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Active in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Blog | 05. February 2024

Miriam Chebet lives in West Pokot County, Kenya. Trained by Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW), Miriam now works with young people in her community, empowering them to stand up for their rights. One of the issues she focuses on is female genital mutilation (FGM). In this interview, she shares her experiences and solutions in the fight against this harmful practice, which still affects millions of women and girls worldwide.

How widespread is FGM in your region?
Miriam Chebet: FGM practice has decreased significantly over recent years due to the government and non-governmental organisations carrying out campaigns against the practice.

How does FGM affect women and girls?
Miriam Chebet:
 There is of course a lot of pain, as the procedure is often performed without anaesthetic. Heavy bleeding is a frequent consequence and later on, pain during sex. The survivors also often suffer from fistulas. Some girls even die after undergoing FGM.

Do laws exist to protect women and girls against FGM? Do people abide by them? What is being done to ensure girls’ and womens’ safety?
Miriam Chebet: Kenya enacted the prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act in 2011 and adopted a revised National Policy for Eradication of FGM in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls). However, despite the move, FGM is still prevalent with most women and girls still being circumcised in homes by traditional circumciser and birth attendants.

In einem früheren Interview aus dem Jahr 2021 hast Du erzählt, dass die Beschneidungen bei Euch teilweise am helllichten Tage durchgeführt werden. Ist das das immer noch der Fall?
Miriam Chebet: Das Verbot durch das kenianische Gesetz hat es für die Täter schwerer gemacht. Allerdings führt dies nun teilweise dazu, dass Mädchen einfach sehr früh verheiratet werden und die Beschneidung schließlich in den Häusern ihrer Ehemänner erfolgt.

Wie kann es gelingen, FGM vollständig zu eliminieren?
Miriam Chebet: Wir müssen weiter daran arbeiten, Mädchen und Frauen über ihr Recht aufzuklären, dass sie und nur sie über ihren Körper entscheiden. Darüber hinaus müssen wir versuchen, die Traditionen aufzubrechen und dabei auf die Unterstützung der älteren Generation bauen. Bildung ist natürlich extrem wichtig, die Kinder müssen zur Schule gehen. Dort können auch Projekte helfen, um über FGM aufzuklären.

How do you educate people in your community about the harmfulness of FGM? Who are you targeting with your outreach work? Are there any new ideas and approaches in the fight against FGM?
Miriam Chebet:
 I am a member of the Community Action Committee. As i have undergone FGM myself, I ensure that information about the effects of FGM and how we can live normally without the practice has reached my people in their villages and churches. We target every person; we don’t separate because everyone needs to get the information. It’s a community thing and we should deal with it as a community. 

More facts about FGM in Kenya: The prevalence of FGM is higher among girls with no education (56 per cent) compared to those with a qualification higher than secondary education (6 per cent). The prevalence of FGM is higher in rural areas, where the rate is 18 per cent, compared to 10 per cent in urban areas. The prevalence of FGM in Kenya has fallen from 21 per cent (2014) to 15 per cent. In West Pokot County, the figures have fallen drastically: From 74 per cent (2014) to 44 per cent (2022) – although this means that FGM still affects almost half of all women between the ages of 15 and 49 in the region. In West Pokot, the average age of girls undergoing FGM is nine. (Source: Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 2022)

Photo: © DSW/Brian Otieno

DSW

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And the winners are…..

Blog | 22. January 2024

Three solutions emerged the winners of DSW Kenya’s 2023 Call for Innovative Youth-led Solutions from over 50 submissions from across the country.

GiPAD by Madvocate CBO from Kilifi emerged as the winner under the sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) category. Their solution is designed to use art to champion SRHR rights and information using a GiPad App for mentorship, development of dignity packs for livelihood improvement and comic book for awareness creation.

Niko Informed by Nelly Awino from Kisumu emerged on top under the gender-based violence category. It aims to integrate and disseminate by-laws, policies and legal frameworks on SGBV by translating them into local dialect (Luo) and local slang to enhance community understanding.

Diversity Africana from West Pokot was selected as the third overall best solution. Their solution seeks to engage composers & singers of indigenous Pokot songs to compose dances & songs in their local dialect to educate their community on the importance of preventing and reporting gender-based violence.

Besides winning the grant (Ksh 500,000 for Madvocate CBO and Nelly Awino’s and Sh200,000 for Diversity Africana) to implement their winning solutions in their communities, the winners will also receive mentorship, networking opportunities, and support to further develop and implement their solutions.

Speaking at the award ceremony, DSW Kenya’s Country Director, Evelyn Samba noted that young people had proven that they have the solutions to the challenges they face.

“From the submissions we received when we put out a call, it is evident that our youths have solutions to their problems. It is time for us to give them that opportunity to create their own solutions and help implement them.” – Evelyn Samba.

She also added that often, youth are left behind when it comes to conversations around issues affecting them. Involving them in development processes can lead to more effective and inclusive outcomes, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment among young people.

Kigen Korir, Programs Specialist at UNFPA, said it was important for the winning projects to provide achievable solutions that will have impact for the youths in communities they live in.

“For us, it is not just about project ideas and giving grants, we provide mentorship to them and further link them to partners doing the same thing. We make sure we give them all the resources needed to make sure the winning ideas are turned to tangible projects.” – Kigen Korir

The Call was implemented under the Delivering Accurate Information and Services to Young People (DAISY) Project established under the auspices of the 10th GOK-UNFPA Country Programme.

The outcome of the programme is that by 2026, all people in Kenya at risk of being left behind –particularly all women & girls, all youth& children, all in the ASAL counties and all in the informal urban settlements have improved, inclusive, and equitable social and protection services, with the outputs below:

DSW Kenya Country Director presents the award to Nelly Awino, the winner under the GBV category.

Polycom Dvelopment Project Executive Director, Jane Anyango with Dyvasity Africana, the third overall winners.

Imara TV CEO Stephen Maina presents a certificate to TouchCare CBO.

Black Coffee’s Angela Kioko.

Black Coffee’s Ben Karanja highlight their solution called Smart Vybez.

Participants dance at the award ceremony.

