international work

» DSW in the Field

6 DSW’s In ternat iona l Work

education is most effective when adolescents are

taught and counselled by their own peers. In

addition, we involve parents, teachers, community

members, and local and religious opinion leaders.

Their support and understanding is vital to ensure

a lasting improvement in the lives of young people.

However, DSW’s field work involves much more than

sex education. We apply an integrated population-

health-environment approach based on the needs

and rights of young people and communities. We

support and promote capacity building of civil society

organisations and communities, with a special

focus on young people, as well as social and political

decision-makers, health providers and relevant

stakeholders throughout the world.

For over twenty years, DSW has campaigned tirelessly

on behalf of those who hold the future in their hands:

the young people of today and the parents of

tomorrow. During this time we have built a solid

network of over six hundred youth clubs for sexual

and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education

and AIDS prevention training in the four East

African countries where we operate: Ethiopia, Kenya,

Tanzania, and Uganda.

Through our Youth-to-Youth Initiative, peer educators

at these clubs teach and motivate other young people

about how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and

HIV infections, and how they can implement positive

changes in their own lives and the lives of others in

their communities. Our experience shows that sex

Ethiopia

Uganda Kenya

Tanzania

“The global problems of our time such as poverty, food

shortages, and climate change can only be overcome by

meeting the unmet need for family planning and modern

contraception in the world’s poorest countries.”

Renate Baehr, DSW’s Executive Director

Youth-to-Youth Website Launch

In September 2011, DSW launched a dedicated

website for the Youth-to-Youth Initiative. The youth

focused website was set up to increase awareness

on issues relating to SRHR, and to act as a point of

reference where young people could ask questions,

share experiences and motivate others. From its

initial launch to June 2012, the site has been visited

by over 2,500 young people.

7DSW’s In ternat iona l Work

www.youth-to-youth.orgCapacity Building in Development

During 2011 and early 2012, DSW developed and

conducted a total of 218 training courses across

Africa and Asia. These training sessions focused on

capacity building in relation to resource mobilisation,

civic education, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and

life skills, and were held in 11 countries. DSW is

committed to helping individuals and local organisa-

tions to build and increase their knowledge and

resources for the areas in which we operate. Courses

held at the regional, national and international levels

included formal training sessions, peer-to-peer ex-

changes, “ripple effect” train-the-trainer approaches,

and online coursework.

Highlights

Project Controlling

DSW plans and manages projects with meticulous

care and proficiency:

» Before any project can begin, country office staff

create an operational plan that sets out measurable

goals, activities, timeframe, and budget considerations.

» Close collaboration with local partners and benefi-

ciaries ensures that projects are coordinated and

planned in accordance with the precise needs of

people in each country.

» Project managers working in the country office

ensure that everything is implemented according

to the contract and produce monthly, or quarterly,

reports on the resources used and on the progress

of projects initiated.

» Project coordinators and the controlling depart-

ment in Hannover check the reports and submit

the results to the Board of Directors.

» We also commission external appraisers to evaluate

individual projects.

»

Spanning four East African countries, DSW’s Youth-

to-Youth Initiative has a membership of over 30,000

young people. In an effort to assess the results of the

Initiative on young people and their social environ-

ment, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale

Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned an assessment

of the Initiative in 2011. The results were extremely

positive. The study praised the impact that the project

was having on girls in particular and how membership

has led to the development of life skills, self-esteem,

and in a number of cases, the ability to provide for

themselves and families through self-generated income.

“Before I was shy, now I am a public speaker

and a highly recognised person; I am often

called to organise public events.”

Youth club member.

Speaking about the benefits of DSW’s Youth-to-Youth Initiative.

“I’ve been empowered!” – Study Praises DSW’s Youth-to-Youth Initiative

What Does DSW Ethiopia Do?

Almost two-thirds of Ethiopian women are married

in their teens with some girls marrying as young as

seven years. As a result, they are often denied access

to education and paid employment. To help improve

this situation, we launched the “Working Together for

Decent Work in East Africa” project for Ethiopia in

September 2011. This three year regional project was

set up to provide social protection and employment

for those excluded from the formal labour market,

especially women and young people. Thirty youth and

women’s groups, each consisting of 20–25 members

involved in various informal crafts and activities,

have so far been organised to benefit from the project.

