KHO started ASRH project in Kirehe District / Mahama Refugees camp on 7^th September 2020, the end project reporting period is  30^th November 2020. The project was supported by Save the children.

Target population

The project targeted adolescents[MK1]  and youth aged between 10 and 24 years old

Project motivation

To enable them access information about sexual reproductive and health by preventing unwanted pregnancy through tools and messages as in the period of COVID19, where the camp is  locked down, youth corners closed and some activities like teaching, entertainment and training are prohibited.

The need for ASRH project for Covid 19 rapid response Mechanism in Mahama refugees Camp

The total number of refugees in MAHAMA refugees camp were counted 58,427 on 15th [MK2] November 2020 (UNHCR), and the  Quality sexual and reproductive health services are essential to the wellbeing of refugees and other persons of concern. It is an important part of all humanitarian responses.

Due to COVID 19 period, all activities gathers youth in the camp were stopped and there must be quick responses to continue fight with unwanted pregnancy and unsafe sex among adolescents, this is where KHO came up and takeover of period of two months.

Adolescent aged 10-19 years and young adults aged 20-24 years constitute a significant population, accounting for an estimated 24% of the world’s 7.55 billion people (UN, 2017). people in this group are often the most vulnerable to negative reproductive materials, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) Issues such as STIs, including HIV infection, unsafe abortion, drug abuse and addiction, mental consequences, especially in low and middle income countries.

Furthermore, adolescents and young people are faced with barriers that stem from ignorance, poverty, social norms, as well as age restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services.

All adolescents deserve high quality health care services that are devoid of criticism or unwelcoming attitudes that will keep them away as well as accessible to them.[MK3] 

1. PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The ASRH COVID 19 rapid response Mechanism’s activities was divided into three main activities; including:

-          free distribution of Agaciro Kanjye booklet,

-          distribution of brochures and posters; and

-          mass mobilization using Sono mobile (a moving vehicle with installed sound system) to spread ASRH message and Awareness raising throughout the camp. These activities have been done in one part of the camp (MAHAMA2) where SAVE The CHILDREN is responsible. A part of distribution activities, the implementation of activities related to the mass campaign with the sono mobile vehicle took a 30 days period with 8 hours per day of the week.

2. PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS[MK4] [MK5] 
1. Free distribution of Agaciro kanjye booklet

KHO distributed 356 booklets in different camp villages using community volunteers.

Agaciro Kanjye Booklet contain ASRH information such as reproduction, Female period and pregnancy, contraceptive methods, HIV transmission and preventions as well as male and female condom demonstration, VCT, PMTCT, STIs, stigma and discrimination, peer education and values.

Prior to this project, youths in MAHAMA2 accessed ASRH information through discussion with Save the children’s peer education where Agaciro Kanjye booklet was only holded by peer educators.

But now 356 youths got Agaciro kanjye booklets, now it’s easy  to access ASRH information and possibly having discussions among them as well as discussions with their parents.

2. Distribution of Brochures and Posters.

Researches show that visual materials constitute 90% of brain stimuli and visual memory constitutes two-third of the brain, so as the assimilation of knowledge as a key to the success of the education system. The most important teaching material that enriches visually the learning of the environment is the posters and brochures.

KHO spreads 50 posters containing ASRH information and 259 brochures in MAHAMA 2. The activity is done by the KHO team and volunteers.

THE BROCHURES:

These brochures contain ASRH information such as reproduction, female period, unwanted pregnancy prevention, contraceptive methods, HIV transmission and prevention by using Condom. All ASRH information here is in KIRUNDI language.

Now 259 youths in MAHAMA2 got brochures in Kirundi language that will enable them to have a clear discussion among them in groups, family as well as share with parents  and it will become a solution for new KINYARWANDA’s learners.

THE POSTERS

The posters with ASRH information and condom demonstration, distributed to youth’s corners and in health facilities in MAHAMA2, hanged inside and outside of Trust YFS (youth friendly services), hanged also at camp healthy facilities at every wall space where patients sit waiting for service. This will allow a user to receive and think privately about a message, or can spark group conversation.

