final report “improving health through education and awareness...

Final Report “Improving Health through

Education and awareness raising” in Wolaitta,

Ethiopia and beyond.

Implementer: Wolaitta Development Association (WoDA)

Funder: ISOB Foundation in Amsterdam

June 2015, Wolaitta Soddo

Nutrition

Boarding School

Sanitation and Hygiene

Population and Health

Contents

Acronyms

Foreword about the origins of this Project

Part I. Health Education and awareness on disease prevention. About WoDA, implementer of the project

Five thematic areas of WoDA

Health issues in the region, in particular relevant to poor mothers and children in Wolaitta

Health Education and awareness raising activities

A weekly Radio Program

Scope of the Radio Program

Expected results of Health Education

Part II. Health services at Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School About Wolaitta Liqa School

Health issues of the students

Provisioning of health services to create a healthy learning environment

Budget available and how it is spent

Funders / Donators

Spending of funds

Contact Information in Ethiopia

Contact Information in the Netherlands

------------------------

Acronyms

AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

HIV: Human Immune Deficiency Virus

NGO: Non-Government Organization

OVS: Orphan and Vulnerable Students

SNNPR: Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region

STD: Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

WoDA: Wolaitta Development Association

Foreword about the origins of this Project

Hereby the ISOB Foundation presents you the Final Project Report about the spending of funds

originally raised for a Mother and Childcare Centre in Boditti town, SNNPRS in Ethiopia.

From 2010 until 2012 we raised a total of € 32,104.- among funding organizations and

individuals in the Netherlands, but the amount required for Wolaitta Development Association

(WoDA) to build the Center was beyond our capacity. Various alternatives have been discussed

with WoDA and with our funders. Then the unexpected loss of our chairman Zelleke Ayde,

initiator of this project, caused a long interval between September 2012 and the end of 2013.

Wonderful news – a hospital is built in Boditti.

Our hard work for the project and the loss of Zelleke has without doubt pushed the regional

government to act. In 2013 we were very happy to hear the news about their plan to build a

hospital in Boditti on the area originally reserved for the Boditti Mother and Childcare Center.

Amazingly, when I visited the region in June 2015, the hospital was ready.

Although not with our funds,

Zelleke’s dream has come true.

It is a comforting thought for all

who have contributed time and

money to the project.

In the meantime, in cooperation with WoDA, we continued our search for an alternative use of

the € 32,104.- fund. WoDA stressed the need for activities concerning disease prevention

through awareness raising programs about health issues. WoDA also suggested using part of the

fund for the Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School that provides, among others, a safe and healthy

learning environment for boys and girls in the school.

Based on research WoDA proposed to use the funds on the next two main activities:

Part I: Health Education and awareness raising on disease prevention among the people

in Wolaitta region and beyond.

Part II: Health services at Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School

ISOB Foundation agreed on WoDA’s proposal and hence we are happy to offer you this Final

Report.

Anneke Sontrop, (Treasurer) Board Isob Foundation

Boditti Hospital, June 2015

Final Report “Improving Health through Education and awareness raising” in Wolaitta, Ethiopia and beyond.

Page 1

Part I. Health Education and awareness on disease prevention.

About WoDA, implementer of the project

Wolaitta Development Association (WODA) is a local, non-profit membership based

Organization, working at twelve rural districts and three town

administrations of Wolaitta Zone since 2000 G.C. The organization has

accomplished numerous projects while working with different national

and international organizations. Besides implementing smaller projects it

is working on international development programs targeting MDGs i.e.

eradicating extreme hunger and poverty with donations of, among others,

the European Union. It has over 400,000 members, who contribute in

cash and kind to ensure the sustainable and impact pin pointed development programs.

Five thematic areas of WoDA

1. Promoting integrated interventions on population and health, more of Sexual Reproductive

Health (RH), Family Planning (FP), reducing maternal and child mortality, targeting

HIV/AIDS, rehabilitating fistula cases, provision of medical equipment for health

institutions, Community based rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities including

medications.

2. Provision of quality education and access (provision of Scholarships for orphans and

vulnerable children at Wolaitta Liqa School and in Universities).

3. Construction of Schools, dry pit latrines, provision of school desks, Blackboards,

Computers, reference books…etc).

4. Ecological based Agriculture and Environment Protection (livelihood security programs,

income generation Activities, promoting and Supporting diversification and

commercialization of farming activities, conducting researches on farming mechanisms).

5. Resource mobilization and business development activities.

Health issues in the region, in particular relevant to poor mothers and

children in Wolaitta

Rural people in Wolaittta zone face multiple challenges in their life including consequent food

insecurity, lack of potable drinking water, poor sanitation, poor housing conditions and

inadequate access to health care services, particularly in times of emergency.

Common poverty-related diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis childhood illnesses and

HIV/AIDS continue to cut short the lives of the people.


