By: Kamohelo Ntsebeng
Maseru
On March 27, 2024 the Lesotho Orphans and Vulnerable Children DREAMS Integrated Information System (LODIIS) holds a handover event from Baylor Lesotho, Karabo ea Bophelo to Palladuim, which is defined as a system used to collect orphans and vulnerable children and DREAMS data.
It will be used for case management (registration of household, risk assessments of households by MGYSD) at Lancers Inn Maseru. This momentous occasion symbolizes the collective commitment of numerous stakeholders, implementing partners which are; (Baylor Lesotho, HISP, Tanzania, JHPIEGO, EGPA) and the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development towards strengthening data management system to support vulnerable children and adolescents.
HISP Tanzania Health Information System program manager, Khadija Mzavu takes us aback on the journey of LODIIS and its evolution, she states that in the identification of the innovative system, they went through four processes which were needs assessment, requirements gathering, market research and solution selection where in 2020 they had initial consultative meetings with implementing partners and stakeholders. This meeting was held to identify the best innovative system for OVC DREAMS data management.
Based on the needs assessment, they defined the functional and nonfunctional requirements of the digital requirements solution, conducting market research to identify potential digital solutions that meet identified requirements.
Khadija declares that various options were considered, with DHIS 2 platform chosen due to open source platform, customization and flexibility, scalabity, interoperability and powerful tools for data visualizations and analysis. All this has led to the evolution of the LODIIS. It is stated that in this very present year they are enhancing the finalization of FY24 LODIIS, and also the infrastructure of migrations not leaving out the technical support and maintenance however, they managed to have multiple achievements along the way, being data accessibility in a single platform, translated mobile apps supporting local languages, improved beneficiary and service tracking, unique identification, automated data analysis and many more.
Palladuim Data .FI. Lesotho Country Director, Refiloe Mpholo states that with the handover of LODIIS to data.FI. Lesotho, this is merely transferring ownership of a system and also the affirmation of dedication to improving the lives of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and young women across Lesotho. He describes LODIIS as a lifeline tool for those who often find themselves marginalized and underserved.
LODIIS will serve as a catalyst for community engagement and empowerment by involving community members in the data collection and decision making processes, he therefore explains that they will not only foster a sense of ownership but also to ensure that the solutions implemented are culturally appropriate and sustainable in the long run.
Furthermore, Lesotho Acting Country Director the donor of LODIIS, Ian Membezi gives out remarks that, “it is with a great pleasure and confidence to be gathering here to witness the official handover of LODIIS from Baylor Lesotho to Palladuim Data.”
He states that the journey to this milestone has been marked by dedication, perseverance, shared commitments, expertise and unwavering commitments to data integrity for their OVC DREAMS program. He therefore explains that he wants to express his heartfelt gratitude to Baylor Lesotho through HISP Tanzania for their exceptional stewardship of LODIIS over the last four years.
He states that, as he welcomes Palladium Data.FI., he is very much confident in their ability to build upon the foundation laid by Lesotho Baylor Karabo ea Bophelo with technical Assistance from HISP Tanzania and further advance the objectives of the OVC DREAMS Program. He concludes by saying he wants to reiterate USAID’s commitment to supporting the Government of Lesotho (GoL) and the implementing partners in their efforts to strengthen social protection, issues health systems and improve the lives of vulnerable children and adolescents. He explains that as critical stakeholders, they need to continue to harness the power of data to drive meaningful change, advance equity and build a brighter future for the children and their families in Lesotho.
The Ministry of Social Development director-operations, Refuoe Pakela states that this transition represents a collaboration aimed at amplifying data management capabilities, he explains that it is not a transfer of technology but a commitment to forge ahead of their capacity to serve those in need efficiently. “the integration of the OVC DREAMS data signifies a new chapter in our collective journey towards more efficient and impactful social development service delivery,” he says.