DSW Ethiopia - Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung
Transcription
DSW Ethiopia - Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung
DSW Ethiopia BI-ANNUAL NEWS TRACT Four Goals - One Mission January - June 2012 Empowering People for a Healthy Future January - June 2012 Ethiopia DSW Bi-Annual News Tract Our Thematic Priorities Making family planning and SRHR a reality for everyone Engaging in global health Empowering young people Linking population and health with the environment 2 January - June 2012 Ethiopia DSW Bi-Annual News Tract Foreword The past six months took us through a dynamic path of unique experiences and this offered us good reason to compile some of the major biannual project activities in a news tract format. This is our third bi-annual news tract being published to highlight the frontline program issues undertaken during the first six months period of the year 2012. Every development project has a life of its own to bear an experimental manifestation for innovation. The lesson learnt and the experience gained from one project always constructs a mastery to implement other projects in line. We also believe that innovation is a strong ingredient of good practice one springs up from practical experiences. As a result, the more projects we undertake the more we explore goal-oriented direction and the more we readjust our new experiences to function in line with the global reality. The recent international summit in London that focused on mother and child survival phenomenally dovetails with our efforts of making the sexual and reproductive health as well as the family planning services a mainstream package to address the livelihood empowerment needs of married adolescent girls and young women in rural areas. By doing so, integration has become our modus operandi for projecting various need-based development programs embodied. The most interesting point that the London summit emphasized on in its proposal was setting to reach 120 million women in developing countries with modern family planning methods and services. This means, according to the report posted after the summit, 200,000 fewer women dying in pregnancy and childbirth, fifty million fewer abortions and as few as three million babies dying in the first year of life. This is evident of DSW’s consistent contribution to meet the unmet needs of SRH information and services in many more parts of rural Ethiopia. Having stood three years away from one of the most widely publicized UN’s Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs) at 2015, Lancet, a reputed medical journal gave scientific recognition of mother and child survival agenda in its recent publication. It viewed that in order to reduce maternal mortality by 30 percent among adolescent girls and other women whose maternal related death rates became the highest is to allow delaying, spacing and limiting their childbearing. As Ethiopia keeps pace with a long stride to attain the MDGs and further adhering its policy to the Growth and Transformation Plan, our project in East Wellega zone benefited more than 6,000 married adolescent girls and young women who have used long-term family planning methods to delay first pregnancy and space child births. The fact that DSW is a post ICPD program undertaker, it strongly links the SRHR to the center of the development agenda. With it, DSW remains up front in a position of ICPD beyond 2014 to define the centrality of SRHR commitments to achieve other development goals. We are honored by the invitation of DSW’s Executive Director, Renate Bähr at the high-level taskforce of the ICPD. As this would lay the ground to develop DSW’s vision in line with the post 2014-2015 framework. Therefore, each passing six-month continues to contribute towards that goal. The past six months, DSW leveraged funding from Royal Dutch Government to undertake a new project designed to empower girls and women in rural settings. Speeding up the Wheels for Youth in Action is yet another newer project went on operational in the past six months. It aimed at developing the life skills of economically disadvantaged senior secondary school students to excel in their academic pursuits. Finally, my conclusion of this message devotes to an acknowledgement of all those governmental and non-governmental organizations for their resolve to our partnerships. Best regards, Tirsit Grishaw DSW Ethiopia Country Director Bi-Annual News Tract *Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en* 3 January - June 2012 ‘Speeding Up the Wheels for Youth In Action’ - a new project - Jolting less-advantaged into more self-reliant As the new project fully entered into an operational phase, DSW capitalizes on its youth empowerment expertise to create unique opportunity for young people in action. A twenty members of carefully selected youth group comprised sixteen female and four male students from preparatory school have started computer training at DSW / Bonita Youth Development Training Center. According to Feyera Assefa, training center manager, members of this youth group are part of the beneficiaries from the Speeding up the Wheels for Youth in Action project recently launched in Bishoftu town (Debrezient). “This project centers at building the technical and communication skill capability of the youth in school,” said the manager of the training center at which facility this program Haimanot Girma undertakes. “Being selected to speed up my learning wheels makes me feel destined to achieve my future dreams” underscores Haimanot Girma, who just turned to eighteen and passed to 11th grade at Bishoftu Prep School. Haimanot is also one of the needy students due beneficiary from this project. During the first year of the project, forty indigent high school students will receive a life skill training and improve various packages of computer operating skills as they are prepared to go for their college studies. Naboni Kelbessa A 17-years old Naboni Kelbessa who is