Photo: Kigen Korir, Programs Specialist at UNFPA with Menza Mghendi and Kiti Chigiri Madvocate CBO, the winners under the SRHR category. PHOTO: ALEX MBURU

DSW

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The EU Global Health Strategy – an opportunity for the EU to step up its leadership in global health

Blog | 08. January 2024

On November 30, the European Commission adopted its renewed Global Health Strategy. Long-awaited, the strategy replaces a previous framework that dated back to 2010, which lacked adequate political support, and which was no longer fit for purpose, given the considerable changes in the global health landscape over the last decade.  

DSW, together with other global health civil society organisations, advocated over the past years for the adoption of a new strategy aligned with the SDGs which adequately considers key persisting, neglected, or emerging global health challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), pandemic preparedness, and the fight against infectious and neglected tropical diseases. 

The new strategy, presented by European Commissioners Urpilainen (International Partnerships) and Kyriakides (Health) finally puts health back on the EU’s political agenda as a key priority. Running until 2030, the Global Health Strategy provides the EU with a robust policy framework that has the potential to accelerate progress in the achievement of health-related SDGs and deepen the EU’s leadership on global health.

Rooted in key principles and fundamental values, such as solidarity, equity, and the respect of human rights, the strategy focuses on three core priorities, accompanied by concrete lines of actions to operationalise them:

  1. Deliver better health and wellbeing of people
  2. Strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage
  3. Prevent and combat health threats, with a One Health approach

What’s in the strategy for SRHR?

We are particularly happy to see SRHR recognised as a fundamental component of the strategy, especially at a time when these rights are contested at a global level. In particular, the support for universal access to SRHR is included as a key action to contribute to delivering better health and improving equitable access to health services. 

The strategy puts a focus on promoting SRHR for women and girls, youth, and people with disabilities. In this context, it is great to see the need for youth-friendly services specifically mentioned in the new framework. Too often, SRHR services are not appropriate or safe to access for young people. This is why it’s crucial for all youth to have access to SRHR services that are equitable and affordable and respond to their specific needs and challenges.

Also, we are happy to see the EU reconfirming once more its support to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, recognised as an important contributor to the promotion of SRHR through its work addressing the unmet need for family planning.

What’s in the strategy for research & innovation, especially for poverty-related and neglected diseases?

Firstly, the strategy acknowledges the critical role that improving equitable access to a full range of essential health services, including disease prevention and affordable quality treatment through resilient public health programmes, plays in disease control, especially for infectious and neglected tropical diseases. The strategy prioritises addressing the economic, social, and environmental root causes of ill health, paying particular attention to the needs and the rights of women, children and young people, as well as other vulnerable groups. We hope to see this approach reach the research and innovation (R&I) actions that the strategy supports, as inequalities in health interventions can take root at the bench side, as highlighted in our PRNDs Through a Gender Lens Study

Acknowledging that neglected tropical diseases are almost absent from the global health agenda, the strategy commits to prioritising the development and use of novel vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics to tackle infectious and neglected diseases, including through the Global Health European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP3). While this strong commitment to the EDCTP3 is welcome, dedicated funding for early-stage research on PRNDs via Horizon Europe is also needed to fill product gaps that exist for neglected and poverty-related diseases.

Recognising that research is a key enabler of better health, boosting global health research – as a common good – to develop the technologies and countermeasures which are necessary to improve health is one of the guiding principles of the strategy. Related actions include fostering closer collaboration with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), building capacity and strengthening end-to-end research for local pharmaceutical and health technology production in LMICs. Efforts to reinforce pandemic preparedness and response will also support regional and country efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical systems and manufacturing capacity to increase quality, safety, and equitable access to vaccines and other medical products and technologies. We’re pleased to see the EU pledging to boost the ongoing Team Europe initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies in Africa, as well as reconfirming its commitment to the Coalition for Epidemics Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to support the research and development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases. 

Climate change, the interconnectedness of our societies, and the close interplay of human, animal, and planetary health threaten new pandemics, as well as the resurgence of existing pandemics and epidemics. We welcome the strategy’s emphasis on the need for a One Health approach to tackle global health challenges, including neglected diseases and the “silent pandemic” of AMR. While the strategy outlines actions to support the development of accessible, innovative medical countermeasures to address AMR, including antimicrobials, vaccines, and diagnostics, we urge that diseases such as HIV and TB – a leading contributor to AMR – be included in the scope, as their limited pool of effective tools is at risk of being further constrained by growing resistance. 

From policy to actions: funding and implementation will be key

As the strategy underlines, there is a massive unfinished agenda in global health, including tackling the heavy burden that major infectious diseases present for many countries. While the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the key role of R&I in tackling global health challenges, we have seen support wane in the fight against poverty-related and neglected diseases. Similarly, we face the risk of a rollback on SRHR across the world. Now is the time to step up, not down. To make the Global Health strategy a truly transformative tool, funding and implementation will be key to translating its ambitious commitments into concrete actions.

While collectively being among the largest funders of global health, the EU and its member states are lagging behind other major donors when it comes to prioritising investments in health as part of their Official Development Assistance (ODA). While the UK and the US dedicate around 15 and 30% of their ODA to health respectively, the EU’s health ODA remains at 4-5%. It is therefore encouraging to read that the EU will prioritise global health across all relevant EU budget financing programmes

The ambition of the EU’s new strategy must be accompanied by a scale-up of its global health funding, through both bilateral funding and support to global health multilateral initiatives, as well as an increase of global health-related R&I investments under Horizon Europe. Moreover, we call on the EU to fully take into account and incorporate the provisions of the strategy as part of both the mid-term review of the current MFF and the shaping of the future MFF after 2027.

Finally, accountability will be key to making sure the EU walks the talkA robust monitoring and evaluation framework will be needed, including measurable, relevant indicators that allow for regular reporting on progress. We stress the importance of meaningfully involving civil society and communities, including research communities, as the European Commission will work to develop such a framework in 2023. Holding regular high-level exchanges with the European Parliament and civil society, as well as the publication of progress reports every two years, are welcome steps in this direction.

Now, we call on the Council of the EU, under the leadership of the current Czech and upcoming Swedish Presidencies, to fully endorse the strategy and commit to its implementation. Only with strong ownership and political and financial support from EU Member States can the strategy truly be a transformative tool.

