TECHNICAL PROJECT REPORT
I. - Project Data
Executed by: CARE International in BoliviaResponsible: Roxana Chulver Vargas /Education Sector Manager
Project Title: Adolescents as Leaders in Strengthening Sexual And Reproductive Health and Masculinities
Project Number: BOL – 091
Period: Nov 2007-Nov 2008 / Period of Report
FROM:
November 2007 / TO:
December 2008
Donors: Phanaphill Foundation $ 25.000, Operative amount $ 22,500
Basic Girls Education Unit $ 100.000.-
II.- Project Description
Background
CARE has been working in Potosí for over 10 years with social projects directed at children, adolescents, and young miners. This experience has allowed us to develop relationships with the communities, municipal and educational authorities, and other partners. Therefore, this initiative is being executed in the mining districts of the department of Potosí where 58% of the population lives in extreme poverty. The main economic activity here is mining; and in this area, in addition to many other poverty-related problems, child exploitation, domestic violence and woman discrimination are part of the social issues.
Adolescents as Leaders in Strengthening Sexual and Reproductive Health and Masculinities project have begun its activities on November 2007, as for the preparation and information issues.
Due to the fact that schools closes for its summer vacation from December to February, the activities with the target population started by the end of February 2008.
With funding from PAL (BGE) and Phanaphill, CARE in Bolivia, administrate the project as an entire initiative, envisioning a wider strategic implementation as well as financial resources management. The project has been implementing actions to help solve problems in the community and especially among adolescents relating to information and knowledge on sexual and reproductive health. Activities directed to students, teachers, and parents at ten public schools in the Potosi mining districts (as well as the Eduardo Abaroa, Teacher Training Institute) have focused on personal, social and leadership skills; sexual and reproductive rights; and gender violence and masculinities.
III. Context in Which the Project develops
Bolivia is a country that is in constant political conflict due to a division of provinces that do reconognize the national government and others that do not and promote their autonomy. Just on February 2009, the nation has approved the New Political Constitution of Bolivia, even thought this does not have general approval due to the opposition. The social environment in terms of local and national authorities has been frequently experimenting changes and instability. As per of the project life two Ministries of Education have been changed and consequently operative directions have been changed At the local level, where CARE is working at this period of time, things are a bit quite and workable.
The Ministry of Education is in the process of preparing a new curriculum that integrates cultural learning. However, there is a weakness regarding sexual and reproductive health in that, although it is considered a cross theme, the teachers are not trained to teach these parts of the curriculum. Therefore, the project has been very important in terms of contributing to the educational system and its actors, to introduce SSR under the local curricula in the mining Districts of Potosi.
In the health sector, we’ve seen that priority is being given to policies regarding services for adolescents; however, the plan for adolescent healthcare is currently under review and as of yet no concrete actions has been implemented.
IV. Advance in the implementation of the Project. Include qualitative and/or quantitative outcomes)
During this first year of project implementation, the following activities have been carried out according to the Annual Operative Working Plan:
· At the beginning of the school year, agreements to carry out activities in a coordinated manner and provide continuity to CARE actions were signed with 10 schools.
· At the beginning of June 08, in order to disseminate the themes, a project start-up workshop was held in which authorities, directors, teachers, the INSEA Institute for Higher Learning for Teachers, and the project schools participated, as did institutions such as the Red Cross, the Departmental Health Service (SEDES), and the media.
· During the year the CARE technical team in Potosí has provided consultations on education, educational materials, teacher training, and institutional relationships that strengthen advances made in this initiative.
· Dissemination of the Baseline Report on the SRH and Masculinities knowledge, attitudes, and practices pre-test, took place on July 2008. The report allowed the local authorities, teachers and students to know that is the situation of adolescents in regard to the mentioned issues.
· Also, an agreement was signed with the Eduardo Abaroa Teacher Training Institute in Potosí and with institutions such as the Red Cross, Healthcare Services, Educational Services, and the Non-Violence Network. The Teacher Training Institute also participates incorporating SRH and masculinities within its target students.
· Workshops on project scope with CARE partners and allies, mainly in the communities.
· Under the collaboration of a group of consultants, nine training workshops were held for teachers, students at the teacher training institutes, and student leaders at the 10 schools. The first three workshops were on strengthening social skills, the next three involved sexual and reproductive health, and the last three were on gender equity and masculinities.
· The group of consultants and CARE staff also produced three modules or training texts (social skills, sexual and reproductive health, and gender equity and masculinities)
· Preparation of three booklets for students with interactive activities that allow them to reflect upon their attitudes, behaviors, and rights, based on the workshops themes.
V. Description by strategic action lines
a. Strengthening of skills, abilities and knowledge (adolescents, teachers, health, parents, family and community members.)The project has invested the greatest percentage of its time and resources in activities with adolescents in the target mining districts. The following actions were taken:
· A baseline study was designed and conducted, with a report produced on the results. This diagnostic allowed us to learn about the attitudes and practices of teachers, students and parents on issues such as Sexual and Reproductive Health, Masculinities, and the prevention of Gender Violence. Among the findings is that: 59% of those interviewed do not know how to prevent pregnancy; 94% do not know how to prevent STDs, and that generally levels of knowledge about SRH and M are low. All of this data is important for the project and for health and education authorities.
· A report was prepared by a consultant on knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Masculinities, and the Prevention of Gender Violence and it was given out to the students.