a 12th grader at Bishoftu Prep School was grateful to DSW for giving her the fine opportunity. Naboni is one the twenty high school students taken in the first batch to receive numerous skill enhancing training. “By day my confidence in maneuvering various software applications and communicating openly in the presence of others strongly improved”, Naboni enthused. It is observed that the rate of school dropouts among most young people from economically disadvantaged families is much more higher than their peers from better-off family backgrounds. Whenever they were able to cope with the pressure and make it to reach at university level, lack of computer skills and being unable effectively to communicate in English are also considered some Eshetu Bekele, Director of the of the major challenges they are likely Bishoftu Preparatory School (TVT). to face during their college studies. Not to mention their needs for life skill training. Eshetu Bekele, a director at Bishoftu Preparatory School, hailed DSW’s project to fill a crucial gap that was hardly paid sufficient attention to by any other NGOs in the previous past. “Although”, Eshetu added “it is praiseworthy effort on the part of the government to equip most of the public high schools these days with computers and ensured accessibility to students of 11th and 12th graders, however, not only the number of computers remain insufficient to match with the students but also the level of training given to these students doesn’t go beyond the basic computer knowledge”. “I feel confident that this program will reinforce a ripple effect of inspiration into the young people’s needs and more certainly so in their future academic career of those stood beneficiary”, Eshetu further accentuated his point of view. In a spacious resource center, a group of twenty youth attend four sessions of a computer skill training per week. There are also life skills and communication lessons offered in a separate arrangement. When DSW recently launched Speeding up the Wheels for Youth in Action project in Bishoftu, it well-meant to equip more than 120 young people most of whom are girls with the right skills to fit them opportunity for youth in action. for their academic life during the three years period of the project set to be implemented. Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en* January - June 2012 Launches of girls empowerment project In four Eastern African countries, DSW coordinated collective efforts to advance a regional based project. Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda all homes to DSW country offices undertake implementation of a grandeur project called Women and Girls’ Empowerment (WOGE). The Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), a Ugandan-based international civil society collaborated with DSW to host a launching workshop on May 21 - 22 2012 in Kampala. Each of the four DSW country offices represented by program staff along with officials from EASSI to create a clear cut traction on the practicality of the project concept as contextually relevant as it was necessary from country offices perspectives for key stakeholders in attendance of the two-day workshop. “The fact that WOGE exclusively targets to empower women and girls from rural constituencies makes the project uniquely important”, opined Fekadu Jaleta, a program officer with DSW Ethiopia who participated at the launching workshop in Uganda. “Because” Fekadu further emphasized, 4 “most development projects often do not categorically define women and girls as their specific targets beneficiaries”. Buoyed by its enormous experiences, DSW took home the responsibility over making the poorer country girls and women at the peripheral woreda of Gojam zone and in rural localities on the outskirts of Bishoftu economically self-reliant. Implementation of WOGE involves the partnership of all four DSW country offices and EASSI on regional level. According to findings, since the enactment of the Beijing Platform for Action in !995, women and girls living in poverty and low economic self-reliance in East Africa region climbed higher, though figures have varied between the countries. Women and Girls’ Empowerment project has set to stabilize the economic means and thereby improving the economic self-reliance of about 800 females who reside in rural Ethiopia. This project lapses through four years period. Economic self-reliance means being independent and empowered with knowledge and skills to rely on own means of incomes. Review meeting convened Strengthening Access to Obstetric Fistula project past the one year mark of its implementation since launched. Twice a year, DSW and stakeholders sits to review the overall project activities. In May 2012, the second bi-annual review meeting was held in two woreda (Dega damot and Jabitehna). “What makes this project a little different from our past experience is the implementing strategy put to apply”, explained Nigus Simane, DSW’s program officer. He added, “by using the existing government and community based structures the sustainability and impact this project cherished with should be broader”. Voluntarism at the community level in rural places where means of livelihood keep many overburdened with various domestic chores is quite unusual if not unprecedented Review meeting usually draw the participation tradition. Comof members of the community, prominent among munity based them are religious leaders. volunteers and health extension workers (HEWs) are in this case the key catalysts to get the project moved forward. DSW supplied basic medical appliances to both the volunteers and health extension workers. At its full year, this project drew seventy-four volunteered community agents, health extension workers and nurses were being trained in an effort to address the gap in capacity. Well over fifty percent of the capacity building activities conducted during the past six months. Initially, around 37 patients were presumed of fistula cases and following a series of diagnosis A young woman presenting her asthere of them proven signment during one of the capacity before referral services building training sessions. facilitated. In a coordinated effort between volunteers, health extension workers and clinical nurses, from identifying potential victims of fistula, reaching those with severe suspicious symptoms and finally facilitating the referral services are the result of using the existing government structures. At all time of in need DSW also provides an ambulance service stationed in Bahir Dar. The strong partnerships between local government offices, Bahir Dar Hamlin Fistula Hospital and the health centers played paramount roles. Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en* 5 January - June 2012 Relevant trainings yield results Stakeholders met at an annual review Funded by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Promoting Community-Based Responses to Reproductive Health and Livelihood Needs of Adolescent Married Girls and Young Women Project lapses its two years intervention period. “So far, the two-year old project markedly accumulates desirable results through the application of various components of the project strategy. Capacity building is one of the key elements of the strategy that motivates and enables both the beneficiaries and community-based health practitioners perform beneficial activities”, according to Tenaw Mengist, a program manager at DSW. Medical practitioners from twelve public health centers and private A pack of teenage wives and young mothers clinics attended queue outside a community-based clinic to get further traintheir preferred family planning services. Since the launches of Promoting CommunityBased Responses to Reproductive Health and Livelihood Needs project there have been two annual meetings. This year’s was held in early July 2012 in Nekemte town. At an annual review meeting, stakeholders mainly composed of officials from Oromiya regional government and those community leaders discuss the progress activities of the project point by point with relevant DSW staff members who organize and coordinate the occasion. ing to enhance their skills in practice. After assessing the skill gap among professional health officers in the project target of the rural woreda in East Wellega zone, DSW facilitates a training on ’insertion of longacting family planning methods’ for 46 health extension workers and clinical nurses from private clinics. “Community-based health facilities found in each woreda of our targeted intervention serve as effective outlets especially after relevant training facilitated to improve their capacities, said Adugna Wakjira, DSW’s Nekemte field office coordinator, adding that these facilities remain strong links to the referral services and the family planning methods dispensation often so networked by the outreach activities”. Trained change agents routinely make the home-tohome visits targeting married adolescent households and give them relevant details on family planning services. While promoters who receive training on frequent occasions, take advantage of their community leadership roles to break the taboo and pave the smooth ways for community members generally to become positive on family planning services. As this project enters its third year phase this month, the past six months saw more than 23,655 married adolescent girls and young women having received various referral services courtesy of the home visit effort by trained change agents who are also target beneficiaries. A day long reviewing has touched most major challenges and shortcomings observed in comparison with those had occurred during the first year of the project. When we organize an annual event like this we streamline all key activities that essentially led us to report success stories and share the experiences, explained Adugna Wakjira, field coordinator at DSW’s field office in Nekemte. “This is one prominent event during which I witnessed that every single stakeholder proactively reviewing every detail of the activities”, observed Adugna who played central roles in coordinating such annual review meeting for the second time. Second annual review meeting Since the inception of the project stakeholders at zone and woreda levels hold quarterly review meetings and identify best performed activities. “Presenting awards for the top most efficient change agents during each annual review meeting brings healthy competitions among all change agents whose target clients for family planning services steadily increased”, emphasized Feyera Assefa, DSW / Boninta Youth Development Training Center manager. Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en * January - June 2012 Meeting the unmet needs In a span of eight years of her marriage, Meskiya Hamid already gave birth to six children. A mother of six, Meskiya lives with her husband and their children in a grass thatched mud house in rural Dabba settlement, Wama Hagalo woreda. As early as her tender age of 12 years, she started a matrimony and now she is a 20 years old housewife. Throughout the past eight years of her marriage life, Meskiya could not enjoy a grace period of more than three months each year to space childbearing. Physically, Meskiya evidently appears much more older than her post-teenage. Overburdened between child caring duties and household chores, she seemed a little too Meskiya Hamid is 20-year old and in eight fatigued when one years marriage she bore six children. day in the early morning time greeted by a youthful male visitor at her home. As she stood by the door hugging her toddler, the visitor approached close and politely introduced his name as Temam Jemalo, a change agent. Skilfully, this change agent settled his narration on the service provision of a family planning program, which DSW promotes through a user-friendly intervention in East Wellega zone of the Oromiya region. Temam made sure he passes the message in an P