Influence of Project Champions on Sustainability of Early Childhood Development Projects: Case of Baby-Friendly Community Initiative in Dagoretti North Constituency Nairobi County Kenya

The aim of the study was to find out the influence of project champions on the sustainability of Early Childhood Development (ECD) projects, a case of the Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) project in Dagoretti North Constituency Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by the system approach theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population was made up of 507 BFCI project stakeholders while the sample size was 211. The researchers used self-administered questionnaires to collect quantitative data while an interview guide was used to collect qualitative data in the research. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Data collected from the study was analyzed with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 23.0). Triangulated qualitative data was analyzed through themes and content analysis. The study found that project champions determine the sustainability of ECD projects with a high correlation value. Indicators like commitment, confidence level, influence on the community, and the connections a project champion has in the community play a significant role in the sustainability of projects. In-depth discussions with the key informants indicated the importance of project champions. Regression analysis indicated that project champions were significant in predicting the sustainability of ECD Projects. The study recommends that project champions should be appreciated through tokens to motivate them to champion community projects and be involved in planning projects to ensure to take into account the cultural contexts.