We mentor individual members with regards to

developing market-based skills, increasing economic

opportunities, enhancing their ability to move into

formal employment and, creating networking

opportunities. Ultimately, the sustainability of their

economic activities enables them to take ownership

and control of their own futures.

»

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What Have We Achieved?

A snapshot of recent successes with the project

“Working Together for Decent Work in East Africa”

include:

» One hundred youth and women’s group

members have been trained in leadership and

entrepreneurship skills.

» 30,000 materials have been disbursed.

» Radio talk shows have reached an estimated

audience of more than 10,000 listeners.

» Our health awareness events have impacted

2,300 people.

Further information about our work in Ethiopia can be

found under www.dsw-online.org/ethiopia

Addis Ababa

Capital of Ethiopia

Country Office since 1999

Ethiopia Almost every second Ethiopian woman aged 20 is a mother.»

DSW’s In ternat iona l Work

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* UN estimatePopulation in millions 20111970 2050

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The ”Fight Fistula“ Project

Child marriage, early pregnancy and Female Genital

Mutilation (FGM) are among the reasons two million

women suffer from obstetric fistula, a serious child-

birth-related condition that often affects young girls.

The goal of our “Fight Fistula” project is to contribute

to the eradication of this debilitating condition among

women and girls in Ethiopia. Since prevention is

critical to fighting fistula, education, and family

planning services form the main strategies of this

project. In the past six months alone, we have trained

40 leaders from girls clubs to give advice and support

about the condition, and we have reached more

than 83,000 people about issues relating to SRHR

and harmful traditional practices.

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DSW’s In ternat iona l Work 9

What Does DSW Kenya Do?

Since it was launched, DSW’s “Safe Motherhood”

project has aimed at enhancing the capacity of

health workers to help improve access to safe

maternal and child health services in the slums of

Nairobi and in the Kaloleni District, Coast Province

of Kenya. In 2011, we donated equipment worth over

95,000 Euro to various health institutions throughout

Kenya. As a result of the project’s success in the

field, we have also been invited to sit in a number of

influential working groups chaired by the Kenyan

Ministry of Health.


In May 2011, the European Commission did a final

assessment of the “Safe Motherhood” project. Results

have been extremely positive: together with partners,

DSW significantly contributed to improving the

health of girls and young mothers in Kenya.

Project achievements include:

» Health education campaigns have reached more

than 4.5 million young mothers, teenagers, and

community members with vital information about

family planning and pregnancy.

» Our staff, youth clubs, and partners have distributed

more than 100,000 educational materials.

» More than 100,000 male and female condoms were

distributed to young people.

» More than 900 health centre staff and community

workers were trained.

» More than 380,000 young mothers and their

children received health services such as pregnancy

tests, HIV tests, and vaccinations.

» More than 300 young women and mothers were

provided with entrepreneurship skills training.

Further information about our work in Kenya can be

found under www.dsw-online.org/kenya

Nairobi

Capital of Kenya


Kenya

Over 5,500 women die each year while giving

birth or due to pregnancy related conditions.

»42

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Average number of children per woman: 4.4

Just 44 per cent of all births in Kenya occur at health facilities.

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11* UN estimatePopulation in millions 20111970 2050

Message to the Youth

A beneficiary of DSW’s “Working Together for Decent Work in

East Africa” project speaks about his experiences:

“My name is Stephen Omondi from Kenya. The aim of this project

is to help women and youth towards living a decent life. I under-

went a ten day training course and acquired skills which have

enabled me to empower my young fellows towards the realisation

that it’s time to take control of our own lives. It is my opinion that

youth self-employment in the informal sector will lead to the

growth of cooperatives which will sustain the Kenyan economy

for years to come. The programme has made a positive impact on

our communities.”

Tanzania 88 per cent of the population live on less

than two US Dollars a day.»Average number of children per woman: 5.4

10 DSW’s In ternat iona l Work

» What Does DSW Tanzania Do?

In cooperation with our other country offices in

Ethiopia and Kenya, we launched the “Working

Together for Decent Work in East Africa” project

for Tanzania in November 2011. This three year

programme will work towards improving the health

and livelihoods of those excluded from the formal

labour market, especially women and youth. Early

results from the project have been very positive with

36 youth and women’s support groups established

in three targeted districts in Tanzania. Within these

groups a total of 865 people have benefited from

the programme.


