A Quarterly Newsletter from , Issue No. 21, October-December, 2017 HABARI From the Director’s Desk Our Esteemed HABARI Readers. We are excited to release our end of year newsletter Oct-December, 2017 that highlights the work of Amref Health Africa in Tanzania especially on successes, call for action and a way forward. We are fast approaching the very end of 2017 and it is a right time for us to reflect on what we have achieved and define how best we can improve for impacting the lives of communities especially those that are faced with the most pressing health needs. Achieving our vision of Lasting health change in Africa that values the wellbeing of Tanzanians and others is not something we can do alone, strengthening our strategic partnerships is one of our major building blocks. We value our partners who are contributing in making changes that reflect our vision, which is key to the community we serve. I wish to acknowledge the hard work of Amref staff, our supporters who make what we do possible and the Dr. Florence Temu community that we worked with throughout 2017 for the great working relationship and engagement. Country Director “More Midwives, For Safe Delivery” Shinyanga - Youth Reaching their On a partly rainy morning of November 4, 2017, the Vice President of The United Dreams in DREAMS Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan and Hon. Ummy Mwalimu, Amref Health Africa in Tanzania has officially launched Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, led the DREAMS Innovation Challenge “ Keeping Girls in School” over 1700 Dar es Salaam residents in Amref’s Stand up for African Mothers (SU4AM) Project that aims at reducing HIV risks among adolescent fundraising charity walk. The main objective of the walk was to raise funds for training girls by addressing both the causes and consequences of Nurse Midwives who will ultimately contribute in saving lives during pregnancy and early pregnancy, enhance community awareness on sexual child birth. The walk brought together walkers from top corporate leaders, diplomats, and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), protection of girls development partners, government officials, media houses and individuals from the and young mothers against harmful traditional practices and providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) public. education through youth friendly health services. Amref Health Africa in Tanzania has set a two-year target of collecting a total of Approximately 6,041 in school youth (2,967 Girls and 3,074 300mil in 2017 and 2018. We were pleased that by the end of the walk, 50% of the Boys aged 15-20) in 15 secondary schools in Msalala District fund raising target was collected from individuals, general public, various development in Shinyanga Region will benefit from the project. These 15 stakeholders, private sector and corporate including Bank M who was the main sponsor secondary schools have an enrollment of 2,967 adolescent and of the event. The amount raised will support the training of nurses and midwives who young women representing 40% of all enrolled students in the shall provide efficient, modern and quality care to mothers and children in Tanzania. 15 schools. Amref Health Africa would like to thank all its sponsors and everyone else who had Under the support from U.S. Department of State/PEPFAR made the Stand up for African Mothers Charity Walk for 2017 a success and would like through JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), Amref to take this special opportunity to invite individuals, development stakeholders, private Health Africa Tanzania will implement the two years DREAMS sector, corporate and the public at large to continue pledging and contribute towards project (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, this course and to take part in next 2018 Charity walk. Mentored, and Safe women)using whole school-community strategy whereby students, teachers, parents and other community leaders are engaged to ensure the project is a success and benefits youth who are the main target.

[ 1 ] A Quarterly Newsletter from Tanzania, Issue No. 21, October-December 2017

Being an area with high prevalence of maternal, neonatal and newborn deaths, Amref Health Africa is training Community Health Workers in Geita, Tanzania on issues related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health According to Tanzania Ministry of Health statistics, Tanzania’s Geita region experiences a high rate of maternal, neonatal, and newborn deaths. Community members lacking awareness and education on issues related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health are the most vulnerable. Most of the women in the region, for example, do not see the importance of giving birth at hospitals, exposing them and their children to complications, infections, and deaths. In an effort to curb maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as the deaths of newborns and children under the age of five, Amref Health Africa trained Community Health Workers (CHWs) who will contribute towards increasing access and understanding of women and men’s health rights and services in the region. Through the four-year Canada-Africa Initiative to Address Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality project, Amref Health Africa was able to conduct a 21-day (18 Sept-07 family planning.” For true progress in maternal, newborn, and child health October 2017) training for 140 CHWs on Integrated Community Maternal, Newborn and to be made, both men and women need access to CHWs who have been Child Health. Trainees were selected from their villages by their village authorities, and educated on safe maternal, newborn, and child health practices. They both were trained on specific CHW guidelines approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in need to make their own safe decisions after speaking with trained local Tanzania. health workers. Performance indicators from the CHW training document a significant increase in With their new training, the participants have already been able to knowledge and understanding of health rights and services. Before the training, selectees provide the community members with education to address their specific participated in a test on mother and child health and the lowest score was 11%. In the challenges. For example, participants went to visit Kasemwa village to post-training test, the lowest mark received by a participant was 72%. This 61% difference practice what they had learned during the training and found two key demonstrates the CHWs have a strong understanding of how men and women both have challenges: many of the pregnant women attended health clinics without roles in family and individual health decisions and practices. their [male] partners and were sent home without receiving services It was important for the trainings to be gender sensitive, but still emphasize that because of that; and when asked about family planning, community both men and women have roles and rights in family and individual health. Prochesia members said they don’t use contraception because they fear that once they Rweimbao, a CHW National Facilitator revealed: “One of the things that came out from the use it they will deliver babies with defects. During the last day of training, training is that most of the women in Geita are not the decision-makers on issues that are the CHWs committed that they will use the knowledge they have acquired related to their reproductive health; they depend on men to make such decisions, such as to reduce the maternal, neonatal and newborn mortality in their areas. Africa-Classic Event Support Health of Africans October 7-14, 2017 was an amazing week whereby Amref Health Africa Tanzania hosted a team of 105 cyclists from the Netherland who cycled 400 Kilometers around Mt. Kilimanjaro. The cycling event, organized by Amref Flying Doctors Netherlands office, is one of many fundraising initiatives seeking to address various health needs of the African communities. For the past seven years Amref Health Africa-Netherlands has been holding these bike ride events in Africa and has been able to fundraise commendable amount of funds to finance health sectors in various African countries where Amref Health Africa operates, including Kenya and Tanzania. On behalf of the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDEC) who wasrepresenting the mininister of health who has to be the Guest of Honor, Hon. Anna Mgwira-the Regional Commissioner for Kilimanjaro launched the event and acknowledged the Dutch cyclists for their loyalty and commitment to support health of Africans. “I would specifically like to thank the Dutch cyclists for the devotion and generosity in travelling all the way to Tanzania to help improve the health of the Tanzanian people. This is a wonderful partnership that brings the people of the Netherlands and Tanzania together” said Hon. Anna. For 2017, the Africa classic event raised a total of 641,003 Euros to finance some of the health projects that are implemented by Amref Health Africa in Tanzania and other Africa countries.

