Annual Report 2016
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ActionAid International The Gambia Annual Report 2016 May 2017 Contents List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………………………………….. i Section one: background information……………………………………………………………………. ii Board Chair’s reflection on 2016……………………………………………………………………………. 1 From Director’s Desk………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Section two: Key highlights……………………………………………………………………………………. 3 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Empowerment efforts……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Solidarity efforts……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Campaign efforts…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Credible and sustainable alternatives/livelihood efforts……………………………………….. 14 Organisational priorities…………………………………………………………………………………………. 18 Section three: challenges, lessons learnt and recommendations……………………….. 27 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29 Way forward……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29 Appendix 1: Audit financial statements…………………………………………………………….…… 30 Appendix 2: List of partners……………………………………………………………………………………. 34 List of Acronyms AAI ActionAid International AAITG ActionAid International The Gambia ACTIVISTA ActionAid Youth Network ADWAC Agency for the Development of Women and Children AER Agro-Ecology and Resilience CRSA Climate Resilience Sustainable Agriculture CPA Child Protection Alliance CSOs Civil Society Organisations CSP Country Strategy Paper EFSTH Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital FAWEGAM Foundation of African Women Educationists Gambia Chapter FGM Female Genital Mutilation FLAG Female Lawyers Association Gambia GBV Gender Based Violence HRBA Human Rights Based Approach LRPs Local Rights Programmes MUTAPOLA Network of Women Living with or affected by HIV&AIDS NAFS National Alliance for Food Security NDMA National Disaster Management Agency NGBV Network against Gender Based Violence OVC Orphans and Vulnerable Children PLIHIV People Living with HIV PRRP Participatory Review and Reflection Processes PRS Promoting Rights in Schools TANGO The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations i Section one Background information This report documents overall Our Values performanceMission Objective and engagements 2: To improve AAITG quality Who we work with carriedpublic educationout during for period all children 1st January in the to Mutual Respect LRPsst and enhance youth participation AAITG’s interventions are mainly 31 December 2016. It is divided into Equality and Justice threeand leadership main sections: in national Section development one implemented through partners who carry coversby 2017. relevant background information out nationwide campaignsHonesty and and Transparency policy work. including vision, Mission, our identity, In addition, AAITG Solidarity operates with 3 Local the poor,Rights Mission Objective 3: Break the cycle of theory of change, partnership model and Programmes (LRPs)powerless in The andGambia. excluded LRPs interventionspoverty and violenceareas amongst and attain others. are selected long term programme areas in economic alternatives for women and the country where Courage ActionAid of convection focuses its Section two deals with interventions implementedgirls to be in andcharge key of performance their sexual areas and work. In The Gambia, Independence the 3 LRPs are duringreproductive the year. health Under right thiss throughsection our located in the Niaminas in Central River programmejoint-action interventionsof women and and men. policy Region (CRR) and Humility` Upper Nuimi District in work in 2016 are presented under the 4 North Bank Region (NBR), covering 139 pillarsMission of ObjectiveHuman Rights 4: Contribute Base Approach to the villages. LRP 8, Niamina East District (HRBA)eradication as main of HIV&AIDS headings andnamely: Malaria by covers 47 villages; LRP 9, Upper Nuimi: 32 Empowerment,supporting the Solidarity,elimination Campaign of new and villages and LRP 11 Niamina West and Promotinginfections, Credible providing and care Sustainable and support Niamina Dankunku Districts: 60 villages. Alternatives/Livelihoods.through evidence based Also,services. in this section, we have recorded key achievements obtained under each of our six (6) Organizational Priorities: WhereHuman We Resources Work and Organizational Development (HR/OD); Institutional Governance, Child Sponsorship, Supporter Care, Communication and Fundraising, Internal Audit, Monitoring & Evaluation.. Finally, Section three highlights some key challenges encountered, lessons learnt during the year under review and the way forward. Our Vision A world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys their right to a life of dignity. Our Mission Work with