Launching the strategy, Commissioner Urpilainen called on us all to turn the strategy into a reality, and DSW commits to doing so, promoting health for all. 

Lisa Görlitz

Head of Brussels Office | Head of Unit Development Policy EU

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Time for Major Economies to Step Up for Global SRHR: An Urgent Appeal

Blog | 08. January 2024 | #Economie #SRHR

In a world where everyone’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are respected and promoted, we see a brighter future—greater gender equality, more prosperity and crucially, lives saved. Yet, major global economies, also those that champion SRHR and gender equality in their external policies, including the EU, are alarmingly falling short in financial contributions towards these essential rights. As the new Donors Delivering for SRHR Report reveals, many larger donors should follow the example of some smaller economies who clearly prioritise SRHR.

The UN’s alarming data reveals that nearly 287,000 women died from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications in 2020. Notably, 70% of these tragedies happened in sub-Saharan Africa. Imagine a world where these women had autonomy over their reproductive choices, access to modern contraceptives, and adequate prenatal and postnatal care. This isn’t just a utopia—it’s an achievable reality with the right global investment in SRHR.

The Funding Gap

While global recognition of SRHR’s role in sustainable development and human rights grows, a worrying disconnect remains: The rhetoric of commitment from important donor countries and the tangible financial support are not always aligned. Our data highlight that the EU and several European nations are notably underperforming, a critical concern our Brussels office raises time and again.

The Champions and the Underperformers

Let’s take Sweden—a historically strong supporter of SRHR. It’s setting the bar high by consistently allocating over 5% of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to SRHR, with a positive impact on low and middle-income countries. This is the 4th largest share of ODA of any comparable donor country allocated to SRHR in 2021. When comparing SRHR funding with donors’ gross national income, Sweden even leads the international ranking. It remains to be seen, of course, if Sweden’s decision to abandon its groundbreaking feminist foreign policy in 2022, will impact the country’s commitment to SRHR in its external action. Then there’s the all-time champion, the US, contributing over half of the global total SRHR ODA funding in 2021, allocating more than 16% of its development cooperation budget to SRHR-related matters, with a big focus on sexually transmitted disease control including HIV & Aids. Smaller economies like Luxembourg and Iceland, though understandably disbursing smaller total amounts, maintained a commendable commitment to SRHR.

However, not all the big players are on board. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and EU institutions lag, allocating between 1.7 and 2.6% of their ODA for SRHR. This discrepancy becomes more striking when considering SRHR funds in proportion to donor countries’ gross national income. Germany, for example, ranks second behind the US in terms of absolute funding to SRHR in global comparison, yet only 15th when this SRHR funding is assessed as percentage of Germany’s total ODA. Our DSW colleagues in Germany are closely working with German decision makers to raise awareness of the great benefits of investing in SRHR, including access to modern contraceptives. Germany’s new feminist foreign policy adopted in March this year gives reason to hope that Germany will put greater emphasis on this powerful changemaker topic, by prioritising SRHR as part of its development cooperation.

The European Paradox

The EU Institutions, despite repeatedly committing to fostering SRHR in their external action, have directed a meagre 1.76% of their ODA spending towards SRHR in 2021. A startling disparity, considering several important policies the EU put in place to guide its development cooperation, such as the Gender Action Plan III, the Youth Action Plan, and the new EU Global Health Strategy, all of which confirm the important role of SRHR for advancements in these areas.

Time for Tangible Action

Given ongoing challenges like the global backsliding of women’s reproductive rights, prioritising and investing in SRHR has never been more crucial. The EU must bridge the gap between policy rhetoric and financial disbursements. The world needs them to translate their commitments into concrete action. It’s not just a moral responsibility but also a pathway to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals. Change is necessary, and it’s urgent. Our appeal is for global leaders to step up and support the cause that could bring about transformative change in our societies. The clock is ticking. Will they rise to the challenge?

Read DSW’s Donors Delivering for SRHR 2023 Report.

Have a look at the Executive Summary of the Report.

This article was authored by DSW’s Head of Brussels Office and Head of EU Advocacy Unit, Lisa Goerlitz.

Photo: ©DSW/Jjumba Martin

Lisa Görlitz

Head of Brussels Office | Head of Unit Development Policy EU

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POWER ENTREPRENEUR: ANGEL BABIRYE, US FOR GIRLS

Blog | 08. December 2023

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: The POWER to Transform Family Planning in Uganda

Meet Angel Babirye, A.K.A Malaika, CEO for Us for Girls, a new social enterprise in Uganda that is part of the POWER family (Providing Opportunities for Women in Entrepreneurship and Reproductive Health). POWER is a new startup accelerator partnership funded by DSW and led by Action for Health Uganda. The program focuses on providing training, capacity development, and mentoring to women entrepreneurs in Uganda aged 18 to 30. The primary aim of which is in the empowerment of these young women towards the development of sustainable businesses in the fields of family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights (FP/SRHR)

‘Us for Girls’ is dedicated to radically improving menstrual hygiene management for young women in- and out-of-school in some of the poorest districts in Uganda. Angel is a health professional in the field of nursing and a final year student at Mbarara University of science and technology currently doing her medical internship at Mulago referral hospital in Kamapala the Capital city of Uganda. She is a youth activist, social entrepreneur, and an ambassador of ‘Love your Period Campaign’ in partnership with Love your Period, Wales in the UK. Recently she won the ‘Rights and Social Action Project of the Year’ award for the work across Wales, in partnership with Molly Fenton, founder of Love your Periods.

The Us for Girls company was initially started in 2021 with a team of four medical students with the aim helping girls to, not only remain in school, but to reach their fullest potential and thrive. Their vision is of society free from menstrual hygiene stigma. Us for Girls provides affordable Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) products and services tailored for adolescent girls and young women in both rural and urban settings. Collaborating with government agencies, academic institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations, the startup is dedicated to realizing its vision. In addition to their efforts with young school-going adolescents, they also empower women in the community by teaching them to craft safe, absorbent sanitary pads. This skill not only serves a vital health need but also provides a means for these women to generate income, thereby improving their livelihoods.

