and social activities that human being portray are so diverse and complex that it is sometimes difficult to explain them with our personal understanding. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks provide us with explanations, predictions and guides to the understanding of these social action and activities or phenomena that we study. In addition, they also help us in the generation of ideas.Wilson and Chaddha (2009) explain that the theoretical insights inform the interpretation and analysis of data uncovered.

The chapter will begin with an overview of the social studies of childhood in which I will also present the discourses or approaches to the study of childhood. I chose to begin with an overview of this theory in order to understand how children are constructed in society and how they are theorised in research. Then, I will present the discussion of the social actor perspective with focus on children’s agency. After discussing social actor perspective, I will turn to the discussion of the children’s right perspective which will be followed by the social exchange theory and norm of reciprocity. The chapter will end with the conceptualization of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and play.