Discussion held with DSW staff. Brief background information about DSW’s projects presented.
A five-day watertight-scheduled study tour of DSW’s projects by members of the European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) took events on 11 -16 July 2015 in Ethiopia. A team of nine members of EPF who represented about six European countries was shuttled between various project sites, some of which were located as far as 160 km southeast of the capital. Being coordinated and hosted by DSW’s country office in Ethiopia, we are happy to report that these study tours were a huge success.
The objective of the EPF’s delegation to visit the projects implemented by DSW was to observe and assess the level of success with which the interventions have had an impact on the part of the beneficiaries. Some of the projects scheduled for visits were previously being financially funded and technically supported by EU. Most of which already maintain the momentum of sustainability. The four main focuses of activities opted by the EPF-team to visit were sexual and reproductive health/family planning (SRH/FP), female genital cut/mutilation (FGM), referral services and economic empowerment of women.
The first day in the afternoon during which the EPF delegates devote was to gain brief background information about DSW’s projects through discussion with DSW Ethiopia staff at the conference room. This was followed by the 45-minute one-on-one interactive talk with staff members over a coffee ceremony programme. The following day, on July 14, the team travelled to Assela to attend a host of activities. A massive edutainment event was organized by Serk Model Youth Club at a country bus station which was attended by large number of people. The delegates also made a stop by makeshift structures crammed with young people who came looking for VCT services.
Soon afterwards, a peer group, aged ranging from 17 to 21 years – and predominately composed of girls – demonstrated a peer-led dialogue for the delegates.
Impressed by the flock of young men and women at the two separate events where SRHR/FP information disseminated, members of the EPF team were curious to see how the service outlets manifested onto the referral links facilitated by the youth clubs. Marie Stope International was one of the various SRHR service outlets to which the youth clubs working with DSW refer their clients (mostly young people). The team members of EPF toured Marie Stope and raised questions about the frequency with which the youth clubs are being able to link the referral services at Marie Stope. It quickly became apparent that the youth clubs working with DSW have a fair share of facilitating frequent referral links for most young clients.
This second day study tour by the EPF delegates, split between two project sites positioned in two different towns separated by 60 km. The second part of the day the team traveled to Adama/Nazareth. Circus Dolphin Youth Club in Adama/Nazareth hosted an event at which talented young people performed amazing acrobatic skills. Most of the boys and girls in still in school and have to wait for the school day to finish before performing. These energetic circus shows generate income both for their clubs and their own school materials. They also showed their activities of peer-led discussion about SRHR issues.
On 16 July, the DSW/Bonita Youth Development Training Center in Debrezeit clearly proved to the delegates that the sum of whole is greater than its piece. For without building the capacity of young people, it would probably be hard to nurture their talents and make them being able to aspire for health-seeking behaviors. Before the delegates made their way back to their hotel’s residence in Addis, women’s groups who are being engaged and benefited from economic empowerment project were scheduled to be visited. Due to the tight schedule, there were only two women’s groups whose livelihood activities became part of the study tour. Poultry and sanitary based income generating activities engaged by women’s group drew the attention of EPF delegation to have a field day visiting them in actions.
On 17 July, the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa became the final leg of the five-day long EPF delegation study tour. This service outlet is one of DSW’s key referral links for another project called “Fight Fistula”. This project promotes SRHR, prevents and cures fistula.
Over the years, it sustains lengthy intervention on a phase by phase basis. There are about fifteen girls-focused youth clubs as grassroots partners and facilitate referral links to Hamlin Fistula Clinics. Most members of the clubs are either being prevented from early marriage or repaired.
A half-day meeting was also coordinated by DSW for the EPF-team to hold discussion with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Members of the EPF delegation are part of the participants on the 3rd International Financing for Development Conference that took place from 11 – 17 July 2015 in Ethiopia.