Page 2

Sub-standard sanitary conditions, nutritional deficiencies, harmful health practices and so forth

are causes of the poor health condition of the population.

Health Education and awareness raising activities

Global studies indicate that the major determinants of health are people’s knowledge about

health, their health-related beliefs, attitudes and practices and the desire they have to bring about

positive behavioral changes in their lives.

Access to medical information and awareness of the risks involved in motherhood can bring the

high maternal mortality rate ( 676 mothers/ 100.000) down and much of the under five deaths

(89 out of 1000 live births) and infant mortality (63 out of 1000) can be prevented.

Hence Health Education is the best way to positively change people’s beliefs and practices in a

way that will help them to control many of the health problems in their communities. Health

education and awareness on prevention of water borne diseases and disease caused by poor

hygiene will improve the health status of the rural people and the mothers and children in

particular.

Part I of this project: “Health Education and awareness raising on disease prevention among

the people in Wolaitta region and beyond” focuses on the next topics:

Environmental protection, Sanitation, Reproductive Health, Keeping Stream Water Lively,

Getting rid of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Family planning and Population Growth.

Wolaitta population is more than 2 million and WoDA decided that the most effective means of

reaching the community and involving them in health issues is the radio.

A weekly Radio Program

WoDA made an agreement with FANA radio broadcasting to have a program for half an hour

per week; FM 99.1. The Radio program is being transmitted every Sunday from 7:00 -7:30.

Every week, the programs deals with different topics that can best meet the prevention methods

the community badly needs.

Scope of the Radio Program

The program is in Amharic. 80% of the population can understand the

language. The program reaches about 800.000 listeners. Beside

Wolaitta it also covers Hadiya, Sidama Zone and Gamo Gofa.


Page 3

Contents of the Radio Program

Program 1: - Week 1

Program about “the concept of Reproductive Health”. The ways of understanding of the people

about Reproductive Health, being free from Sexually Transmitted Disease may not suffice to

understand RH. It is quite necessary to address the community to care about Reproductive

Health and Sexually Transmitted Disease and the mechanisms of dissemination.

Program 2:- Week 2

The community listening to the radio program made Community Conversation how to tackle the

health problems in advance.

Program 3:- Week 3

Interview with Community Members who attended the radio programs in relation with health

cases, environment protection, population harms and the changes they have brought during the

program implementation.

Program 4:- Week 4

Community contribution in reserving the degraded land and keeping their own hygiene and

sanitation. Really this is amazing because the drastic change is that the community understands

not only the health issues but also is acquainted with planting trees and keeping water streams

lively.

Program 5:- Week 5

Week 5 deals with the hot issues of the outcome of population growth vs. economic

development. In the program, it is underlined that the outcome of population growth could

hamper the growth of a country. So, it needs great care and high intervention to curb this

situation.

Program 6:- Week 6

Week 6 deals with environmental sanitation, mothers’ health care and infants’ health. And in the

program some elderly people are involved in discussion to indicate the ways how to cope with

maternal and infant problems.

Similarly other programs are being transmitted on weekly basis. Social, emotional or psycho-

logical problems are also issues that will be discussed on the radio.

Expected results of Health Education

With these interventions WoDA will improve awareness about good health habits and reduce

health threatening behavior. It will save the lives of many mothers and their young children. The

activities will reach + 1 million inhabitants and it will improve the overall health situation in the

region considerable.


Page 4

The Sexual education program teaches good behavior to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Anti-

conception materials and medication are now available and accepted among the young people.

The older people say “for us it is too late, you should teach our youngsters”. The local protestant

church now supports issues such as the prevention and/or treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Environment protection is linked with family

planning. Care for trees and plants. If environment

is destroyed, than the result is climate change,

erosions, loss of arable land, diseases.

Malaria education on how it is transmitted and

how it can be prevented will result in less malaria

Hygiene and sanitation education focuses on

communicable diseases and how to prevent

infections by improving sanitation habits, washing

of hands (soap or if not available ashes), risks of

infections, clean toilets, resistance, STDs, TB.

Malnutrition will focus on eating habits and

signs of malnutrition and nutritional values

of local foods. The main result will be

healthier mothers and children and people in

general.

Prevention of injuries: burns, abrasions, sprained ankle etc. the program also teaches how to

prevent accidents during cooking.

These two children have severe

burns from cooking accidents.


Page 5

Part II. Health services at Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School

About Wolaitta Liqa School

Wolaitta Liqa School was established in 2007 by WoDA with the aim to provide quality

education to talented and motivated students in Wolaitta zone. This need was recognized by the

Educational Bureau of SNNPR. Liqa School provides primary 2nd

cycle (5th

– 7th) and secondary

school education (9th and 12

th). In 2013/14 academic year Wolaitta Liqa School prepared 76

grade 12 students to take Ethiopian higher education entrance examination. Amazingly the

school achieved incredible result which made it the first at national level.