Can you share with us your journey to becoming an entrepreneur, and what inspired you to create a startup FP/SRHR sector?

During our fieldwork as students, we encountered young girls missing lessons, dropping out of school due to their inability to afford sanitary pads. Some were using rugs and clothes putting their lives in danger, while those who could afford were trading their bodies in exchange for money to buy sanitary pads and other basic essential needs. After witnessing the reality facing these young women, my team and I decided to start a social enterprise to support young girls and adolescents address periodic poverty and improve their livelihood through skilling for employment.

How has your participation in the POWER pilot project impacted your business and personal growth? Are there any specific skills or knowledge that you gained during the program that have been particularly valuable?

Through the POWER accelerator program, I learnt basic skills in fundraising, business pitching, planning, and building a sustainable winning team to drive my social enterprise. I started fundraising through hostels, selling menstrual tins and cups to raise funding to support vulnerable girls. Initially our idea was just to help without creating a business around it! However, POWER brought a business perspective that transformed our approach. They assisted in developing a comprehensive business plan, which we then successfully presented to potential donors, reshaping our strategic thinking in the process. In addition, I learnt skills in social marketing, segmentation, and networking, which have all contributed to the growth of our startup. It is due to this that we have diversified our service and product range to include production and sale of re-usable sanitary pads, skilling young women for employment, production of menstrual pamphlets to track their periods and access reliable SRHR information, and the sale of menstrual hygiene kits products, bags, cups, and disposable bins. We target schools, institutions, universities, health facilities and pharmacies, churches and other religious institutions with our services and products.

Could you describe the innovative solution or service your startup provides in the FP/SRHR sector? Specifically, how does it tackle a particular challenge or fill a notable gap in this field?

Our social enterprise, Us for Girls, offers menstrual hygiene management education, sexuality education, skilling in production of eco-friendly sanitary pads, periodic trackers and pamphlets, and disposable bins. These are critical to equipping girls and adolescents to remain in school with confidence and fight periodic poverty through skilling. This ensures improved school enrollment, retention and progression while creating employment opportunities for girls through production and sale of sanitary pads.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a woman entrepreneur in Uganda, and how did the POWER pilot project help you overcome or navigate these challenges?

The biggest challenge on my journey towards becoming a women entrepreneur was how to find funding. Most investors want to fund NGOS, community based organizations, and other startups with more established structures, facilities, and experience in the field, so securing investment has been a big challenge. Access to modern equipment and quality raw materials for production of sanitary pads has been a challenge due to these funding gaps. Materials are very expensive and usually imported from Kenya. However, through POWER, I was able to link up with Wabibi Pads, Reproductive Health Uganda, and Love your Periods in Wales, who have all supported us with funding, technical support, and visibility.

Could you share a success story or a memorable milestone that you achieved during your participation in the POWER pilot project? How did it contribute to the growth and impact of your business?

Through networking and partnership building, I have been able to secure some funding and I have built sustainable partnerships with Reproductive Health Uganda, Love your Periods, Mbarara University of science and technology, and Wabibi Pads. We have established a collaboration with Reproductive Health Uganda, securing working spaces where we produce our menstrual hygiene products. These products are then sold to various institutions and clients.

How has the mentorship component of the POWER pilot project played a role in shaping your entrepreneurial journey? Were there any specific mentors or advisors who made a significant impact on your business development?

Through POWER I was mentored in investor pitching from professional mentors and acquired key insights in monitoring and evaluation of social enterprises. Through field exposure visits, I interacted with clients and expert entrepreneurs who motivated me to keep pushing forward with my ideas. This has shaped and kept me resilient amidst the ups-and-downs in starting a business such as this.

Building a network is crucial for entrepreneurs. Are there any specific partnerships or opportunities that have arisen as a result?

POWER developed a platform for interacting and meeting various stakeholder such as Wabibi Pads, Reproductive Health Uganda, the Together Alive Health Initiative (TAHI), and Love your Periods. These have supported visibility, funding, and social marketing. I am also proud to announce that we won the ‘Rights and Social Action Project of the Year’ award for the work we have done across Wales together with Molly Fenton, founder of Love your Periods. Through networking skills, we have built strong partnership with Mbarara University of Science and Technology and we are part of the period equality network, African Youth Adolescent network (AFYAN), and Pacis in Burundi.

As an entrepreneur, what is your long-term vision for your startup?.

We envision developing a sustainable social enterprise registered in Uganda with a vibrant business model and quality products to address menstrual hygiene management and education for adolescents living in vulnerable communities to improve school enrollment, retention, and progression through ending periodic poverty. We want to scale up our operations all over Uganda and later on at the international level.

What advice would you give to other aspiring women entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business in the FP/SRHR sector? Are there any key lessons or insights you’ve gained that you would like to share?

My advice to aspiring women social entrepreneurs is to start from where you are – embrace your passion, love what you do, and dedicate time to build it to excellence. Don’t be sacred to start! Associate now with mentors and professionals to learn new trends in the industry while building a strong team with a common vision so as to drive your social enterprise to greater heights. Always research, use the rights tools and approaches to talk to clients to understand their needs and demands.

Looking ahead, what is your future for your startup? Do you have any new projects, expansions, or collaborations in the pipeline?

Us for Girls will continue to pursue new partnerships and sustain existing ones both nationally and internationally. We plan to improve our products based on client feedback and join sustainable networks with a common vision so as to grow our social enterprise. Our future is to register a company limited by guarantee to scale up operations and programs in Uganda and abroad. We aim to acquire three to five new machines, each costing approximately UGX 3,500,000 (921 EUR), to enhance our production of quality sanitary pads for the market. This expansion includes introducing innovative menstrual hygiene bags and kits. These products will be available for sale in all educational institutions and community safe spaces, integrating FP/SRHR commodities. The future is wide open!

Angel Babirye, through Us for Girls, has made significant strides in Uganda’s FP/SRHR sector. Her efforts in improving menstrual hygiene management and empowering young women showcase the transformative power of focused, collaborative entrepreneurship. Babirye’s journey with POWER highlights the potential for sustainable social impact in addressing critical health and educational needs.

Find out more about POWER here: https://www.dsw.org/en/power/

Have a question about POWER or would like a chat? Reach out to us!

