English
Zimbabwe OFDA Baseline 2018
CARE International in Zimbabwe is implementing a 12-month OFDA funded project in Gwanda and
Beitbridge district of Matabeleland South Province. The area is characterized by extensive farming ,where
livestock production is domineering and small grains production is the gateway to maintaining food
security levels. The current funding opportunity through OFDA aims to address the immediate agricultural
and financial needs of the most vulnerable households to recover from: the impact of successive drought
years, erratic rainfalls, mid-season dry spells, and prevent potential food insecurity. The declining
macroeconomic conditions and lack of development at the national level have compounded the impact
of the droughts and hindered recovery resulting in negative coping strategies as the majority of vulnerable
households are selling productive assets (mainly livestock) through the previous season and consequently
ad libitum before the coming farming season. Read More...
Beitbridge district of Matabeleland South Province. The area is characterized by extensive farming ,where
livestock production is domineering and small grains production is the gateway to maintaining food
security levels. The current funding opportunity through OFDA aims to address the immediate agricultural
and financial needs of the most vulnerable households to recover from: the impact of successive drought
years, erratic rainfalls, mid-season dry spells, and prevent potential food insecurity. The declining
macroeconomic conditions and lack of development at the national level have compounded the impact
of the droughts and hindered recovery resulting in negative coping strategies as the majority of vulnerable
households are selling productive assets (mainly livestock) through the previous season and consequently
ad libitum before the coming farming season. Read More...
Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement in the Community
Overall, P.A.C.E project has empowered all participating female migrant in terms of agency and created solidarity and platforms for them to speak out about their interests.
Firstly, the project has enhanced 412 female urban migrants’ personal agency through 280 training sessions on life-skills with three previous core P.A.C.E. modules – 1) communication; 2) problem solving and decision making; and 3) time and stress management and one new module on financial literacy to support women to save and manage their finances. This module also supports the implementation of two village savings and loans (VSLAs) in the target locations.
Secondly, the project has successfully established two VSLA groups in 2 locations and improved female urban migrants’ financial inclusion by increasing their access to savings and loans. While it took time for the targeted groups to build their trust within the group and with the model, hence, the process of forming VSLA group only happened near the end of the project; they have all acknowledged that VSLA is an effective tool for financial management.
Thirdly, the project has created useful platform and increased opportunities for female urban migrants’ to come together to discuss issues that collectively affect them and raise their voice, not only through the training sessions but also with the VSLA meeting, which will continue to be held monthly. Many participants who were not used to speak up have shown remarkable changes with their newly equipped skills. They have successfully applied their new knowledge and skills in their daily life for better life, work and relationship management. Read More...
Firstly, the project has enhanced 412 female urban migrants’ personal agency through 280 training sessions on life-skills with three previous core P.A.C.E. modules – 1) communication; 2) problem solving and decision making; and 3) time and stress management and one new module on financial literacy to support women to save and manage their finances. This module also supports the implementation of two village savings and loans (VSLAs) in the target locations.
Secondly, the project has successfully established two VSLA groups in 2 locations and improved female urban migrants’ financial inclusion by increasing their access to savings and loans. While it took time for the targeted groups to build their trust within the group and with the model, hence, the process of forming VSLA group only happened near the end of the project; they have all acknowledged that VSLA is an effective tool for financial management.
Thirdly, the project has created useful platform and increased opportunities for female urban migrants’ to come together to discuss issues that collectively affect them and raise their voice, not only through the training sessions but also with the VSLA meeting, which will continue to be held monthly. Many participants who were not used to speak up have shown remarkable changes with their newly equipped skills. They have successfully applied their new knowledge and skills in their daily life for better life, work and relationship management. Read More...
STORIAN BLONG YUMI PROJECT EVALUATION
The purpose of this evaluation is “to assess whether or not the Community Scorecard (CSC) approach as adapted to Vanuatu through the Storian Blong Yumi pilot (SBY) project offers a viable model for community-centred social accountability in Vanuatu and to document lessons from the pilot for future application”.
The Storian Blong Yumi project (SBY) tested the Community Scorecard approach for the first time in the Pacific, applying the CSC to Sexual and Reproductive Health services delivered by Vanuatu MoH health facilities serving 4 communities in Tafea Province.
The Storian Blong Yumi pilot of the CSC model in Vanuatu demonstrated results in the following areas, most strongly in the first two areas:
Stimulating dialogue between service providers and communities and overcoming social taboos to open up discussion within the community on SRH issues. Across all groups, including young men, who were the group that proved most difficult to engage, participants valued the process of community discussion. This dialogue appears to have been the basis for establishing better understanding and relationship between service providers and community members. This in turn seems to have laid the foundations for increased access to services by community members and responsiveness by service providers.
Increasing awareness of the SRH services available within their local health facility. Across groups of older and younger men and women in all locations people were aware of what family planning and STI services were available to them and what the role of the health staff were. in all locations, people who participated in the evaluation were more aware of what family planning and STI services were available to them and what the role of the health staff were. Men in all locations reported that they didn’t previously know what happened in the health centre regarding SRH, but now they have a better understanding. Read More...
