Special Evaluation/Report

Executive Summary – Curiosity Collective II: Are VSLA feminist platforms for gender transformation?

Report Length -3
This executive summary draws on the findings from Curiosity Collective II, a study conducted in early 2020 in West Africa, with a focus on the gender-transformative potential of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The research evaluates how VSLAs can be a platform for challenging patriarchal structures that normalize violence and discrimination against women and girls. It applies CARE's Gender Equality Framework, which operates across three domains: Agency, Relations, and Structure. Over six days, the study assessed 13 VSLAs (both women-only and mixed groups) across Niger and Côte d'Ivoire, engaging local NGOs and feminist groups to explore VSLAs' roles in promoting gender transformation.

The study offers key recommendations, such as developing gender-based measurement tools, investing in women-only VSLA groups, integrating GBV risk mitigation, and engaging men and boys to challenge patriarchal norms. Additionally, it advocates for linking VSLA women to local women’s rights organizations to enhance political participation and addressing exclusion by adapting VSLAs to include marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ individuals and survivors of violence. Read More...

Curiosity Collective II : Are VSLA feminist platforms for gender transformation?

CARE has worked with Village Savings and Loans Associations (VLSAs) since 1991. Their success has been primarily measured, since then, in terms of women’s economic agency. However, there is evidence that VSLAs have broader impacts, particularly in relation to gender equality for women and
girls. To date, there has still been little consistent investment in capturing these gender transformational impacts such as how VSLAs have promoted women’s dignity, women’s voice, challenged gender stereotypes and dismantled patriarchal power dynamics; all of which are changes CARE seeks in its gender equality framework.

This paper focuses on the gender transformative aspects of the VSLAs. It explores how VSLAs can be a platform to challenge patriarchal structures that discriminate against and normalize violence against women and girls. It builds on a Meta Evaluation, Curiosity Collective I carried out by the West Africa region Read More...

Curiosity Collective : Evidence of Social Changes for Women in Savings Groups

CARE has been working with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) since it first launched the model in Niger in 1991. Over the years, VSLAs have reached more 7.6 MILLION members to form 357,000 groups in 51 countries. 81% of these members are women.

The economic impacts of the groups are well documented. Women and men in VSLA groups save between an estimated $400 and $700 million each year. In West Africa, 3.2 million women participate in VSLA. The savings and credit can be transformational, helping women start businesses, pay school fees, and access emergency loans when they have a crisis in the family. A randomized controlled trial of VSLAs conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action showed that VSLAs substantially increased women’s access to financial services, income, and ability to start businesses.

Perhaps more important, but less formally documented, is the impact that VSLAs have on women themselves, and the social fabric of their communities. Anecdotally, women themselves often point to increases in self-confidence, independence, and a greater belief in their own ability to change things in their lives, as the VSLA impacts that are most important to them. For example, one woman in Niger says, “[VSLA]1 has opened my eyes
and now I do not hide anymore and I speak a lot.”

Read More...

MÁS DERECHOS Y MENOS PREJUICIOS: Guía de buenas prácticas en comunicación para el desarrollo y salud mental, en el contexto de la migración venezolana

Ante la crisis migratoria venezolana en Perú y la pandemia por la COVID-19, en Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad, Lima y Callao, el Proyecto Alma Llanera se planteó al objetivo general de mejorar la autosuficiencia y la integración de personas refugiadas y migrantes venezolanas vulnerables en Perú, a través de un mayor acceso a los servicios de protección, salud mental y a los medios de vida.
Esta guía se centra en los servicios de salud mental. Particularmente, identifica las mejores prácticas de comunicación para el desarrollo en la promoción de la salud mental. Las mismas que responden a estas dos preguntas clave: (1) ¿Cómo derribamos el estigma asociado a la salud mental entre las personas migrantes para convertirlos en agentes de cambio?, y (2) ¿Cómo evitamos las generalizaciones y transformamos la eventual xenofobia en empatía y confianza? La guía cuenta con cinco capítulos. El primero narra los antecedentes de la intervención. El segundo la describe. Para ello, presenta sus conceptos clave, los territorios en los que operó y los criterios y las dimensiones sobre las que se calificaron las buenas prácticas. El tercer capítulo presenta las cuatro buenas prácticas seleccionadas. Al final de la guía encontrará tanto las conclusiones como las recomendaciones para promover la salud mental, a través de iniciativas de comunicación para el desarrollo.
Las cuatro buenas prácticas destacadas en esta publicación se centran en las personas y adoptan una comprensión integral de la salud mental que, para empoderar tanto a las comunidades venezolanas como de acogida, responde a los determinantes sociales, incluye la continuidad y calidad de cuidados integrales y requiere del trabajo interdisciplinario e intercultural. A través del arte, la música, la cocina y las historias personales, las buenas prácticas de esta guía generaron un espacio (físico o virtual) de divertimento, encuentro e intercambio.
Con el objetivo de promover la salud mental en el país, desde una perspectiva humana y de derechos, la guía tiene como uno de sus propósitos contribuir a que distintas iniciativas también sean culturalmente apropiadas y efectivas promoviendo el bienestar de las poblaciones migrantes y de acogida. Read More...

SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE SALUD DEL PROYECTO ALMA LLANERA DE CARE PERÚ

El presente documento sistematiza la estrategia de salud del proyecto “Alma Llanera” de CARE Perú que se viene implementando en las regiones de Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad, Lima y Callao desde septiembre del 2019 hasta agosto de 2023. Dicha estrategia busca promover el acceso a servicios de salud de personas migrantes y refugiadas en sus ámbitos de intervención. Esta sistematización, enmarcada en un enfoque comunitario y participativo, consideró las miradas de las diferentes personas involucradas en la estrategia de salud del proyecto: equipo central y regional, consultores, agentes comunitarios de salud y beneficiarios del proyecto. Para ello, se recolectó la información a través de grupos de discusión, entrevistas individuales y encuestas, a la par de la revisión de documentos concernientes al programa y a la estrategia en particular; a fin de recoger buenas prácticas, lecciones aprendidas y procesos innovadores, que permitan generar aprendizajes internos e interinstitucionales. Los temas de salud y bienestar están atravesados por variables estructurales de pobreza, violencia, discriminación y corrupción aunados al limitado acceso de la población a los servicios de salud, en especial la refugiada y migrante. La pandemia por COVID-19, agudizó estás problemáticas y evidenció la importancia y necesidad de atender adecuadamente la salud física y mental. Para el proyecto “Alma Llanera” este contexto género una reorganización de su diseño y presupuesto para la priorización de la salud en la población migrante, a través de las ferias integrales, la entrega de vales de salud y la derivación a establecimientos de salud, considerando la vulnerabilidad de la población de refugiados y migrantes.
Entre las lecciones aprendidas resalta el que la estrategia de salud ha permitido acercar a la población refugiada y migrante a los servicios de salud, siendo esta una necesidad básica, sobre todo en situaciones de emergencia como ha sido la pandemia por la COVID-19. En este sentido, los vales permitieron atender situaciones de emergencia, pero evidenciaron las dificultades para la sostenibilidad del tratamiento producto de otras necesidades (alimentación, vivienda) que, en consecuencia, requieren igual atención inmediata. Read More...

Rapid Assessment of the FBMT Family Business Management Training

This rapid review was commissioned by CARE to evaluate the Family Business Management Training (FBMT) in Côte d’Ivoire using a qualitative approach.
The relevance of the FBMT in relation to the objectives of the W4C (Women for Change) program was analyzed by comparing the FBMT content and the evidence from the interviews with the objectives and indicators of the W4C logframe.
It becomes clear that the FBMT was most effective in increasing IGAs, balancing decision making and improving relationships. The effect of IGAs on household income not entirely clear yet. Access to the training is determined by participation in VSLAs. While this is not detrimental in the first place, potential entry barriers to VSLAs need to be kept in mind when scaling up.
For men the main challenges to participate in the FBMT are a perceived loss of power and possibly the available time to attend. Yet, those who participated were attracted by potential economic gains and finally recognized the advantages of improved relationships.
A mapping of training courses that are related to the FBMT and are applied in the W4C program revealed that the couple dialogues, the gender strategy interventions and FBMT overlap in some areas but the FBMT goes beyond the objectives of the other two courses. The IGA training courses, which are complementary to the FBMT, overlap with some of the contents of the FFBS1 (Farmer Field and Business School). The FFBS also overlaps with some of the FBMT contents on gender and also addresses the couple rather than just the women. However, it comprises of about double the number of training modules of the FBMT.
Training application is divided between technical advisors and field supervisors. This arrangement was not evaluated in detail but might not be the most effective and should be reviewed critically. The FBMT sustainably changed some of the behaviour of participating couples, confirming the sustainability of some of the effects of the training. The provision of the training still depends on external funding and cannot be considered fully sustainable yet. Change plans and their follow up by CARE staff are time consuming, resource intensive and might reduce the ownership of these plans by the couple that developed the plan.
The FBMT has been successful in changing household economies and relationships. Specifically the daily calendar, the income and expenditure tree and the prioritization of expenditures as practiced in the NEEDS and WANTS exercise have proven to be very effective. The perceived economic advantages of the training attract men eventually they discover the rewards of an improved relationship. The benefits of the FBMT have motivated some community members to spread its concepts to other households, which is as an opportunity for future programming. Read More...

SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE SALUD MENTAL DEL PROYECTO ALMA LLANERA DE CARE PERÚ

El presente documento sistematiza la estrategia de salud mental, la cual forma parte del segundo objetivo específico del proyecto “Alma Llanera” de CARE Perú que se viene implementando en las regiones de Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad, Lima y Callao desde septiembre del 2019 hasta agosto de 2023. Las acciones planteadas desde esta estrategia, enmarcadas en un enfoque territorial, apuntan a promover el acceso a servicios de salud mental de personas migrantes y refugiadas en sus ámbitos de intervención de manera integral considerando las variables sociales, políticas, culturales, económicas, entre otras. Todo ello, en el marco de lo establecido por la Ley 30947, Ley de Salud Mental1 (2019) y su Reglamento (Decreto Supremo 007-2020-SA)2 y acorde a los instrumentos internacionales de protección de derechos humanos, en el que el Estado peruano impulsa un proceso de reforma de la atención de salud mental con el fin de implementar un modelo de atención comunitario.
Esta sistematización, orientada desde una mirada comunitaria y participativa, incorpora las voces y saberes de las diferentes personas involucradas en la estrategia: equipo central y regional del proyecto, consultores del proyecto, responsables de la estrategia de salud mental de las DIRIS/DIRESAS/GERESAS, jefe/as y/o responsable de participación social comunitaria de los CSMC, agentes comunitarios de salud y beneficiarios/as del proyecto; a fin de recoger buenas prácticas, lecciones aprendidas y procesos innovadores, que permitan generar aprendizajes internos e interinstitucionales a partir de la implementación de esta estrategia. Las entrevistas individuales y los grupos de discusión fueron las técnicas principales para recolectar la información, complementado con la revisión de documentos concernientes al programa y a la estrategia en particular. Read More...

Youth Skills Development Impact Brief

Globally, an estimated 282 million young people (aged 15-24) are not employed, in education, or in training (defined as NEET),1 and young people are three times as likely as adults to be unemployed.2 Nearly 75% of the world’s 1.8 billion young people lack the skills needed for the labor market.3 Strong economies hinge upon youth having the skills to secure meaningful, well-paid work. CARE’s programs help young people succeed in jobs, entrepreneurship, and ongoing career learning. CARE provides comprehensive strategies that support and collaborate with national governments, employers, educators, parents, and youth to develop the workforce for today and tomorrow. We build our programs to connect
young people with mentors, training providers, and employers. We train youth in soft skills (such as critical thinking, time management, decision making, self-confidence, and others), financial literacy, and market-demanded technical vocational skills to meet the needs of the labor market.

CARE’s youth skills & workforce development programs primarily support Sustainable Development Goal 8 - Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Since 2020, CARE’s programs have supported 22 million people in increasing their economic empowerment and participation in dignified work in 67 countries. Read More...

KEYSTONE PARTNER SURVEY 2023 CARE International

In 2023, CARE expressed its interest in conducting a Keystone Partnership Survey to understand how 304 local partners assessed their experience of working with CARE in an international development partnership. This report provides credible perceptual data from a partner perspective on how well CARE performs its role in the partnership.
Keystone’s partnership survey enables INGOs to benchmark their performance ratings against the experiences and perceptions of over 8,000 local partners of more than 90 INGOs (listed below in Table 1) that have taken the
survey.
Thematically, the survey explores the most important operational dimensions to international development partnerships – learning, monitoring & reporting, communications, financial support, and non-financial support.
CARE’s technical competence is further assessed through a series of questions about its sector-specific knowledge, leadership reputation, and value adding abilities. Overall relationship dynamics are captured through questions
about how well CARE learns and adapts, how CARE compares to other international partners, and the extent to which the local partner would recommend working with the CARE.
The report presents overall results for each survey question in a single graphic chart. For rating questions, Keystone employs Net Promoter Analysis (see Annex 6), allowing it to compare and benchmark CARE’s current responses against a benchmark drawn from Keystone’s global cohort of social change organizations.
Respondents indicated their region of work, budget size, type of organization, the type of work they do, and whether they were women-led. This enables us to analyse the data by these respondent characteristics without compromising anonymity. Where organizations of a particular characteristic (e.g., location or size of budget) vary from the average, we do not present it in a separate chart, but highlight these variations in the text accompanying
the charts. Read More...

Evaluation du Projet: Appui à l’Adaptation au changement Climatique et à Sécurité Alimentaire (PAACCSA/YANAYI)

Le Projet « Appui à l’Adaptation au changement Climatique et Sécurité Alimentaire (PAACCSA/YANAYI) » est une intervention de l’ONG CARE dans la région de Zinder sur une durée de 60 mois. Il a concerné 21 villages des communes de Gafati (Département de Mirriah), Albarkaram (Département de Damagaram Takaya) et Dakoussa (Département de Takeita) en raison de 7 villages par commune.
Le coût total du Projet est de 450 000 EURO, soit 295 180 650 FCFA.
Le Projet a trois (03) composantes à savoir : Appui à l’amélioration des stratégies, pratiques et techniques agro-sylvo-pastorales pour une adaptation réussie, Appui à l’amélioration de la planification et à l’adaptation à base communautaire (ABC) et Renforcement des capacités locales en matière de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (GRN).
Pour évaluer le Projet, la méthodologie est le tirage aléatoire sur les producteurs, les membres des groupements et les services déconcentrés.
Après avoir obtenu la taille de l’échantillon des producteurs, elle a été repartie par localité et par sexe. Quant aux nombres des personnes à enquêter pour la collecte des données qualitatives, le nombre a été décidé lors de la réunion préparatoire mais le tirage des enquêtés était aléatoire.
S’agissant des données qualitatives, la taille de l’échantillon a été déterminée au cours de la réunion préparatoire avec l’équipe de CARE en charge de l’évaluation du Projet. Read More...

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