Healthy Unions: Community Engagement and Behavioral Change to Eliminate Bride Price, Bride Abduction, and Early Marriage in Ethiopia

Quarterly Report No. 1 (Yeare II): October-DECEMBER, 2009

Cooperative Agreement No. EWD-A-00-07-00001-00

Healthy Unions

Healthy Unions
QUARTERLY REPORT NO. 1 (year II)–October-December, 2009

Thefirst quarterly reportof the second yearprovides background on the project, accomplishments and progress made. The report also outlineschallenges experienced and major plans for next quarter.

I.Excutive Summary

During this reporting period the Healthy Unions Project continuedthe process of accomplishing different project activities such as:

  • Provide orientation for community level House of People Representatives (HPR) on project concept
  • Training of peer educators and “champion of change”
  • Project annual review and planning workshop
  • Community Conversation Facilitators (CCF) quarter review meeting
  • Facilitate Community Conversations(CC) session andcommunity mobilization meetings
  • Establishcommunity level bride price, bride abduction, early marriage and other
  • Harm Full Traditional Practice (HTP) protecting task force.
  • Establish school level Anti-HTP clubs
  • Organize school and community awareness raising sessions.
  • Establishing Community Self help Saving Groups (CSSG)
  • Identificationand management of earlymarriage, abduction and rape survivors are among the major accomplishments. .

II. Quarter ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PROGRESS BY STARTEGIc objectives

SOB1. CHANGE COMMUNITY NORMS UNDERLYING THE TRADTIONAL HARMFUL PRACTICE OF BRIDE PRICE, BRIDE ABDUCTION AND EARLY MARRIAGE.

1.1. Orientation for community level House of People Representatives

To involve the HPR in the project implementation process and to get their support in mobilizing the community, 90 community level HPR were provided orientation on bride price, bride abduction, early marriage and other related HTP such as Female Genital Cutting (FGC)

1.2.Seeking solution/terminate early marriage engagement and support survivor of rape and bride abduction and early marriage.

As one of critical intervention the project is working on the process of aborting cases of early marriage at the initial stage of engagement, during this reporting period two cases of early marriage were aborted through discussion with both family (boys and girls) and influential community leaders, and also two fistula cases occur due to early marriage werediscovered as the result of community and school level awareness raising sessions. The project supporting the two fistula cases and they were taken to local health center and referred to the central hospital for further treatment.

1.3: Community and School AwarenessRaising:

CARE and its partner believe that community participation is a key in reaching the aim of the project and to ensure sustainability. During the reporting period nine school level awareness raising sessions were conducted in collaboration with education office, both parents and students were attended the sessions, totally 2317 individuals were attended (322 parents and 1995 students) out of this 890 are women which is 34.4%.Bride price, bride abduction and early marriage were the main agenda of the awarenessraising sessions. Awareness raising events were conducted to educate the youth (girls and boys) age 10-16 about harm of bride price, bride abduction and early marriage.

One of the school awareness raising sessions carries out in the elementary and junior schools

1.4. Facilitate Community Conversation (CC)sessions.

Larger community meetingswere held to discuss various aspects of HTP, especially early marriage, bride abduction and bride price.These conversation meetings areexpected to generate common understanding of factors perpetuating HTP and means of preventing them and it will explore a range of suitable and positive alternative to the practices. During the reporting period 60 community conversation sessions were facilitated by the CCFs, 3600 individuals were participated the sessions. The participants of each CC group comprised of different category of community membersand leaderssuch as religious leaders, the youth, opinion leaders, kebele level officials and HTP practitioners (circumcisers traditional healers). As a result of this discussion some communities showed promising signs of abandoningthe harmful practices such as bride abduction, early marriage and bride price.

1.5. Establishment of school clubs

The establishment of school clubs could facilitate the awareness raising and mobilization activities in the school. During the reporting period six in school anti-HTP (bride price, bride abduction, early marriage and other related HTP) clubs were established in six elementary and primary schools.