The Storian Blong Yumi project (SBY) tested the Community Scorecard approach for the first time in the Pacific, applying the CSC to Sexual and Reproductive Health services delivered by Vanuatu MoH health facilities serving 4 communities in Tafea Province.
The Storian Blong Yumi pilot of the CSC model in Vanuatu demonstrated results in the following areas, most strongly in the first two areas:
Stimulating dialogue between service providers and communities and overcoming social taboos to open up discussion within the community on SRH issues. Across all groups, including young men, who were the group that proved most difficult to engage, participants valued the process of community discussion. This dialogue appears to have been the basis for establishing better understanding and relationship between service providers and community members. This in turn seems to have laid the foundations for increased access to services by community members and responsiveness by service providers.
Increasing awareness of the SRH services available within their local health facility. Across groups of older and younger men and women in all locations people were aware of what family planning and STI services were available to them and what the role of the health staff were. in all locations, people who participated in the evaluation were more aware of what family planning and STI services were available to them and what the role of the health staff were. Men in all locations reported that they didn’t previously know what happened in the health centre regarding SRH, but now they have a better understanding. Read More...
BASELINE SURVEY AND GENDER ANALYSIS FOR “STAND UP, SPEAK OUT: BREAKING THE SILENCE AROUND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AMONG ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN VIETNAM”
CARE Vietnam (CVN) in coordination with stakeholders is implementing the Project titled Stand Up, Speak Out: Breaking the silence around gender based violence among ethnic minority communities in Northern Vietnam, which is a part CARE’s Remote Ethnic Minority Women’s Program. In CVN’s programming, Gender based violence (GBV) is considered as one of the three focus thematic areas. Within the REMW Program, GBV will be addressed through three dimensions: a) Protection (legal protection, literacy, reform), b) Prevention and Response (engaging with initiatives of others, promoting access to services), and c) expanding the scope of the national agenda to focus on GBV. ”Stand Up, Speak Out” project (SUSO) aims to promote all of the three dimensions for addressing GBV: Protection (legal protection, literacy, reform), through Prevention and Response (engaging with initiatives of others, promoting access to services) and through expanding the scope of the national agenda to focus on GBV.
Proposed actions will challenge the harmful gender norms that accept and normalize GBV in ethnic minority communities, by taking a multi-level, multi-sectoral approach. The project will tackle the taboo nature of GBV by increasing the awareness and understanding about GBV among ethnic minority community members, authorities and service providers. It will work with service providers to improve the support services available for ethnic minority survivors of GBV. At the policy level the project will strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan on GBV through the development of tools and processes that align with the National Action Plan’s priorities and by undertaking advocacy in partnership with an alliance of Vietnamese civil society organisations (CSOs). The project will use a rights based approach to tackle intersectional discrimination by targeting ethnic minority groups in remote and rural areas and being sensitive to GBV survivors with disabilities.
Read More...
Proposed actions will challenge the harmful gender norms that accept and normalize GBV in ethnic minority communities, by taking a multi-level, multi-sectoral approach. The project will tackle the taboo nature of GBV by increasing the awareness and understanding about GBV among ethnic minority community members, authorities and service providers. It will work with service providers to improve the support services available for ethnic minority survivors of GBV. At the policy level the project will strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan on GBV through the development of tools and processes that align with the National Action Plan’s priorities and by undertaking advocacy in partnership with an alliance of Vietnamese civil society organisations (CSOs). The project will use a rights based approach to tackle intersectional discrimination by targeting ethnic minority groups in remote and rural areas and being sensitive to GBV survivors with disabilities.
Read More...
FINAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT OF THE PROJECT “ZIKA RESPONSE IN ECUADOR AND PERU”
This document is the final report of the performance evaluation of the binational project Zika Response in Ecuador and Peru, implemented in Ecuador and Peru by CARE from 2016 to 2019. The main objectives of the project were to strengthen community, local and national capacities to respond to the outbreak of Zika virus and other vector-borne diseases, as well as to improve regional and national efforts to reduce Zika transmission rates.
The evaluation of the project in Ecuador was carried out in the intervention zones of 10 cantons of the provinces of El Oro, Manabí and Esmeraldas, between August and September 2019; in Peru, in 20 districts of 10 provinces of the departments of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, and Cajamarca. After the elaboration of the work proposal and the methodological design of the evaluation, secondary information was collected and primary information was collected at field through interviews, focus groups and social mapping (in Ecuador), and a Likert scale survey (in Peru). The evaluation was framed in five blocks: General Aspects, Community Mobilization, Community-Based Surveillance, Social and Behavioral Change, and Inter-Institutional Planning and Coordination.
The main findings of the evaluation determine that the project achieved, for the most part, the objectives of the project, having as its main achievement the facilitation of inter-institutional coordination of the different actors in the territory. In Peru, the experience of community-based vector control, supported by technological and communications innovations, stands out. In both countries, the project successfully mobilized the community to carry out prevention strategies against Zika and increase knowledge of the risks of this type of disease, as well as useful individual and collective strategies for its prevention. Read More...
