Malawi

Training Project Cycle Management, 3 - 7 March 2008

Fourteen participants from YECE (Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education), Lilongwe, Malawi, attended a training/workshop on Project Cycle Management. The training was organised in Lilongwe, Malawi and was supported financially and technically by Youth Incentives.

YECE is a Non Governmental and non profit making organisation which was established in March 1997. YECE was formed with an aim of addressing the plight being faced by the youth, orphans and vulnerable children. Its vision is ' a transformed healthy society where young people are provided with accurate sexual and reproductive health information, youth friendly services and are fully recognized to participate and contribute meaningfully in decision-making processes' .

Objectives of the training in March 2008 were:

• To learn about the Project Cycle;
• To acquire skills on how to write sound and fundable project proposals;
• To impart knowledge and skills among YECE project staff and youth club leaders on project implementation process;
• To develop an understanding among YECE staff and club leaders on conflict; management and resolution, group dynamics and community mobilization;
• To learn from eachothers knowledge and exchange of experiences.

Results
One of the results of the training was that the participants learned about, and experienced the use of some participatory needs assessment methods, like the elaboration of a problem tree with a community and a sexuality life-line for girls and boys. It was acknowledged that it is just this community involvement that motivates communities towards activities implemented by YECE.
Participants also practiced with the method to translate the outcomes into a workable problem statement and logical framework. Although one or two participants already had attended some training in project cycle management before, it was, according to them, the first time that they really understood the concept of managing the project cycle. This was according to them for a great deal due to the participatory and interactive methods that were used during the training. They all felt confident after the training to use these kinds of methods within the communities.

Follow up and actions
In continuation of this capacity building of YECE, Youth Incentives will also contribute to an Advocacy training that Youth organisation CHOICE will facilitate for YECE staff in May 2008.

Peer education in Malawi, 21 – 25 May 2007

Youth Incentives in conjunction with the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) commissioned a team to assess youth sexual and reproductive health needs in Malawi. Outcome of the needs assessment revealed a number of problems, some of which are the existence of cultural taboos around communication between parents and young people on sex and sexuality related topics and that parents do not communicate effectively with young people on those topics. Secondly, young people have insufficient or no access to information and there are high numbers of teenage pregnancies and the use of traditional medicine/healers for abortion. Furthermore, there is lack of youth friendly services, while parents have negative images of existing youth clubs in the area. In addition, young girls lack the confidence to say no to sex, especially when it comes to someone they know and/or have offered them gifts.

Youth Incentives entered into partnership with SIMAVI (a Dutch NGO) to mobilise and provide funding for implementation of the project proposal. Funding for the project is jointly provided by the Youth Incentives Fund and SIMAVI on equal basis.
One of the activities is the selection and training of peer educators with the aim that they will:
• conduct group discussions with young people in schools and villages
• perform drama in youth clubs and schools
• conduct one to one discussions with fellow youth
• distribute condoms to the sexually active youth
• create awareness among young people on the existence and use of youth friendly services.

Reports from the Mangochi District Hospital, December 2006 - January 2007

Kim Broekhuijsen is a Dutch medical student. She was our reporter in Malawi, where she worked temporarily at the Mangochi District Hospital. Read Kim's reports .

RAP-Tool Needs Assessment in Malawi
21 April, 2006 – 6 May, 2006

The Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) recently established a partnership with Youth Incentives. The two organisations resolved to jointly implement a SRH programme for young people. In preparation for the programme, FPAM, Youth Incentives, and Malawi youth organizations came together to assess the sexual and reproductive health needs and rights of young people in Dedza district of Malawi. The RAP-Tool (a participatory research instrument developed by Youth Incentives to gain a better understanding of how sexual and reproductive health is experienced by young people and to identify unmet needs) was the main instrument used for the needs assessment.

A research team consisting of students from the Kamuzu College of Nursing and representatives from various Malawian youth organizations, such as the Youth Action Movement, was assembled and trained on how to work with the RAP-tool. The team travelled to villages throughout Dedza District of Malawi gathering data from young people, parents, and experts. The team collected nearly 300 youth surveys, interviewed over 30 parents, and spoke with numerous experts working in the field of SRH. Initial results from the surveys and interviews were shared with young people, parents, and experts at community discussion groups held in four villages. The discussion groups sparked dialogue between youth and adults on a number of SRH related topics. The discussions were noteworthy considering the fact that nearly 80% of the youth survey respondents said they would like to speak with their parents more about SRH related topics.

Several key issues were identified from the needs assessment, including ineffective communication between parents and/or guardians and young people and between young people and their partners. A project proposal, informed by the needs assessment, is being developed by FPAM and will be funded under the Youth Incentives Trust Fund.