Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation (TMF) is proud to announce that its Executive Director, Joyce Atimango, was elected Interim Chairperson of the Parenting Cluster under the Network of Early Childhood Development Actors (NECDA) during a high-level stakeholders meeting held on Friday, 27th June 2025 at Hotel Africana, Kampala.
The meeting, convened by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) in collaboration with the NECDA Interim Committee, marked a critical step in operationalizing the Parenting Cluster as one of the five core technical clusters of the newly established NECDA framework.
The Parenting Cluster plays a pivotal role in promoting positive parenting practices that support the holistic development of children aged 0–8 years. Its goal is to enhance caregivers’ and practitioners’ capacity to foster nurturing care environments that promote children’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social growth.
Joyce Atimango’s election comes at a time when NECDA is solidifying its governance structures, following an 18-month process of consultations and stakeholder engagements that led to the formation of the Network and the approval of its Constitution in July 2024 by over 60 ECD partners.
Speaking after her election, Joyce expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in her leadership:
“I am deeply honoured to serve as the Interim Chairperson of the Parenting Cluster. This is not just a leadership role, but a responsibility to build systems that place parents and caregivers at the centre of early childhood development. Together, we can strengthen families and ensure every child gets the nurturing care they deserve.”
The meeting focused on:
- Presenting NECDA’s vision, coordination framework, and roadmap.
- Reviewing and adopting the Parenting Cluster Terms of Reference (ToR).
- Electing Cluster leadership and representatives to the NECDA Steering Committee.
NECDA has been established to strengthen coordination, collaboration, and multisectoral action for sustainable ECD service delivery in Uganda. It is organized into five key clusters aligned with the National Integrated ECD Policy and the global Nurturing Care Framework: Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, Parenting, Early Childhood Care and Education, and Research and Academia.
Each cluster is tasked with driving forward the implementation of NECDA’s strategic objectives and ensuring collective impact that transcends sectoral silos. As part of this effort, the Parenting Cluster will serve as a platform for knowledge sharing, capacity strengthening, and joint action among actors working to empower parents and caregivers.
TMF congratulates Joyce Atimango on this well-deserved recognition and reaffirms its commitment to advancing early childhood development in Uganda through collaborative, inclusive, and family-centered approaches.
