FAMILY PLANNING AND SAVINGS PROGRAMS: Experience of Rwanda

1
FAMILY PLANNING AND SAVINGS PROGRAMS Experience
of Rwanda
FP conference in Dakar Presented by Agnes
Mukamana
2
SAFI Economic Security and Development
Impact group Vulnerable poor women
Program Goal By 2015, 750,000 extremely poor
people, particularly women and girls (at least
70), will have achieved economic security,
exercise their rights to health, education and
influence decision-making at all levels.
3
VSL methodology

• A group of 15-25 people who save together and
  take small loans from those savings.
• The activities of the VSLA run in cycles of
  about one year, after which the accumulated
  savings and the loan profits are shared out among
  the members according to the amount they have
  saved.

4
Result Initiative

• Work with partners to establish auxiliary FP
  posts
• Strength FP outreach services
• Work with religious leaders to raise awareness
  and acceptance of FP
• Training of Change Agent, anti-GBV committees and
  peer educators to increase their capacity to
  challenge social norms and practices
• Involvement of mens support groups in
  discussions on Gender and power relations at
  household level
• Conduct staff reflection sessions to stimulate
  personal transformation and change

5
Justification of integration

• In the Mid Term Review, SAFI project has
  completed
• Gender Gaps Analysis several challenges were
  raised that could be improved through the
  integration of gender, GBV and family planning
  activities.
• The findings showed that womans economic
  empowerment alone is not enough to ensure
  wellbeing at the household level.
• Challenges related to gender issues, power
  dynamics and communication at the household level
  need be taken into account in tandem for
  sustainable economic empowerment.

6
Piloting the Integration (SAFI/RI)

• Location Gatsibo district, Eastern Province
• Target VSL was used as an entry point in order
  to increase womens access to economic
  opportunities.
• Integration FP, GBV and HIV among poor women
• Methodology Social Analysis and Action
  methodology

7
Mutual benefits

• SAFI designed to
• educate communities
• in saving and
• borrowing for
• investment in small
• economic activities,
• household income and
• asset building.

• RI is designed to increase the use of FP by
  concurrently addressing health system
  strengthening and the social and cultural
  determinants of health

8
Outcomes (FP Economy)
9
Perceived Impacts

• Household income Entrepreneurship development
  Social capital

• Large increase in assets
• Improved nutrition, access to medical services
  and education

• Increased stability of household enterprises
• Increase in number of Economic Activities

• Improved social status/social capital
• Improved intra-family relationships

10
Integration update

• In 129 VSL groups
• 2853 women and 1010 men
• Working with 129 peer educators (FP)
• 45 Change agents (VSLG)
• 30 Church Leaders
• 6 sector Anti GBV committees
• Training of 128 Peer Educators (males females)
  on GBV, FP and Male engagement.
• Training of staff in FP, Gender and use of social
  change tools (SAA tools)
• Reflection sessions with project and CO staff on
  gender norms

11
Reason of success

• Access to FP services FP post CBD
• Access to information (weekly meetings)
• Challenge of some social norms (SAA)
• Couple counseling done by trained
• religious leaders

12
Challenges

• Sustaining the integration
• Monitoring activities/supervision
• FP services for specific groups like widows and
  youth not yet in place