Shane O’Halloran

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DSW Ethiopia’s Y4H Project Coalesces an ASRH Advocacy Workshop

Blog | 07. December 2023

Already ten months into its first year of implementation, the Youth for Health (Y4H) project hosted a half-day adolescent sexual and reproductive health advocacy workshop on 15 November 2023 at Sapphire Hotel in Addis Ababa. Ahead of a series of other sensitisation workshops planned to engage key stakeholders, the young adolescent champions joined representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to initiate and set action points during the half-day workshop initiated by DSW.

Regional decision-makers coming from the project areas and other leaders representing civil society organsations such as the Consortium of Reproductive Health Associations (CORHA), Y4H Ethiopia consortium members Marie Stopes International Ethiopia (MSIE) and Youth Network Sustainable Development (YNSD) were among those who attended the workshop.

In his opening remarks, Feyera Assefa, Country Director of DSW Ethiopia, acknowledged the commitment of a team of experts from the FMoH to validate the relevance of the project based on research findings. He also announced the presence of two members of DSW’s international team, Johanna Rosenwirth, Institutional Funding & Partnerships Officer and Peter Kroll, Project Management Officer who were at the workshop.
“Adolescence is an important developmental stage in life. It requires the ability of young adolescents to realise their dream in an environment that enables them to meet their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, including access to contraception. Thus, seeing these adolescents and youth champions in a high-profile adult-dominated workshop sitting front row gives us a sense of how the stakes of the project are already relevant to their ability to advocate on leveraging budgets for SRH needs and doing so on behalf of so many of their peers,” Mr. Peter Kroll emphasised. Y4H is identified by and for young people, and is specifically designed to rely on the commitment of youth champions to advocate at local and national levels.

“When we talk about youth champions, it is meant that the young people don’t get to passively benefit from the project by being at the receiving end but they too get involved as key stakeholders to engage in advocacy activities driven by evidence-based needs,” Feyera emphasised. Noting that, given the changing circumstances in terms of resource mobilisation or budget allocation and disbursement for youth SRH-focused interventions, which are affected by both the internal and external environments; the strategy of empowering youth advocates makes more sense for practical reasons.

According to Dr. Jemal Adem, a senior advisor at the FMoH, the financing of family planning services in Ethiopia is less effective in providing short-acting methods. For example, if the injectable FP method (Depo-Provera) is taken four times a year to prevent unplanned pregnancy for every other three months of the year, or multiplied by four years, it could need to be taken sixteen times. One Implanon could be used once every four years to prevent unintended birth for as long as it is utilised. In terms of both cost-effectiveness and reliability, the long-acting methods would be deal to take. In reality, the short-acting FP methods, such as injectable, continue to be the most widely used among young people. This trend hasn’t been without serious budgetary implication and coffer shortage of public funds. This is where a strategy to requisite the engagements in advocacy efforts by the youth champions comes in, suggests Dr. Jemal, based on his research findings on domestic financing presented during the early session of the workshop.

“Considering the 2021 Abuja Declaration, which asserts the commitments by African nations to a benchmark of 15 percent of budget spending on health, in some encouraging cases more than others haven’t lagged a lot behind. However, the absence of a budget line specific to adolescents’ SRH needs in the government budget planning on the one hand, the grim reality of the 13 percent teenage pregnancy prevalence in Ethiopia on the other could only oblige us further to create a strong enabling environment for engaging young adolescents in advocacy champions as part of the panacea. The efforts in advocacy to leveraging budgets for youth SRH/FP service needs must be explored through diverse sources,” Tsigie Gebretsadik, Advocacy Manager with DSW Ethiopia, qualifies an important take-away point in her presentation.

One of DSW’s youth champions, Elizabeth Addisu suggests that “the mainstream and social media platforms are very instrumental to the effect of advocacy on the budget shortfalls in youth and adolescent SRH issues.” She also recognises the importance of intensifying advocacy campaigns to increased budgetary resources for youth SRH wellbeing, but Elizabeth questions the wisdom of “entirely associating the health of youth with SRH issues per se, while substance abuse and other related social problems continue to affect the wellbeing of many more youth that remain largely unchecked”.

“Whether in the form of peer pressures or through unchecked behaviours that some of our youth may have become vulnerable to the various sources of social problems, the whole advocacy efforts objectively foster within the broader framework of addressing the needs for youth SRH wellbeing, including such social problems as substance abuse. The challenging question may arise from the fact that we are able to create demand for SRH services but fall short in ensuring the supplies of commodities. This situation as it exists would exacerbate an increase in unmet need if we don’t advocate for increased resources from any possible source, be it domestic or external donors,” Feyera cautiously noted an action point.

In his closing statement, Dr. Alemeayehu Hunduma, head of the Reproductive Health, Family Planning, Adolescent & Youth Health desk at the FMoH, welcomed the initiation by DSW to deploy a league of mentored adolescents and youth advocates who on behalf of themselves and their fellow young people in Ethiopia are committed to engaging the government stakeholders in budget allotment and disbursement for SRH needs of adolescents and youth.

“The Ministry of Health has put forth so many action points to broaden the platforms for advocacy when it comes to advancing budget sources for youth SRH needs, including the use of social media such as TikTok and the big personalities with a lot of followers internationally to speak on behalf of our efforts. This was done as we are concurrently managing the efforts to increase the domestic budget sources. For instance, this year’s budget for the health sector bounced up to 270 million birr, that is an eighteen percent average rate increment compared to the past four years budget allocation. Let’s work this out together and we remain committed to creating an enabling environment for the adolescents to engage in their advocacy efforts,” Dr. Alemayehu expressed optimism in his closing remarks.

Youth for Health is an advocacy-based intervention co-funded by the European Union and DSW in a complementary partnership with Marie Stopes International and other partners is undertaking the implementation in Oromia and South-Ethiopia region since it was officially launched in January 2023.

Photos: private

DSW

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Investing in GBV Prevention Makes Economic Sense

Blog | 05. December 2023

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a perverse problem across the world. In Kenya, the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey reports that 34% and 13% of girls and women and 27% and 7% of boys and men aged 15-49 have experienced physical and sexual violence respectively since age 15.