r i m e interactive conversational manner. Both took their turns to talk and discuss in a relevant details. Before her exposure to the sort of such information with important details this morning, promoters already tipped its relevance and encouraged the community at large to consider making use of the family planning services. Although Meskiya’s reaction signalled agreeable response, the consent of her spouse (Nibaras Abdela) remained the next decisive step required to confirm whether she would be on board. So much so that the change agent assertively informed Meskiya about a forthcoming outreach service that would take place in Dabba kebele and left her with the appointment card of which bearing her personal details. Along with Dabba, there are six rural localities in Wama Hagalo woreda (one of the seven woreda DSW extensively set an intervention effort through a three-year bound project). High rate of marriage at adolescent ages observed in Dabba kebele, whose residents like Meskiya’s families came here to settle from central and eastern parts of Ethiopia. Accompanied by her husband, Meskiya turned up during one of the outreach programs held in Dabba and accepted an implanon insertion to prevent pregnancy for the next three years. After the insertion successfully administered, an enthusiastic Meskiya was quoted as saying “If I secured permission from Nibaras (her spouse), I would even be willing permanently prevent birth in the future”. Likewise those typical beneficiaries of this project, Meskiya and Nibaras now run an IGA to improve their livelihood needs and means. N u m b e r s 6,610 The number of married adolescent girls in East Wellega zone accessed to a service of the long-acting family planning methods. They delayed first pregnancy from 3 to 5 years. More than 200 teenage wives received training on entrepreneurship skills. All have established saving and credit schemes. Each on a household level being able to run an income generating activity to improve their livelihood opportunities. Many among them have resumed schooling. 6 1,440,000 The numbers of young people have accessed to a monthly IEC/BCC news letter called Gilts Wotat in the past six-months alone. This IEC/BCC material is published bilingually each month in Amharic and Oromiffa languages. It enjoys a wide range of readership, including inmates from various prison institutions and universities. A print run of 20,000 copies circulate among 240,000 youth as each copy is being shared between seven readers at all times. Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en * 7 January - June 2012 Informal sector operators trained Best-performed women’s groups received their rewards for hardworking efforts in the presence of local government officials and journalists. In kind support for women’s groups Four of the 20 plus youth and women’s groups in Addis Ababa have received support in kinds. Various useful vocational tools and accessories were being awarded to the top best performing groups in an eventful occasion last month. Working Together for Decent Work is a three year project, which DSW has leveraged funds from the European Union to implement it in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar cities. It is mainly projected on benefiting the specific socioeconomic groups who make their living from informal sector. “Need-based capacity building training instrumentally occupies the core purpose of this project to get traction”, according to Nigus Simane, a program officer with DSW. He asserted further that “majority members of the various youth and women’s groups never went through proper formal education and, therefore, lack the skills with which to improve their livelihood means”. “This is why”, added Nigus, “we design specific trainings that have to focus on generating skills based on the earlier exposure and practical experience of the individual members”. It is observed that every single training conducted in the previous past that drew the participation of groups’ members produced enhanced and innovative capacity and motivation. Being one of the frontline reproductive health organizations, DSW continued to mainstreaming the RH issues with the effort to get informal sector operators fit for the life of decent earning and livelihoods. By coordinating a well-organized youth clubs, DSW anchored the dissemination of RH information to increase strong awareness amongst the target groups embraced by this project. The full implementation of this project bounds to span over the three years period. During which time more than 30 youth and women’s groups, 20 in Addis Ababa and 10 in Bahir Dar each group drew ranging from 20 to 30 membership under its watch. Youth and women who have been organized in groups as beneficiaries of ‘Working Together for Decent Work’ project received trainings on Training of Trainer and Vocational skills. Depending on the types of training designed for members of the groups operating in the informal economic sector, group members at on-spot vocational training. A number such events took place over the past six months. In July alone, 30 members of women’s group attended pottery making vocational training for thirty days. While asked how effectively a vocational training could transform people in the informal economy, Tenaw Mengist, DSW’s resource mobilization and program manager elaborated that “skills which are relevant to the needs of the target beneficiaries and their important bearing on the market opportunities often enable informal sector operators to succeed in many ways of their hardworking endeavor”. Stakeholders coalesced A bi-annual joint review meeting coalesced key stakeholders in April 2012 for the second time in a year. Working Together for Decent Work was officially launched in September 2011. Since its inception, relevant government offices have continued their partnership in implementing the project. Addis Ababa City Government’s Women, Children, Youth Affairs bureau and those of Sub-cities and woreda levels were part of the review meeting attendants. Self-help community-based organi- Occasion like this typically helped zation (Iddir), the city convincing decision makers to provide government’s Bureau of shades for the groups in need of them. Finance and Economic Development and woreda micro and small enterprise development office were among those presented strong interests in reviewing the bi-annual project activities during the meeting. Meanwhile, in February 2012, DSW organized and conducted a day long workshop to sensitize and create awareness on the concept and objective of the project among decision makers at the Sub-city and woreda level in Addis Ababa. Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en * January - June 2012 8 Four signatories honor MoU Girls cubs consolidate efforts to fight fistula Whenever DSW enters into a formal agreement with project beneficiaries, the attention of major stakeholders have to be drawn to bind all signatories by agreed upon document between and among them. In February 2012, the four-party agreement signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Gullele Sub-city conference Hall. The agreement between the four parties included DSW, beneficiaries, woreda micro and small enterprise development office, woreda women, children and youth affairs office. This agreement binds the four parties into a clearly defined commitment and responsibility over implementation of the Working Together for Decent Work project. Despite routine onerous chores and school obligation, members of the girls clubs in various parts of East Gojam zone traverse rural villages out to reach those of their peers being trapped by harmful traditional practices. “Inspired by the knowledge they gained through capacity building measures, leaders of the girls clubs learn by example to develop strong determination, their self-respect, self-esteem and self-confidence”, affirmed Samrawit Niguse, based at DSW field office in Bahir Dar, who is also a public health officer by training. According to Samrawit, the ability of these girls at the helm of the clubs can simply be measured by the number of people they could mobilize and reach in a single community conversation event. “There are so many instances I personally witness to affirm this fact”, said Samrawit, adding that “in the period between January and June 2012 alone there have been 83,037 people reached to address issues focused on SRH and harmful traditional practices by the girls clubs fighting fistula”. Early marriage and lack of accession to institutional delivery services assumed the lion’s share of fistula prevalence. DSW in valiant collaboration with the Amhara Development Association, a regional based non-governmental development organization and Bahir Dar Hamlin Fistula Hospital, the girls clubs facilitate referral services to treat, care and cure fistula patients in Amhara region. RH information benefit community Conducted by community-based reproductive health agents (CBRHA), 11,098 youth and members of the community educated on family planning benefit in Bonga and five rural woreda in the vicinity. All of them ended up using the reproductive health services in one way or the other, according to the six month report. Integrated Participatory Forest Management and Reproductive Health project targets five rural constituencies, including Bonga town where one of the most dense forest habitations exists in the country. Youth environmental clubs and Kafa Forest Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (KFCFCU) work hand in hand by managing the forest resources and suppress the population pressure on the forest by ways of family planning service prevalence. Their collaboration triggered effects on the mobilization of 13, 833 people being drawn from the general public over the various mass edutainment events. Members of the forest users groups are always part of the crowd attending such events. A recent report estimated the level of contraception prevalence at 65 percent , an increase from the previous period by at least 15 percent. The most preferred types of family planning methods are Depo-Provera, Pills and Implanone (Norplant). So is condom in more ways than it ever was in the past. Forty MPs conduct study tour Members of the Ethiopian Parliament toured DSW’s project sites in Amhara, Oromiya and SNNPR regions. Forty parliamentarians had started their study tours on April 23 and concluded on 27 April 2012. The parliamentarians were interested to observe implementation of the family planning and RH service programs in Ethiopia. Adama, Bahir Dar, and Wolayta were among those selected DSW’s project sites for the study tours by the MPs and other high level government officials. Parliamentarians anchored optimism after their first-stop assessment at the project sites. They took a working tours to measure implementation of the family planning and RH service programs undertaken by DSW and other RH organizations and civil societies. These tours spearheaded by the Population Directorate at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). Bi-Annual News Tract * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en * 9 January - June 2012 RH programs hailed by Parliamentarians Y2Y Initiative replicates model clubs Euroleverage pushed its means to pave the path for representatives from finance and social affairs standing committees of the Ethiopian parliament to conduct field visits on the RH programs in Amhara, Oromiya, SNNPR and Somalia regions in April 2012. In his assertion to explain the purpose of the visits by the peoples’ representatives, Tenaw Mengist, a program manager with DSW, said “I am strongly convinced that after their experiences of touring the RH and family planning programs, an increase in national budget allocation for RH policy programs will gain weighty consideration”. In a sprit of partnership, DSW and other key civil societies supported the field visits made by the parliamentarians, which