3. ASRH mass mobilization using Mobile Sono.

The mobile sono is spreading information/messages by using a vehicle  moving in the community. These activities were composed by loud speakers fixed in a vehicle  moving and circulating in the camp's village, at the market, at checking and food point as well as all places where refugees gather to access daily life facilities.

The mobile sono provided the  recorded ASRH messages in KIRUNDI language for adolescent, young adults as well as for parents, the activity was done by the KHO team.

There were also two social mobilizer volunteers who were animating, sketching, discussing, commenting and responding to the recorded messages by providing facts and truth with successive examples based on real life of refugees  using microphones in their mother tongue (Kirundi language).

This activity was more important as the mobile message was targeting all people in the camp with no one excluded, it also reached to  those youths and young adults who miss the ASRH information and who are always hiding, who have no confidence to come to the youth corner and  those who fear to ask questions  related to sexuality and reproduction. It also built parent’s ability to talk to their children with possession of some important key Information.

3. KEY RESULT AND ACHIEVEMENT

distribution of ASRH materials and mass mobilization using mobile  sono and  loudspeakers with  messages that talk about prevention of unwanted pregnancies  was highly successful and at least reached 10,000  young peaple based on planned activities and achievements.

The project targeted youths and adolescents  in Mahama Camp aged 10-24 years through awareness raising events  with youth living in emergency settings, distributing brochures and posters with ASRH information,  and distributing Agaciro kanjye booklets  in the camps.

The project target was to distribute 350 Agaciro kanjye booklets and now 356 youths and adolescents have access to ASRH information.

The project target also was distributing 300  brochures and posters with ASRH information in the camp, and now 250 adolescents access brochures with ASRH information in Kirundi language and 50 posters with ASRH information and condom demonstration was  hung  in youth corners  and different sides of the health facility.

All activities done by the KHO team together with 25 volunteers and young people trained by Save the Children. These volunteers are from the camp and will continue to serve their community even after the end of the project.

4. CHANGE IN RELATION TO THE PLAN

The number of materials distributed changed slightly mostly because of the supplier of the materials.

350 Agaciro Kanjye booklets planned; 356 agaciro kanjye distributed

300 ASRH brochures (250) and posters (50) planned; 309 brochures distributed (259brochures)

5. ADDED VALUE OF THE PARTNERSHIP

Our organization was more empowered especially in terms of project implementation in emergency settings (refugees camp). Moreover, Save the Children gave us the materials (Computers and printer) and other software (quickbook) and website. This will help the organization to improve its reporting system and the visibility of the organization on line. We are thankful that Save the Children considered our organization and acknowledge that the support received will prevail even after the end of the project.

6. MAIN CHALLENGES AND LESSON LEARNED

Challenges

First of all in project implementation we faced the challenges of numbers of children who run after the  car circulating in villages using Sono for spreading ASRH  messages, some children used to  lay  down in front of the car while moving, some children tried to remove tyres air while the car was parked...

To overcome this challenge by respecting child protection  we had security and volunteers who moved around the car by moving aside children in a friendly way, to prevent any harmful or accident while the car is moving.

The second challenge was the unexpected rain,  which could stop activity for a while, when it rained, all people moved to their shelters, no one could hear messages. KHO team and volunteers were forced to extend working hours to compensate for unused time while it was raining.

The lesson learned

In project implementation, things may change, unexpected things may happen, and the environment may sometimes not be fair .

●       To be successful, you must address social challenges that create additional barriers to success for vulnerables children

Partners working with young people need to have counseling experience and psychosocial experience to provide critical support, create a nurturing and safe environment, and link youth to existing area services and support structure, finally any organization working with youth under 18 needs to adopt a child protection policy. As we were implementing the project, the trained team of volunteers helped a lot in order to get the real results

●       Adopt a comprehensive approach to respond to changes

You need to offer more than a familiar teaching way. Adolescents enjoyed the idea of putting brochures in their language, this showed that in project planning organizations need to scan environments, see the gap, come with innovation and be flexible  and find the best way to reach to beneficiaries .[MK6] 

●       We also experiencing the role of partnership by working with Save the children organization to:

-Understand motivations and objectives

-Build trust

-understand partner's language

-Develop clear agreement and be flexible

-View partnerships as a mindset not a formula