The evaluation of the project in Ecuador was carried out in the intervention zones of 10 cantons of the provinces of El Oro, Manabí and Esmeraldas, between August and September 2019; in Peru, in 20 districts of 10 provinces of the departments of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, and Cajamarca. After the elaboration of the work proposal and the methodological design of the evaluation, secondary information was collected and primary information was collected at field through interviews, focus groups and social mapping (in Ecuador), and a Likert scale survey (in Peru). The evaluation was framed in five blocks: General Aspects, Community Mobilization, Community-Based Surveillance, Social and Behavioral Change, and Inter-Institutional Planning and Coordination.
The main findings of the evaluation determine that the project achieved, for the most part, the objectives of the project, having as its main achievement the facilitation of inter-institutional coordination of the different actors in the territory. In Peru, the experience of community-based vector control, supported by technological and communications innovations, stands out. In both countries, the project successfully mobilized the community to carry out prevention strategies against Zika and increase knowledge of the risks of this type of disease, as well as useful individual and collective strategies for its prevention. Read More...
Utilizing Cash and Voucher Assistance within Gender-based Violence Case Management to Support Crisis-Affected Populations in Ecuador: Learning Brief
With support from Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Women's Refugee Commission and CARE partnered to advance the Call to Action Roadmap by strengthening the capacity of GBV and CVA service providers in Ecuador to leverage CVA within case management services in the prevention of and response to GBV for crisis-affected populations.
This project, which spanned September to December 2019, serves as an opportunity to model comprehensive GBV case management in the face of high rates of GBV and to influence how humanitarian and development sectors and their practitioners respond to GBV in Ecuador. CVA has not yet been systematically leveraged to meet the needs of GBV survivors and those at risk (GBV clients). Previous work by CARE has focused on GBV prevention and mitigation in support of local government, women’s rights organizations, and civil society strengthening local policies and frameworks; these efforts will be complemented by this project’s focus on GBV response.
This learning brief was made possible by funding support from the Government of Sweden provided through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Read More...
This project, which spanned September to December 2019, serves as an opportunity to model comprehensive GBV case management in the face of high rates of GBV and to influence how humanitarian and development sectors and their practitioners respond to GBV in Ecuador. CVA has not yet been systematically leveraged to meet the needs of GBV survivors and those at risk (GBV clients). Previous work by CARE has focused on GBV prevention and mitigation in support of local government, women’s rights organizations, and civil society strengthening local policies and frameworks; these efforts will be complemented by this project’s focus on GBV response.
This learning brief was made possible by funding support from the Government of Sweden provided through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Read More...
Inter-agency Response to Tropical Cyclone Gita Tonga
In response to the damage and the immediate needs of the affected population, taking in to account the expertise of the agencies, MORDI Trust Tonga (MORDI), Live & Learn Environmental Education (LLEE) and CARE Australia (CARE) formed a partnership to deliver humanitarian assistance on the islands of Tongatapu and ‘Eua.
The response program included assistance provided in the areas of shelter, WASH, food security and livelihoods, with an underlying focus on gender and social inclusion. Donor funding for the response program through CARE Australia included DFAT funding through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, ECHO and the START Network. Additional grants directly to MORDI from Oxfam and Rotary/MFAT also formed part of the overall response program.
This report will aim to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall response program. Read More...
The response program included assistance provided in the areas of shelter, WASH, food security and livelihoods, with an underlying focus on gender and social inclusion. Donor funding for the response program through CARE Australia included DFAT funding through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, ECHO and the START Network. Additional grants directly to MORDI from Oxfam and Rotary/MFAT also formed part of the overall response program.
This report will aim to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall response program. Read More...
Tropical Cyclone Gita Response Program Evaluation
Tropical Cyclone (TC) Gita, a Category 4 cyclone, struck Tonga in February 2018. CARE, Live and Learn, and MORDI (‘the partnership’) responded to the immediate needs of communities on Tongatapu and ‘Eua islands, delivering emergency shelter and hygiene kits. In the recovery phase the partnership supported communities with shelter, repairs to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, and food security and livelihood recovery efforts, including a specific project focused on the recovery priorities of seven women’s groups on ‘Eua island.
CARE commissioned this evaluation to assess the assistance provided through the response and recovery program in the first six months (February – August 2018). The evaluation focused on four main areas of enquiry: the partnership, the response, gender and inclusion, and localisation.
This report documents the findings from the evaluation and provides forward-looking recommendations for the partnership and for preparedness and future emergency response in Tonga. Read More...
CARE commissioned this evaluation to assess the assistance provided through the response and recovery program in the first six months (February – August 2018). The evaluation focused on four main areas of enquiry: the partnership, the response, gender and inclusion, and localisation.
This report documents the findings from the evaluation and provides forward-looking recommendations for the partnership and for preparedness and future emergency response in Tonga. Read More...