1.6. Peer Education Training.

In order to ensure that the anti-HTP messages are spread and reach in school and out of schoolgirls and boys. During this reporting period 48(27women and 21 men) peer education trainers (all are selected competent students) were trained on basic peer education principles, facilitation skill, the problem and consequence of bride price, bride abduction early marriage and related HTP for five consecutive days, the training was facilitated by trainer invited from women affaires justice and education office, the peer educators will disseminate information for both in school and out of school peers.

SOB2. Increase the capacity and political will of Community-Based Organizations, formal and informal leaders, women and girls to take collective action against harmful traditional practices such as bride price, bride abduction, bride price, and early marriage.

2.1. Train “Champions of change”

In order to bring transformation in the attitude, understanding, and practice of bride price, bride abduction and early marriage, Healthy Unions project continues to build the capacity of key individuals. Woreda level task force and advisory committee were established in two weredas of Borena Zone .The members were represented from key sector offices and individuals. The members of the advisory committee and task forces were oriented about the project objectives and implementation strategies. More over 12 “champion of change” selected from these task force and other influential communitymembers were trained on the problems related to HTP and its consequence. The “champions of change” are expected to mobilize the community, transfer knowledge and continue the program after the project will be phase out.

2.2. Community Mobilization group discussion:

In different operational areas a number of community group discussions were conducted during the reporting period.A total of 8127 individuals (4147women and 3980 men) community members have attended the community group discussion events that were organizedin 194sessions. The main objective of the mobilization was to sensitize the community on early marriage, bride abduction, bride price and other form of HTP such as rape and FGC.

2.3 Engage and Empower Community Self-help Saving Groups (CSSG).

The establishment and strengthening of CSSGs is not only a means of making women economically strengthened, it also helps to change familial and societal concept that women are valued only by their marriage ability and reproductive role and also it could be an entry point into the community to begin discussion about HTP. Torealize this concept15 CSSGs with 300 members were established and started savings and providing loan for there members. The concerned government partners such as cooperative and women affaires office are playing significant role in facilitating the process.

SOB3. Advocate for the enforcement of laws that reduce the incidence of bride price, bride abduction and early marriage.

3.1. Project and partner staff training.

A three days training was organized by the project for a total of 19 project staff both from CARE and partner on Community Self help Saving Group (CSSG) establishment and principles, Income generating Activities (IGA), HTP and regional family law. The facilitators of the training were invited from regional women affaires.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation Activities

4.1. Annual Project Progress Review and Planning Workshop

During the reporting period, the last year(FY’2008) annual project progress review and FY’2009 annual plan preparation workshop conducted for two days. Both the annual review and planning workshop was conducted at two levels (two phases). The first one was conducted at the project level with full participation of concerned government partners. The second one wasat the central level which all project front line implementers (community facilitators), officers, managers and coordinators from both CARE and partners were involved. This was a good opportunity for the project staff to come together and discuss on the previous year progress and next year plan, also major problems were identified and solutions were proposed.

4.2. Quarter review Meeting.

Peer educators and community conversation facilitators’quarterly progress review meetings were conducted during the reporting period. Project level government partners such as women affaires, education, and cooperative offices were participated in the quarter review meeting and motivate the volunteers to do more in the future.

5.CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES

There was delay in purchasing some materials and planed contractual services as a result of an introduction of new VAT collection/exemption system by the government of Ethiopia. However, the obstacle is now minimized and we are provided with guidance from USAID that expedites the whole process, however, still the back and forth, which is taking significant amount of time.

6. Next Steps (NEXT QUARTER plan)

  • Select and train HTP protecting taskforce and school club leaders and selected club members on bride price, bride abduction, early marriage
  • Select and train CC facilitators, train and support parent teacher association & education and training board andpeer education training,
  • Organize school awareness raising forum andpublic conference in cluster PAs
  • Orient woreda HPR on marriage related HTPs andkebele officials and kebele court on family law and constitution
  • Life skill training for school girls come from rural areas, CSSGs advisors training on CSSG principles and business options andtrain champions of change
  • Community awareness raising discussion events facilitated by champion of change,community mobilization events (March 8th and Gumi Gayo)
  • Conduct quarter review meetings for CCF, peereducators project staff.

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Healthy Unions Project
Quarterly Report No. 1 (second year) October—December, 2008