Dassa June 2008

Post: Dassa
Pick up Location: Cotonou
Project Description: Care Groups: Twelve people have been chosen in two different communities to be peer educators on health related topics. Each educator is responsible for 3-5 families depending on the village size. Ngo ODEC meets with each village bi-weekly to teach a new health topic. Then in the following 2 weeks each educator is responsible to visit and teach each of their families. The goal of the project is to reach all women who are pregnant and children 0-5 years of age to aid in the prevention of malaria, malnutrition, and infant and mother mortality and morbidity.
Dates of Project: July 2008-COS
Number of People Involved: 1 PCV, 2 NGO ODEC, 9 female educators, 3 male educators, educated families ( about 186 men, women and children)
Budget:

Item Number Cost
Fabric 18 36.000
Notebooks 14 2.800
Pens 14 1.400
Certificates 55 5.500
Snacks for Meetings 1 roll 4.300
Total 50.000

Amount Requested: 50.000 CFA

Comments

GAD Coordinator Comments: Recommend funding
GAD Financial Officer Comments: Sounds like a great project. Recommend funding.

Closing Report

Post: Dassa
Dates of Project: June — August 2008
Brief Project Description: Care Groups: Twelve people have been chosen in two different communities to be peer educators on health related topics. Each educator is responsible for 3-5 families depending on the village size. Ngo ODEC meets with each village bi-weekly to teach a new health topic. Then in the following 2 weeks each educator is responsible to visit and teach each of their families. The goal of the project is to reach all women who are pregnant and children 0-5 years of age to aid in the prevention of malaria, malnutrition, and infant and mother mortality and morbidity.

Number of People Involved and Age Range: 12 community health leaders, 9 females, 3 males, ages 30 – 5; Families (about 186 Men, Women and Children)

What were the goals/objectives of this project? The goal of GAD’s involvement in care groups was to encourage and recognize the community health leaders so that they are better motivated to continue their job. The main goal of care groups is to reduce infant and mother mortality and morbidity.

Were the goals/objectives met? To goal to better motivate the health leaders was met. The health leaders attendance to meetings has been perfect since being recognized before their community. I have also noticed an increased attentiveness in the health leaders during lessons. The community continues to be receptive to health information.

The goal to reduce infant and mother mortality and morbidity is on going. As I do not work with a health center it is hard to know exact numbers of how many illness and fatalities have been prevented.

What were the strengths of this project? ODEC considers the fact that this project is at the community level an advantage in comparison to other health interventions. A trust relationship has been formed between ODEC and the communities. Through this trust relationship accountably of the health leaders to ODEC and ODEC to the health leaders has been established. Accountability has been a huge asset in the sense that if a health leader misses a meeting the other leaders feel the responsibility to step in and teach that leader. Also, the health leaders feel accountable to the state of health in the community. If they see a need they ask for further education on that topic.

What were the weaknesses/challenges of this project? The biggest challenge for Care Groups has been having the patience to allow the trust relationships to develop. It is hard to start work in a village and see the overwhelming need and not try to deal with in the way you know best, but instead be patient for the relationships to develop and work through the need that way.

Do you consider this project complete? Yes.
Budget:

Item Number Cost
Tissues 30 yards 30,000 cfa
Notebooks 14 1,200 cfa
Pens 14 900 cfa
Snacks for the tissue ceremony 1,410 cfa
Certificates 3,000 3,000

Total cost: 37,010 CFA

NOTE: Emily returned extra 13,000 CFA to GAD Coordinator; cash was deposited at the Parakou Workstation.

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