» With our project “Healthy Action”, we organised

eleven community sensitisation activities in

three districts on reproductive health, civic

responsibilities, and rights which had a direct

impact on 13,000 people.

» Through intensive use of DSW’s youth truck

between January and May 2012, we reached more

than 5,300 people with awareness and health

campaigns focusing on HIV & AIDS prevention,

forced marriages, and gender based violence.

» DSW Tanzania hosted a National Roundtable

meeting whose objective was to bring together

national decision makers, donors, and non-state

actors for discussions regarding the advancement

of family planning in Tanzania.

Further information about our work in Tanzania can be

found under www.dsw-online.org/tanzania

Youth Truck

DSW staff travel around the country using Youth Trucks to visit

remote areas in order to spread information and advice about

reproductive health and contra ceptives. By using direct

approaches such as group discussions and recreational activities,

they openly discuss sensitive issues in a youth-friendly manner.

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* UN estimatePopulation in millions 20111970 2050

Arusha


Uganda

About 4 per cent of all 15–24 year

old girls are HIV positive.

» Average number of children per woman: 6.2

48 per cent of the population is below 15 years of age.


The “Young Adolescents Project” has had

tremendous successes:

» To date we have reached and educated more than

7,100 students, 1,900 parents, and 340 teachers.

» In 2011, more than 90 per cent of students had

comprehensive knowledge about HIV & AIDS –

compared with less than 25 per cent at the

beginning of the project.

» There has been a dramatic decrease in the school

dropout rate for young girls. In 2008, 118 young

girls had left school, compared with only 29 girls

in 2011.

» The role of teachers in creating awareness and

passing on knowledge about HIV & AIDS has

increased: in 2011, more than 90 per cent of the

pupils named teachers in the classroom as one

of their information sources.

» We have trained 17 health workers in the provision

of youth-friendly health services and encouraged

to establish youth-friendly corners in their health

centres.

» The project gained wide acceptance among

district officials. In 2011, they decided to consider

sexual education as a priority for district education

departments as well as for the “District Develop-

ment Plans” in 2012.

Further information about our work in Uganda can be

found under www.dsw-online.org/uganda


»What Does DSW Uganda Do?

While much has been done to improve access to SRHR

information and services among older adolescents,

there is a common held belief that boys and girls

under the age of 15 are “too young” to be in need of

SRHR information and services. Against this back-

drop, DSW developed, in partnership with Bayer

HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, the innovative “Young

Adolescents Project” to create a supportive environ-

ment and improve SRHR education for young

adolescents in primary schools. The initiative has

been implemented in ten schools in the districts

of Masindi, Tororo, and Wakiso, and targets pupils,

teachers, and parents as well as health workers in

promoting awareness and acceptance of family

planning methods and the use of contraceptives.

Kampala

Capital of Uganda

Country Office

since 2000

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» Advocating for Change – in the South

formulate policy priorities, monitor their implemen-

tation and influence decision-makers. Collaboration

with institutions, government agencies, and other

non-governmental organisations is an important

cornerstone of our work. By cooperating and working

together with other actors, we help to ensure the

sustainability of our activities while achieving greater

results for all.

Advocating for increased support from governments

for gender equality, family planning, and sexual

and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), is vital

for maintaining and improving the health of young

people and societies in order to help them reach

their full potential. Advocacy initiatives, such as DSW’s

“Healthy Action” project, are aimed at empowering

East African non-state actors to advocate effectively

on health issues by increasing their capacity to

“DSW’s AHEAD project is at the cutting-edge of efforts to

mobilize civil-society demand and support for the funding

of reproductive health interventions in developing countries.

DSW's efforts are playing a vital role in saving the lives of

poor women in those countries.”

Tom Merrick,

Technical Advisor to the World Bank Institute

DSW’s In ternat iona l Work12

Capacity Building in the South

DSW conducted a total of 218 training workshops in

Senegal, Rwanda, India, Nepal, Malawi, Kenya,

Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, and Burundi through

the capacity building framework/approach of our

projects “Healthy Action”, “Euroleverage”, “AHEAD for

World Bank Advocacy”, “nEUwAID”, as well as “Fight

Fistula”, and our Youth-to-Youth Initiative. Held

during 2011 and early 2012, these training sessions

were based on a number of thematic priorities.