Wolaitta Liqa School has 585 students enrolled of which 253 are

Orphan and Vulnerable Students (OVS), who are identified to fail

fulfillment of their basic needs. Wolaitta Development Association

(WoDA) offers the student full boarding services in collaboration with

various partners like Churches, Charitable individuals,

Government organizations and NGOs such as ISOB Foundation,

who sponsors 22 of the OVS students (14 girls and 8 boys).

Health issues of the students

Students regularly suffer from the most common diseases in the area, such as malaria, water

borne diseases and typhoid fever. Students much need counseling services in HIV/AIDS, sexual

reproductive health related issues, STDs and others. Since half of the students are OVS they are

in need of financial and psychological support and health services, provided by the school.

Provisioning of health services to create a healthy learning environment

The creation of a save and healthy learning environment at Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School will

improve the health status of all students. This will be done through:

Education on health issues to all 585 students (158 female).

Awareness raising regarding eating habits, hygiene and

sanitation, sexual education, STDs, pregnancy, HIV, TB

and other communicable diseases.

Counseling and advice in social, emotional and

psychological issues.

Monitoring timely vaccination and regular health checks.

Basic support with minor injuries, burns, abrasions, sprained ankle, etc. (first aid before

referral to a hospital or doctor)

Health services are delivered by the school as part of the overall boarding services that WoDA

provides, such as dormitory services, meals, provisioning of school materials, uniforms and

other basic necessities to the 253 Orphan and Vulnerable Students (OVS) in the school.


Page 6

Budget available and how it is spent

ISOB Foundation originally collected funds for the Mother and Childcare Center. Different

funders and individual sympathizers in the Netherlands provided these funds:

Funders / Donators Date/Month Donation (€)

Weeshuis der Doopsgezinden Nov-10 9250

Donke-Grote Stichting Dec-10 2124

Stichting Pieter REGOUT Dec-10 4213

Individuele bijdragen 2010: (W. Bos (25), M. Scholts (100), Roumen

specialist(150), C. Starke(100), Ida Ida (50), Buitenhuis(76,65) Heel 2010 502

Stichting Pieter REGOUT (2e donation) Dec-11 4900

Stichting. Goed Werk Uitzendbureau Dec-11 250

Individuele bijdragen 2011: Soroptomisten (50), C. Jansen (560), F.

Jansen (200), Studievrienden Jugo Papemaal (60) Heel 2011 870

Vastenactie GEBR LESKIOT ETHIOPIE Mei-2012 100

RAZORG (500) Mei-2012 500

Toastmasters club Amsterdam Juli-2012 225

Soroptomisten West Betuwe (Benefit Concert) Sep-12 3300

Share4More (RABO) Sep-12 5000

Individuele bijdragen 2012: F. Jansen (100), H. Mathon (135), Despoina

(25) 2012 260

Diaconie Protestantse gemeente, Monnickendam sept 500

Individuele donaties 2013 ( H Mathon 50), Zeinab (60) 2013 110

Total available for the Health Project € 32,104

Spending of funds Period Amount

Preliminary costs of research and the design of this and former project proposals 2010-15 € 3,852

Fana Radio program for a year (all costs included) 2015 € 15,410

Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School Health service (40% of total budget) 2015-16 € 12,842

Total € 32,104

Explanation: Costs of FANA Air services, every Sunday 30 minutes: + 3000 ETB (140 euro)

per broadcast. For one year (52 broadcasts) the cost is € 7,280.-

Additionally radio staff is paid for their broadcasting work and a script writer is paid for the

content of the program and the interviews held with local people. On these interviews

exemplary persons tell their stories about bad habits and what gains they will get after changing

their habit. WoDA staff is paid for their efforts to investigate the problems and design the

contents of the different programs.

40% of the available budget is spent on Health Services at Wolaitta Liqa Boarding School.


Page 7

Some of Wolaitta Liqa School students, who are beneficiaries of the Health services.

Contact Information in Ethiopia

WoDA Organizational Contact: M/r Altaye Ayele, Executive Director

Phone: (Office) +251-465-512188

Mobile +251-916-582 355 / (0)911 335 053

E-mail + website : [email protected] http://wolaittada.org/

Program Contact: M/r Robel Orsango, Program Director

Phone: (Office) +251-465-515310

Mobile +251-916-397966/916-350709

Email: [email protected]/ [email protected]

Wolaitta Liqa School Contact: M/r Yohannes Lencha, Manager

Mobile: +251-091 323 31 88

Email: [email protected]

Contact Information in the Netherlands

ISOB Foundation Contact: Anneke Sontrop, treasurer

Mobile: 06 51299226

Email + website: [email protected] www.isobfoundation.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://wolaittada.org/

mailto:[email protected]/




http://www.isobfoundation.org/

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