poor and excluded people to eradicate poverty and injustice. Our Theory of Change (How we believe Organisational Structure change will happen) AAITG has a two-tier governance structure, ActionAid believes that ‘an end to poverty i.e. a General Assembly and a National and injustice can be achieved through Board comprising of 24 members (12 purposeful individual and collective action, female & 12 male) and 11 (6 female & 5 led by the active agency of people living in male) respectively. The day to day poverty and supported by solidarity, programming and operations of AAITG are credible rights-based alternatives and led by the Executive Director with support campaigns that address the structural of the Senior Management team (SMT). In causes and consequences of poverty.’ addition, AAITG has a staff complement of 45(18 female & 27 male). Who We Are AAITG Strategic Priorities ActionAid International The Gambia 2013-2017 (AAITG) is part of a global justice Federation working to achieve social AAITG develops a Country Strategy Paper justice, gender equality & poverty (CSP) every five years which guides its eradication. AAITG has been in existence operations. The current CSP, which is the since 1979 working throughout The fourth is entitled ‘Advancing the Agency Gambia with particular focus on Niamina of Women and Youth towards East, West and Dankunku Districts and Eradicating Poverty. The year 2016 Upper Niumi District. marks four years since the implementation of the strategy commenced and it has the Our main target groups are women, following four Mission Objectives: children and youth living in poverty and exclusion whom we concertize to be able to Mission Objective 1: Promote realize and claim their constitutional and sustainable agriculture and control over human rights from duty bears through our natural resources to improve lives and Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) livelihoods of people living in poverty namely: empowerment, campaigning and social exclusion by 2017. solidarity and creating sustainable livelihood alternatives. AAITG works with Mission Objective 2: To improve quality the above groups in ways that increase public education for all children in the their awareness of rights and fulfillment of LRPs and enhance youth participation those rights. The results of our work have and leadership in national development contributed to significant and lasting by 2017. improvements in the lives of women, children, youth and communities in our intervention areas. iii Who we work with Mission Objective 3: Break the cycle of poverty and violence and attain AAITG’s interventions are mainly economic alternatives for women and implemented through partners who carry girls to be in charge of their sexual and out nationwide campaigns and policy work. reproductive health rights through In addition, AAITG operates 3 Local Rights joint-action of women and men. Programmes (LRPs) in The Gambia. LRPs are selected long term programme areas in Mission Objective 4: Contribute to the the country where ActionAid focuses its eradication of HIV&AIDS and Malaria by work. In The Gambia, the 3 LRPs are supporting the elimination of new located in the Niaminas in Central River infections, providing care and support Region (CRR) and Upper Nuimi District in through evidence based services. North Bank Region (NBR), covering 139 villages. LRP 8, Niamina East District covers 47 villages; LRP 9, Upper Nuimi: 32 villages and LRP 11 Niamina West and Niamina Dankunku Districts: 60 villages. Where we work iv Board Chair’s reflection on 2016 shared with us prior to the AAI Annual General Meeting. When I assumed the As we roll out the new global strategy by chair in 2016, the Board unpacking it for wider understanding by experienced some our partners and other stakeholders, the challenging moments, Board will also accompany Management in but we collectively the development of the new country demonstrated strategy in 2017 for implementation come tremendous commitment 2018. in providing the requisite strategic oversight to On the national front, we continued to be Management. challenged by the continuous shrinking Our difficult moment was when half of the political space as Civil Society Board members, six hard working visionary Organizations (CSOs) using Human Rights colleagues, retired as members of the Based Approached HRBA to development in Board in line with provisions in AA’s The Gambia. I must commend the ED and constitution and governance manual. This his management team for the professional mass exodus included the former chair manner in which they managed the Amie Bensouda and Vice Chair Dominic operations of the organization during these Mendy, Baboucarr Bouy, Naffie Barry and difficult days in our political landscape. Ndey Secka-Sallah. They served selflessly with courage and humility to steer the In conclusion,