“Euroleverage”, and “nEUwAID”, for instance, included

training sessions focusing on enhancing local civil

society organisations (CSOs) capacities to better hold

the EU and their own governments accountable

regarding commitments made.

Participants involved in the training were also guided

about issues relating to the definition of EU aid

policies for their own countries, how to navigate the

often complex funding environment, and how to

improve their chances of mobilising new funding for

their projects.

Highlights from two of our advocacy projects in the

past year include:

» “Euroleverage”: We have provided comprehensive

technical assistance to our implementing partners

in the Euroleverage project regarding the develop-

ment and implementation of national advocacy

strategies aimed at increasing domestic and

European funding for reproductive health in their

countries. Interim findings from an impact analysis

indicate that the “Euroleverage” project resulted in:

• Reproductive health and family planning

information being accessed by a total of

6.3 million people;

• Approximately 4.4 million condoms distributed;

• Nearly 1 million clients with access to SRHR

services and;

• More than 32,000 people trained in capacity

building activities.

» “Healthy Action”: Our advocacy project, “Healthy

Action”, is carried out in Kenya, Tanzania, and

Uganda. In 2011, DSW Kenya hosted a three day

training on civic education for health CSOs.

Following the training, beneficiaries have been

undertaking civic education in all regions of the

country through the use of edutainment and other

forms of community outreaches to sensitise the

community on governance issues in the health

sector. Since initiation, a total of 14 forums have

been held reaching more than 1,500 people. Key

political decision-makers have also felt the effect

of this civic education. In the past 12 months, over

150 councillors have signed “Calls to Action”,

committing themselves to supporting greater

allocations to health within local authority budgets

at ward level. Due to our work in this area, DSW

is also now part of the task force in charge of the

re-launch of the National Family Planning Campaign

in Kenya.

» What Have We Achieved in the South?



With austerity measures being implemented across

the EU, it is vital that decision-makers be held to

account for improved health outcomes in low- and

middle-income. Ensuring that these commitments

are realised requires an intense international advocacy

collaboration, communication, and coordination

effort. In 2011, DSW’s advocacy teams in Europe and

in Africa, along with our partners, have been working

together to shape the international communities

actions on the issues we are engaged with.

» Advocating for Change – at the International Level

“Many thanks for the nice and informative meeting at the [EU]

Parliament. I found it very useful, forwarded the essence also to

my capital experts.”

Paul Elberg, Deputy Head of Mission,

Embassy of Estonia

South-Asia EditionTips and Tricks on How to Apply for Resources and Grants for Reproductive Health and Poverty Alleviation

German Foundation for World Population (DSW)

1st Edition

Publisher: German Foundation for World Population (DSW)

Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

“Tips and Tricks: How to Access European Funds for Reproductive

Health and Poverty Alleviation”, is seen as a valued resource by other

non-profit organisations – as is our many other studies and guidelines.

More information available at: www.euroresources.org

DSW’s In ternat iona l Work 15

This past year, our international advocacy activities

have achieved the following:

» Within Action for Global Health (AfGH), we

organised two multi-stakeholder Roundtable events

with representatives from donors and civil society

in preparation of the Fourth High Level Forum

(HLF4) on Aid Effectiveness in April and June 2011.

As a result of our combined work within the

network, AfGH recommendations were reflected in

EU policy documents, including the European

Commission’s Agenda for Change, and the

Communication on Budget Support.

» As a member of AfGH, DSW was also an active

participant in the HLF4 on Aid Effectiveness in

Busan, South Korea, in November 2011. The event

was aimed at reforming the aid effectiveness

agenda and establishing a new global partnership

for development cooperation. In the run-up to the

Forum, DSW participated in global CSO consulta-

tions and organised an online discussion on health

aid effectiveness which was followed by more

than 140 organisations worldwide. As a result of

our involvement, civil society will now be included

in the elaboration of the Global Monitoring Frame-

work to be established in the follow-up to the

commitments made in Busan.