Not only does GBV undermine the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, but it also impacts household and national economic development.

A National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) report titled, Gender-based Violence in Kenya: The Economic Burden on Survivors, 2016, highlights the average cost of GBV to a survivor, with medical-related expenses taking up a majority of the cost at KSh 16,464, followed by the cost of reporting the incident to police at KSh3,756 and reporting to the chief and community structures at Ksh 3,111. The cost of Loss of productivity from serious injuries and premature death is estimated at KSh 223,476 and KSh 5,840,664 respectively.

The report further estimates that annual out-of-pocket medical-related expenses cost KSh 10 billion, and productivity losses from serious and minor injuries cost KSh 25 billion and KSh 8 billion respectively. This means the country loses about KSh 46 billion, translating to 1.1 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

GBV also drains the household economy through associated hidden costs such as transport to health clinics or accessing legal support. These substantial costs disproportionately affect women and girls, exposing them to further vulnerabilities, which then places them at risk of GBV. A vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

The impact is even far and wide, especially since women play a key role in the household. For example, where women are responsible for food provision, GBV impacts their ability to fulfil this role, which in turn directly reduces food production. Same is the case when women are absent from work and their lower wages impact income available for consumption.

In other cases, money meant for other needs such as education is diverted to addressing the effects of GBV. Oftentimes, GBV hampers access to education when household resources are diverted to seek redress for violence or by directly causing school dropouts for girls due to pregnancies resulting from sexual violence. In both instances, young girls and women suffer life-long disadvantages due to the denial of their right to education.

Without resources, women and girl’s ability to leave an abusive situation becomes harder. This exposes them to more risk of violence, which may include sexual violence and reproductive coercion, where they are pressured into making or denied the ability to make decisions about their reproductive health.

Survivors of GBV may suffer even further because of the stigma associated with this type of violence. Some of them are ostracized by family and/or community, placing them at greater risk for exploitation and violence, thus endangering their lives,

The consequence of such a status quo is that women and girls exist as second-class citizens, whose rights are continuously violated, and bodily autonomy ignored.

It is critical that as we mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence under the theme, Unite; Invest to prevent Violence against women and girls, we urgently accelerate efforts to end GBV.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure that 50 per cent of the population is not left behind in our country’s development and growth. Without addressing GBV, we will be lagging in the achievement of critical milestones including the sustainable development goals, especially Goal 5 on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. The country will also be going against its promises, including the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25) commitment to ending all forms of GBV by 2030, and commitment to increasing budgetary allocation for GBV prevention and response under Generation Equality Forum.

To show our commitment to the spirit of ‘leaving no one behind,’ the implementation of GBV interventions must become a national priority for Kenya. We must address the complex and interconnected issues related to GBV through a multi-pronged approach, involving collaboration and coordination among various sectors, organizations, stakeholders and communities including the survivors of GBV. This way, we will be able to create a safer, more equal and prosperous world, where people, especially women and girls, are free from violence.

This article was written by Ms Evelyn Samba, Kenya country director at DSW, and was first published by the Daily Nation on Dec 1, 2023. 

DSW

Nothing suitable for you?

Blog | 30. November 2023

Send us an unsolicited application

With us, you have the opportunity to take the initiative and actively contribute to the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and the strengthening of youth rights worldwide. We are always looking for motivated and committed people who share our mission and are willing to make a positive contribution.

Regardless of specific job advertisements, we are open to unsolicited applications from professionals who are interested in our areas of work. Whether you have experience in development cooperation, healthcare, educational work or other relevant areas – we welcome your interest in working with us.

Important note:

As a rule, we do not send personnel to our projects in the partner countries in East Africa. As part of our projects, we rely on partnership-based cooperation with experienced local non-governmental organisations. Our experience has shown that sexuality education among young people works best when it is delivered by young people to their peers from the region.

As many of the young Africans we educate train themselves as peer educators (youth counsellors), we have sufficient personnel capacity. Our administrative staffing requirements are also covered by local colleagues.

However, if we have advertised a vacancy for a position in our partner countries, it will be posted here. If this is not the case, we kindly ask you to refrain from unsolicited applications and enquiries about positions abroad.

Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW)

International NGO since 1991

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DSW Ethiopia Co-Hosts UNFPA-KOICA Donor Visits

Blog | 20. November 2023

The week-long high-level donor visits to DSW’s project have combined a number of activities beginning with an Annual Review Meeting (ARM) of stakeholders representing all UNFPA-supported projects in Dilla and Bule-Hora, located 294 km and 481 km south of the capital respectively . Following the two-day ARM co-hosted by DSW and UNFPA in Hawassa at the Rory Hotel on 6 – 7 November, the large group of team members from UNFPA, KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and DSW scheduled a series of watertight project tours, which split the events into six key activities in different locations.

The UNFPA team members led by Mr. Koffi Kouame, the country representative in Ethiopia and his deputy Mr. Taiwo Oluyomi and officials from KOICA Ethiopia, which includes its Country Director Mr. Lee Byunghwa have travelled a great length and took a close look at the project to determine the way forward. DSW Ethiopia was also represented by Country Director Feyera Assefa and his team members.

While Mr. Kouame cut short his trip from Yirgachefe to return back to Hawassa on 9 November 2023 to save time for his visit to another DSW project implemented in the Industrial Park, Feyera had to reschedule the arrangement and accompany the UNFPA official to Hawassa. Two members of DSW’s international team based in Hannover, Germany, Peter Kroll, Project Management Officer and Johanna Rosenwirth, Institutional Funding and Partnerships Officer, joined Mr. Kouame and Feyera to visit the workplace intervention at the Hawassa Industrial Park on Friday,  10 November.

The rest of the teams travelled further south as planned, spending another day on a study tour and interacting with project stakeholders and their activities in Bule-Hora.

In Dilla, Mr. Koffi Kouame was impressed by the commitment of the community and government stakeholders to the whole programme, as he listened to the welcome speech of Zinabu Wolde (PhD), Gedeo Zone Administrator, who praised the youth-focused intervention programme supported by UNFPA, funded by KOICA and implemented by DSW in partnership with the existing local government structures.