the Population Directorate at MoFED took lead role in organizing and coordinating. The Euroleverage project has a broader scope on the global scale and its focus in Ethiopia hinges on twin means of drawing resources to advance RH/ FP programs. On the one hand pushing a resource to bring more resources and on the other hand, it assertively pulls available resources to invest in Young mother takes a shot to plan on reproductive health and her family size. family planning programs. During the past twelve years, DSW’s youth-to-youth initiative anchored a symbol of national emblem for young people in Ethiopia. The last six months saw some eight basic-level clubs being replicated. There are about four stages through which a replicated basic youth club grows and becomes a grassroots NGO. When asked what really made the Y2Y initiative uniquely inspirational for many youth in Ethiopia, Hiwot Bogale, DSW’’s Y2Y focal person and a program officer put emphasis on the youthfriendly element of the concept which is also modeled on a social franchise Training Center still excels After its establishment in February 2004, DSW / Bonita Youth Development Training Center attracts central roles not only being a unique capacity building facility for youth but it also becomes the source of best practice documentation and a resource center for the production and development of IEC/BCC materials. “This center treasures every activity qualifies to fall under good practice documentation and shares the experiences”, said Feyera Assefa, a training center manager, adding that “the best practice documentation is used as sources to develop and produce IEC/ BCC materials”. The Center DSW / Bonita Youth Development posted its course calendars Training Center is located in Bishoftu town (Debrezeit). on the official websites of DSW. The course calendar formatted in two different versions to draw participants from national and international sources. scheme. According to Hiwot, the main inspirational effect lies on the fact that the Initiative set the path for voluntarism that motivates young people with a sense of leadership and role model responsibilities. Every public event whose relevance to issues such as population, environment, reproductive health and gender embodied, youth clubs at various levels take lead roles. This year’s March 8th Day drew the participation of many youth clubs across the nation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are about nine projects currently undertaking implementation. Each of them requires the efforts, commitments and financial supports of the people whose development objective bound them together. DSW is so grateful to acknowledge its partners and donors for making all of those projects a possibility. BINGO!, BMZ, BONITA GmbH & Co. KG, Catholic Women’s Foundation (Germany), the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, European Union, MUT Foundation, Rotary Club, Royal Dutch Government, as well as other private donors. Bi-Annual News Tract is published by DSW Ethiopia P. O. Box 31217 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Esayas B. Gebre-Meskel IEC/BCC Material Production & Promotion Unit Editor www dsw-ethiopia.org Bi-Annual News Tract www.dsw-online.de/en * Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 or Fax: +251 116 463 617 * * E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et * * Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org or www.dsw-online.de/en * January - June 2012 Ethiopia DSW Bi-Annual News Tract As the SRH issue goes mainstreaming, so is the integration of it intent on improving the economic well-being of youth and vulnerable women who meet their livelihood needs from informal economic sector. A small cube sheltered large families in an under resource neighborhoods that could turn into a cottage industry. During the day, beds and mattresses all kept out to create more spaces for generating means of livelihoods. Speeding the wheels for young people in action enables young people earn life skills, develop character, ethical values, communication skills and excel them in their pursuits of furthering education. Income generating activity (IGA) is one of the most reliable means to empower girls and women in rural areas. They develop independent mind-set and become firmly determined to decide on their reproductive health needs. DSW observed that the youth sexual and reproductive health needs enormously impact on population dynamic and environmental issues. It, therefore, projected an integrated program to address SRH, population and environment issues. User-friendly family planning services set to prioritize on five elements such as preference, need, decision, comfort and safety of the clients (beneficiaries). Delaying first pregnancy, spacing childbearing, limiting family size and improving economic means all are being embodied within those five elements. With a loan of $ 3, one member of Saving and Credit Group can start up a home-based small business. Depending on the volume of returns from the business activities, initial profit goes to the deposit of saving and credit scheme. A small interest be deducted for the loaning services delivered to the individual members of the group and whatever amounts taken from interest should be saved on behalf of the group. A set of 46 saving and credit groups, to date, saw an upward trajectory to save about more than $ 10,000, including DSW’s top up injection in it. DSW resolves to focus on the gender aspect of empowerment programs. Running nine different projects targeting various demographic groups in different parts of the country, five of which particularly concerned to improve the livelihood needs of girls and women. January - June 2012 Ethiopia DSW Bi-Annual News Tract DSW (Deutsche Stiftung WeltbevÖlkerung) DSW Ethiopia P. O. Box 31217, Addis Ababa Tel: +251 116 457 803 & 251 116 479 415 Fax: +251 116 463 617 E-mail: dsw-ethiopia@ethionet.et Web: www.dsw-ethopia.org www.dsw-online.de/en