» DSW engages directly with local civil society

networks in low- and middle-income countries by

conducting advocacy and resource mobilisation

courses to build and increase knowledge and

resources. These training sessions are designed to

not only enhance local CSOs capacities to better

hold the EU and their own governments accountable,

but also to help demystify and attract greater

funding for activities and issues relating to SRHR

work. In 2011 alone, DSW conducted 134 training

workshops in 11 countries across Africa and Asia.

» What Have We Achieved at the International Level?

In 2011, DSW worked together with Christian

Connections for International Health (CCIH) and

Muhammadiyah to conduct an extended consultation

process with religious leaders and faith-based

institutions regarding their willingness to support

advocacy for reproductive health and family planning.

As a result of our collective work, 120 faith-based

organisations, religious leaders and religious institu-

tions, and 100 other s upporting organisations and

non-state actors, adopted in Nairobi, Kenya, an

“Inter faith Declaration to Improve Family Health and

Well-Being” in support of access to family planning.

The declaration calls on others to endorse this

initiative to influence government and donor policies

and funding. www.dsw-online.org/interfaith»

Working with Religious Leaders to Improve

and Support Access to Family Planning

As the world’s largest donor, the European Commission

and the European Union Member States combined

play a central role in international development

cooperation and in health development policies.

DSW’s EU liaison office works to influence key

political decision-makers to ensure that EU policies

have a positive and far reaching impact on the lives

of people within low- and middle-income countries.

Our team works in close collaboration with staff and

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the

European Commission (EC), the European External

Action service (EEAS), representatives of Member

States, and other civil society organisations (CSOs).

We support initiatives that seek to reinforce the

policies and funding on sexual and reproductive

health and rights (SRHR) as well as global health.

» Advocating for Change – at the EU Level


The DSW EU team celebrating DSW’s twentieth anniversary in Brussels.

“This is a very useful

tool for our work in

Parliament.”

Jordi Xuclà, MP, Spanish Parliament

Our EU advocacy activities focused on creating change

and momentum for people living in low- to middle-

income countries by advocating for increases in

external funding, awareness, and capacity building for

those that need it most. Key results for 2011 include:

» European Parliament adoption of a two million Euro

project under the EU budget 2012 in support of a

regional CSO network targeting organisations in

East Africa working towards the Millennium

Development Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health.

» Given the current austerity climate, health funding

under the EU’s thematic programme “Investing

in People” for 2012 had been seriously under threat

after the Council of the EU suggested severe cuts of

five million Euro in its draft position on the budget

in July, 2011. Following joint advocacy efforts

by DSW and civil society actors, the EP’s Budget

Committee firmly rejected those cuts and adopted

an amendment that would re-establish the initial

draft budget of 38 million Euro in commitments.

» DSW spoke at two training events for Parliamentary

assistants on issues of SRHR at the EU level. As a

result of these meetings, 13 participants from the

European Parliament learned about concrete fund-

ing opportunities available to MEPs and their staff.

» In preparation for the negotiations on the new

EU financial instruments for development for

2014–2020, DSW Brussels contributed to online

consultations of the EEAS and the EC on the future

of EU external funding after 2013.

» With the publication of “Euromapping 2011” in

October, DSW provided 400 Parliamentarians

from 29 national parliaments, and over 500 more

decision-makers with an overview of European

commitments and actual disbursements towards

HIV & AIDS, reproductive health, and family

planning in low- to middle-income countries.

This report is published jointly by DSW and the

European Parliamentary Forum on Population

and Development (EPF).

» What Have We Achieved at the EU Level?

Mothers’ Night Campaign

Mothers’ Night is a special EU campaign that was

set-up to help develop and increase awareness of the

high global maternal mortality of women and girls in

the world’s poorest countries. Every two minutes, a

woman dies of pregnancy related complications –

low- to middle-income countries account for 99 per

cent of these maternal deaths. To further sensitise

EU officials to these issues, DSW and the European

Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health,

HIV & AIDS and Development (EPWG) organised

an awareness raising Panel Debate in May, 2011.

The Debate was attended by over 50 participants,

including representatives from the EP, EC, and UN

officials as well as members of civil society. After the

event, DSW opened a photo exhibition displaying

the impact of our “Safe Motherhood” project in Kenya.


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international work

Education