Further, Mr. Kouame pressed on the fact that the seeming trend in youth demographic bulge experienced by Ethiopia like those in the rest of Africa, the need for investment to get many of these youth to go to schools remains in a top tier development agenda. “This is the effort that KOICA is committed to in making a difference in the quality of life and sexual and reproductive health wellbeing of vulnerable youth. The productive future of young people depends on their ability and capacity to be empowered. That is why we needed to visit the project and observe the progress at this time of the year, when we can plan what to do in 2024 based on the lessons learned from these real-life situations,” the UNFPA official noted.

As the final leg of the field visit gathered momentum, each stakeholder recognised the benefits that so many young people have received through the support and funding of the projects under the UNFPA’s integrated program, which DSW has partnered  to implement over the past four years. In response to the expected final words from KOICA, which has been funding and technically supporting the programme through UNFPA, Mr. Lee Byunghwa, Country Director of KOICA Ethiopia, has described the programme, which his office has been steadfastly supporting since 2019, as a success story, as he has observed a strong sense of ownership and commitment to the programme by the community leaders and other key stakeholders who have readily shown interest to ensure sustainability.

“More directly, part of our mission in Ethiopia, says Mr. Lee, is to work bilaterally with the Ethiopian government to ensure, among other things, that the capacity of health care providers is strengthened and that relevant development programmes prioritised by the Ethiopian government are supported, as well as media campaigns to promote the family planning programme. It is also our responsibility to support and contribute to youth development efforts in Ethiopia,” the KOICA official stressed.

Feyera Assefa, the Country Director of DSW Ethiopia, drew a positive conclusion from these high-level field visits. The most important thing worth lauding is the technical experience being gained by our team through the strategic partnership DSW maintains with UNFPA. A well-coordinated and organised field visit such as this brought all stakeholder to a common platform for further partnerships. The outcomes of our past efforts so far can be translated into important inputs for the upcoming 2024 planning meeting.

In terms of the relevance of DSW’s work, four key takeaway emerged that were of interest to the donors. The first to be highlighted was the Women and Girls’ Friendly Space (WGFS). It was strongly recommended that the WGFS be linked with the One-Stop-Centre for enhanced service delivery. The second point was related to the youth friendly clinics (YFCs) found at the health centres, which should be further strengthened in aligning and linking them with the closest  grassroots community-based youth clubs.

During the debriefing, it was emphasised that the YFCs and the’ strong relationships of the youth clubs were seen as having the greatest impact on youth uptake of services.  The third point mentioned was the need for the research activities conducted by Bule-Hora and Dilla universities to provide evidence-based data relevant to the programme in order to support the project objectives. The final point focussed on developing a strategy to scale up the intervention by integrating the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues with the livelihood needs of the youth.

Funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Integrated Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Family Planning project was launched in March 2019 in partnership with technical support from UNFPA. For more than four years, the project has been reaching out to targeted communities in six districts across two zones in Gedeo (South region) and West-Guji (Oromia region).

Photos: private

DSW

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POWER Entrepreneur: Joan Patience Atuhaire, SimplyFP

Blog | 07. November 2023

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: The POWER to Transform Family Planning in Uganda

We recently had the privilege of speaking with Joan Patience Atuhaire, the Chief Executive Officer of SimplyFP, an innovative startup in Uganda that is part of a new initiative called POWER (Providing Opportunities for Women in Entrepreneurship and Reproductive Health). POWER is a startup accelerator partnership funded by DSW and led by Action for Health Uganda. The program is designed to provide training, capacity development, and mentoring for twelve women entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30. The primary focus of POWER is to empower these young women to develop sustainable businesses in the fields of family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights (FP/SRHR).

Joan is a psychologist by profession, social entrepreneur, and youth activist in the field of FP/SRHR and a graduate of Community Psychology from Makerere University. SimplyFP is an on-demand application that provides accurate information about family planning products, contraceptives, and essential health services packed in one kit referred to as “Safe Pleasure Kits”. SimplyFP aims to dispel misinformation about family planning and counteract harmful cultural beliefs. Joan is driven by her vision of a world where all Ugandans can conveniently access FP/SRHR products to serve their different needs. She strongly believes in the power of choice and the potential that digital solutions hold in promoting access to FP/SRHR services for young people. Her customers are Ugandan youth; adolescents that are curious and in need of supportive structures to help her/him make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights. Her startup enables users to ask questions about FP/SRHR and receives real-time responses from all health facilities and professionals, including delivery of ‘Safe Pleasure Kits’ and other products at their doorsteps.

Q1: Can you share with us your journey of becoming an entrepreneur and what inspired you to start a business in the family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights sector?

Joan: My journey of becoming a social entrepreneur in the field of FP/SRHR started way back in 2020 when I lost a relative (my aunty) while she was giving birth just because she didn’t want to use contraceptives as we come from a strong Catholic background. I was also driven by passion while working in the field with young people. Before and after school, I worked with various youth-focused organizations such as United Social Venture as an intern, Young Women Alliance for Human Rights as programs officer, and My Musawo, as Director of operations. It’s from these exposures that I felt the need to start up a social enterprise that acts as a one-stop centre for accessing FP/SRHR services and other essential health services in Uganda with a focus on safe pleasure kits, condoms, contraceptives, sexual wipes, menstrual hygiene products, among others. During my field exposures, I learned skills in pitching and working with young people, so I kept on looking out for opportunities with accelerator programs in the field of FP/SRHR but in vain until I landed on one advertised by Action for Health Uganda and DSW in partnership with Capital Solutions. I applied and was enrolled in the program. At this point that I felt my dream was coming true because I had the idea but lacked basic information on FP/SRHR.

Q2: How has your participation in the POWER pilot project impacted your business and personal growth? Are there any specific skills or knowledge that you gained during the program that have been particularly valuable?

Joan: To me, the POWER accelerator program was an enabler because it helped me shape my business all the way to fruition. I initially had just an idea in my head but didn’t know how to start and turn it into a business. Through the POWER accelerator, I understood the FP/SRHR industry, and I was able to shape and refine my business idea tailored to this sector. It’s at this point that I learned the skills in business planning, networking, and building sustainable partnerships and started building a digital platform called ‘Mokap’ in partnerships with Makerere University. I pretested it and started on-boarding users. I also learned skills in mobilizing resources, and I have used these skills well to secure 5,000 USD from Drake University in the USA to develop a website and refine the app. We also plan to open a physical SRHR shop in Uganda next year.