· 10 schools, with approximately 1400 students between the ages of 13 and 17, have been made aware of the importance of sexual education and incorporating masculinities and non-violence into the school curriculum, and carried out activities proposed by the CARE technical personnel on personal and social skills for decision making, sexual and reproductive rights, and recognition and self-valuation of their bodies.
· Workshops were conducted for approximately 60 teachers and over 100 students in their last semester at the Teacher Training Institute.
· In conjunction with contracted consultants, the technical team prepared educational materials such as booklets and games, to ensure the students have information on themes such as sexual and reproductive rights in a simple, easily understood format.
· The project concluded with an Educational Fair in the public plaza of the city of Potosí with the participation of authorities, the educational communities, and other partners.
b. Mobilization and Communications
Participation by the community (including parents, authorities, and civil society organizations) is very important for project sustainability; therefore CARE has worked on disseminating adolescent sexuality themes in various forms and activities within the community.
· The EDUSEX project start-up workshop was a success as authorities from INSEA, SEDUCA, SEDES, the mayor’s office of Potosi, the Red Cross, and the directors and teachers of all the institutions involved participated, and the local media covered it on television and radio.
· Meetings were held with INSEA, SEDES, SEDUCA, the Red Cross, CIES, the Municipal Government of Potosí, and the Secretary of Social Development of the Prefecture of Potosí, to make them aware of the importance of SRH and Masculinities themes and motivate them to work together to advocate for these themes to be incorporated into the school curriculum.
· The mothers and fathers are an important part of training as they participate in various project activities such as fairs and encounters.
· Meetings have been held with the school directors at CARE’s offices in Potosí to coordinate joint activities to benefit the students.
· During these meetings we also evaluated the participants of the 1st Workshop on Social Skills for Life, analyzing their capacities to transmit knowledge, interact with other people, and their leadership skills. We observed that some students were not mature enough to take on sexuality themes; therefore it was suggested they be replaced during the second workshop.
· From the comments made at these evaluation meetings we can verify that the students believe it is very necessary to take on sexuality themes at the ages of 12 and 13, and that the education system needs to support their learning on these themes. They recognized the contributions made by CARE Bolivia to students and teachers.
· The students also requested that the workshop timeframes be increased (even though each module already covered 15 hours per week).
· The teachers stated their satisfaction with the workshops which allow them to follow-up by replicating the process with their students.
· They believe the educational fair will be an evaluation of the work done by the teachers and students.
· The parents and students are satisfied with the information we are providing.
· They believe what is being learned has helped adolescents to understand the risks of early pregnancy, sexual relationships and their consequences, sexually transmitted diseases, and mainly their rights, which they previously did not know.
· We coordinated with the General Academic Director of the INSEA and its teachers to strengthen courses by including skills for guiding students in Sexual and Reproductive Health themes.
· The project has a database of the entire population participating in the project. There are 1375 adolescents, of whom 677 are men and 698 are women
· Regarding advances made in masculinities, we must still deepen comprehension and improve attitudes around male and female roles. Bolivia, and Potosí in particular, is a chauvinist society and cultural customs have not contributed to fair development that favors equality of conditions and opportunities for men and women. The project has seen the need to work on masculinity under a different focus, as actor and promoter of healthy lifestyles.
· The project is monitored by the Education Manager through visits to Potosí to verify the execution of project activities. Likewise, the Edusex technical team in Potosí travels to La Paz to take part in workshops, deliver reports, and plan project activities.
c. Sharing Knowledge, Experiences and Lessons Learned with the Region
This project, supported by funding from the BGE Education Unit at CARE USA, has developed a plan to compile knowledge and learning on masculinities and sexual health in Peru and Bolivia. In April 2009 we foresee exchanging findings in order to develop strategies to improve services for adolescents regarding their need for sexual and reproductive healthcare and education.
d. Interinstitutional Coordination
In the area of intervention of Potosi, CARE is a well-known organization which allows it to develop and maintain good relationships with institutions and civil society. Throughout the life of the project we have strengthened our relationship with the Municipal Education Commission on Childhood and Adolescence. The project also established interaction with some of the local organizations that have experience on working with themes of Sexual and Reproductive Health, such us CIES; which is a Bolivian organization that works closely to the Ministry of Health and has SSR differenced services focused on Adolescents.
Recommendations and Next Steps: Even though the actions undertaken by the project have ensured sustainability with the school system, local authorities of Education and Health. CARE considers it important to continue supporting the adolescent and youth population with these educational themes. Therefore, funds from the same donor or other are very valuable.
During the next and last semester of the project, the key actions are going to be concentrated in developing knowledge and reflection on masculinities, for this purpose the project is hiring a new technical assistant who will develop this component in a widely manner thought all the target population as well as will help to understand this concept among CARE.
Vi. Challenges and/or difficulties faced and solutions
Challenges and/ or difficulties / Solution Actions- Project stating date is November 2007, just at the time that schools closed for summer vacation. This delays activities with target population on two months.
-Frequently changes on the local and national authorities interrupted the advocacy plans on to introduce SSR and masculinities on the curricula.
- Given all the advances on masculinities,
- / Project makes all the necessary contacts and preparations until the next school year. Key operative activities were double during the first semester of the project life in order to meet the planning.
The project has started to work directly with the Schools Directors and the Institute of Teacher train to raise awareness on the importance to consider these themes under the school curricula.
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