Hon. Anna Mgwira-RC (holding bike), 1st from left-Dr. Florence Temu- Amref TZ Country Director, 3rd Ms Lennie-Dutch Deputy Ambassador in TZ, 5th from left is Dr. Mpoki- PS, 2nd from right-Eric Van Praag-Amref TZ Advisory Chair, and other participants during the opening. [ 2 ] A Quarterly Newsletter from Tanzania, Issue No. 21, October-December 2017 Testimonies Money!- Is all that I wanted, Without Knowing how Much Pain I caused to the Innocent Girls “Money is all that I wanted, as their own parents paid me good amount that I couldn’t resist. I wouldn’t think of any other income generation activity that could have paid me what I was earning through cutting young girls who reached the age of transition to womanhood, and of course, I had no capital to start a business of my own. Luckily, through Amref Alternative Rite of Passage Ceremonies, I have learned a lot, I feel very guilty to have inflicted a lot of pain to those girls who were cut by me. I promise to share what I have learned about effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with others who are still practicing FGM and I will be an ambassador in my area. Amref, you have opened my eyes, their cries (girls) were for real and I am very sorry for that, I am touched and I will keep my promise of “CUT NO GIRL!” A testimony from Rehema Zakayo (56), from Msanja village-Kilindi District. Amref Tanzania with support of Amref Netherlands is implementing a five years project on Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in 8 wards of Kilindi district targeting 102,928 people (2012 census) The project goals contribute to the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC), empower girls to speak freely about FGC in their communities and finally, encourage cultural, religious and political leaders to embrace alternative rite of passage in place where are still practicing FGC.

Keeping Safe from FGM, Break the razor- District Commissioner (DC)

“If all cutters break the razor today, that mean Handeni is safe and no girls will be experiencing the painful cut that they have always been worried about. Their cries have so much words to explain, it is very unkind to see girls crying and the community continuing to support the harm, we must wake up and find the way of combating such harm. We are very much proud of our culture, we of course embrace our traditional practices that has been there for centuries but we need to identify and keep the one which benefit and not causing troubles especially health wise. Today, I have learned how to abolish this harm, it is only if all “Ngaribas” Cutters will break their razor and promise to become ambassadors to free Handeni from the Female Genital Cutting practices” concluded Mr. Godwin Gondwe, Handeni DC. Through Amref Health Africa Germany, Sternstunden e.v Funded ELIMISHA Project which aims at contributing towards the reduction of incidence of FGM among young girls and women of reproductive age (WRA) in five wards namely Ndolwa, Kwamagome, Konje, Segera and Malezi in , .

[ 3 ] A Quarterly Newsletter from Tanzania, Issue No. 21, October-December 2017 Photo Gallery

Some of the cycist during the 2017 Africa Classic Event in Kilimanjaro. The event was attended by Hon. Anna Mgwira-Kilimanjaro RC on behalf on the Minister for Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children and Dr. Mpoki Ulisubisya The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children.

Through the support from Amref Netherlands , ARP/WASH Project in Kilindi conducted an ARP Celebration on 28th November- 1st December, 2017, normally this is the period when innocent young girls in the Kilindi Maasai community undergo FGM as a transition of girls to womanhood. On the photo, a group of girls who have been trained by the project on ARP and awarded certificates during the ceremony.

Group photo of doctors and nurses at Nkinga Referral Hospital during a refresher training that aims at sharing hands on skills,knowledge & experience on managing obstetric fistula.

Partners from Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda & Netherlands formulating the theory of Change for the Health Systems Advocacy (HSA) Project. HSA is an advocacy project that seeks to improve health systems in various nations including Tanzania through improving the 4 WHO Building Blocks.

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