Q3: Can you tell us about the innovative solution or service your startup offers in the FP/SRHR sector and how it addresses a specific challenge or gap?

SimplyFP offers accurate and reliable SRHR information and family planning products to end-users who access the app. Clients are linked with service providers and healthcare providers at just a click of a button. The app addresses unmet needs in FP/SRHR by addressing the stigma related to fear in accessing commodities such as condoms, contraceptives, and safe pleasure kits for both men and women while ensuring that accurate information on SRHR is provided to youth at their convenience.

Q4: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a woman entrepreneur in Uganda, and how did the POWER pilot project help you overcome or navigate these challenges?

The biggest challenges I faced on the journey of social entrepreneurship have been access to the market, legal restrictions on selling modern contraceptives in Uganda which require certification and licensing by the National Drug Authority and Allied Medical Professional Council, securing investment for a startup that has not been in operation for two or more years, and drawing a line between social impact and business which can become challenging as you could find yourself drained into charity work due to limited funding. There is no legal framework supporting startups in Uganda, and this affects the environment under which startups can thrive. However, through POWER, I gained skills in mobilizing resources. I have succeeded in securing 5,000 USD from Drake University in the US, got exposure with the Mandela Fellowship Program and US Mission in Uganda. Through the Social Entrepreneurship Forum, we are pushing for a policy for startups in Uganda, and a technical working group has been established to spearhead advocacy efforts with decision-makers.

Q5: Could you share a success story or a memorable milestone that you achieved during your participation in the POWER pilot project? How did it contribute to the growth and impact of your business?

Through POWER, I continued conducting market research on the basic needs and client feedback, which has helped me shape SimplyFP. We have successfully developed and tested the app and got an opportunity to demonstrate it with the US Embassy in Uganda. We have expanded our product range from contraceptives to maternal and child health, men and women safe pleasure kits, and include bi-directional referrals for critical adolescent health services. In addition, we have established and nurtured partnerships with various stakeholders in Uganda and abroad, such as Drake University and the Mandela Fellowship Program in the USA. I was also able to register SimplyFP in the USA as a Limited Liability Company in partnership with Drake University and Pope John Drake Business Clinic.

Q6: How has the mentorship component of the POWER pilot project played a role in shaping your entrepreneurial journey? Were there any specific mentors or advisors who made a significant impact on your business development?

POWER exposed me to mentors such as Dr. Joyce Tamale, the CEO of Capital Solutions, Sarah Kintu, the CEO of Action4 Health Uganda, and Madam Bernadette of Wabibi Pads. These mentors were inspirational in sharing their life testimonies on the journey of social entrepreneurship and the FP/SRHR industry. I got to know that I cannot move this journey alone; we need mentors, coaches, and advisors. These keep energizing me whenever I feel like giving up.

Q7: Building a network is crucial for entrepreneurs. How has the POWER pilot project helped you establish connections and collaborations within the FP/SRHR ecosystem in Uganda? Are there any specific partnerships or opportunities that have arisen as a result?

POWER provided a platform to meet different people with various expertise to shape my ideas to fruition in the field of FP/SRHR. POWER initiated us into an alumni network and linked us to various players in the field of social entrepreneurship, academia, civil society, and the private sector. During the pitching event, we met with potential donors and government ministries and shared our ideas. This marked the beginning of networking, and I am proud to say I have now established so many networks in Uganda and abroad, registering Simply FP in the USA, Drake University, Mandela Fellowship Program, Maries Topes, Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG), DKT, and RHU.

Q8: As an entrepreneur, how do you envision your business contributing to the advancement of family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights in Uganda? What is your long-term vision for your startup?

SimplyFP envisions contributing to shaping a new landscape in FP/SRHR in Uganda by promoting convenient access to and utilization of family planning products, SRHR information by establishing a one-stop physical shop to supplement the online app. This journey will start with building a strong team to push this vision. The good news is we are refining our product and service mix based on client feedback. In January 2024, we shall be launching our online shop to increase our market and be part of the global supply chain for SP and SRHR products in Uganda. We want to establish a safe pleasure shop in Kampala, Mbarara, and Mbale cities to allow walk-in clients to take orders and deliver quality and affordable SRHR/FP products, including modern contraceptives. From this, we shall go international, targeting Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.

Q9: What advice would you give to other aspiring women entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business in the FP/SRHR sector? Are there any key lessons or insights you’ve gained along your journey that you would like to share?

Get pillars of support right from your family to well-wishers to mentors and coaches. I had to leave my well-paying job to dedicate time to building my social enterprise, and I don’t regret that because now I see the future bright. I encourage women and girls out there who would like to walk the journey of social entrepreneurship to seek responsible and meaningful partnerships, continuous professional development, exposure to mentors, evolve considering new knowledge, understand and work on your limiting space, and understand that no situation is permanent. Hold each other’s hand because no one is an island; we need each other to keep pushing.

Q10: Looking ahead, what is your future for your startup? Do you have any new projects, expansions, or collaborations in the pipeline?

SimplyFP will be launching a website and a physical FP/SRHR brick-and-mortar shop to serve its clients, especially the student demographic. We plan to pre-test an actual FP/SRHR shop in Uganda. We shall continue building new partnerships locally and internationally with Drake University, Angel Investors, SRHR partners, and accelerator and incubator programs. We shall continue to pitch to potential donors to secure extra resources to scale up our social enterprise and maximize impact.

Joan Patience Atuhaire’s remarkable journey epitomizes the strength of dedication and the potential for transformative change through social entrepreneurship. Her unwavering commitment to empowering women and youth in her community is a beacon of inspiration. Joan’s story reminds us that with determination and innovation, we can reshape the landscape of family planning and sexual reproductive health, fostering a healthier and more prosperous future for everyone in Uganda and beyond.

Find out more about POWER here: https://www.dsw.org/en/power/

Have a question about POWER or would like a chat? Reach out to us!

Shane O’Halloran