ROTARIAN ACTION GROUP FOR POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT 
20 years RFPD

For 20 years RFPD has worked for compatible sustainability, demographics and to strengthen the health care system. The following is a review of the past Rotary year.

RFPD celebrated its 20th anniversary in Frankfurt on September 3rd. - more under www.rfpd.de.

For 20 years RFPD has worked to help see that the world's population growth is reduced, and that womens rights are strengthened.  Last year alone, RFPD supported projects totaling 950,000 euros along with co-financing the implementation of other supported projects totaling at additional 97,000 Euros.  As resource in the focus area "Maternal and Child Health" RFPD is committed to the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and reducing maternal and child mortality.  As part of the human right to health and the basic requirement for a global sustainable future,  women (and men) can be sure that their children can grow well and do not die in childhood for reasons of malnutrition and inadequate hygienic conditions, therefore the  number of children will decrease. This also serves to strengthen the education of women and girls, and for intiavtives that supports RPFD particular best practice approaches that can be repeated in other places. The central aspect of this is a sustainable, in which the effect lasts even after the end of a project.

If you would like your club or district to receive information about how you can get involved, apply for membership,  or support RFPD please visit our homepage www.rfpd.de where you can get further information regarding the project numbers listed below.  

NIGERIA: "Strengthening the health system through quality assurance and family planning", project 129

The Rotary Foundation approved a global grant that RFPD initiated, supported and co-funded, for quality improvement and assurance in obstetrics. The project with a total amount of US $ 900,000, including  co-financing by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which also includes professional family planning services in the participating hospitals, beginning on June 20, 2016 and ending on June 30, 2018. This project included the health ministries of eight Nigerian states and 65 hospitals.

The Federal Minister of Health of Nigeria gave us a mandate, that the project wasto be a  part of the national health system. For its further dissemination (scaling up) and sustainability is assured. With this project we provide through broad education in community dialogues, continuous data collection and analysis, as well as bi-annual meetings at the benchmarking process for constant raising of quality standards.This complication can be met on time with appropriate interventions. The necessary knowledge transfer to professional obstetrics and competent Statistics accomplished the project after the "train-the-trainer" principle. To provide the necessary medical equipment to the health ministries have committed. By raising the quality standards in the hospitals, the high number of risky home births will decline and maternal and neonatal mortality is reduced overall. The positive results of the pilot projects and their imitation in the states of Kano, Kaduna, FCT Abuja, Ondo and Enugu had important consequences: Many hospitals, state governments and the Federal Government of Nigeria now tried to strengthen the regime established by Rotary quality state health care systems. is financed and supports of the German districts 1860, 1842, the Nigerian districts 9125, 9140, the Rotary Club Bielefeld South and Ludwigshafen-Rheinschanze, RFPD and the BMZ.

NIGERIA: "Family Planning and Microfinance" Project 122

140 to 160 women in maternal and child health, and small business are trained with this Global Grant project each year. This project is conducted by the RC Limburgerhof / Vorderpfalz, the RC Ibadan and 6 other Nigerian clubs. The selection of women carried out by the seven participating locally Rotary clubs and the communities. The organized by Rotarians trainings are held by employees of the Oyo State Ministry of Health and the microfinance institution SeedVest.

The women obtained upon successful completion of the training microcredit for the development of their own small business. The first year was successfully completed with 160 participants; the second year 140 women took part successfully in training. Currently starts the second repayment cycle. This change of training / lending / repayments to be repeated until a total of 1,000 women have been trained and have built up their own small businesses.

ETHIOPIA: "Family Planning Post Partum" Project 125

This Global Grant project supported a project that has already been successfully tested in Pakistan in Ethiopia. Here women are to be supplied with family planning information, as well as with contraceptives and counseling in the hospital after her delivery or miscarriage. For obstetricians are trained in family planning methods and emergency assistance during childbirth. In addition, student midwives are taught in these methods. The Projelt performed by RC Darmstadt and the Finot Rotary Club Addis Ababa.

SENEGAL: "Family planning, health, well construction and vegetable production", Project 115

The goal is to support existing family health services, especially in a health center in each district, in family planning. The family planning is brought close to the population, as well as the topics prevention, prevention of diseases and water hygiene. The training of medical staff and midwives and training of Senegalese in family planning carried out by the NGO INITIATIVE LOCALE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT. In addition, health examinations are carried out, improving the water supply and promoted the vegetable cultivation. the project by the district in 1860, the RC Kaiserslautern-Palatinate and the RC Mannheim-Palatinate is supported.

ETHIOPIA: "Family planning, health, education," Project 134

The Mother and Child Rehabilitation Center in Addis Ababa provides maternal and child health care, education and future prospects.

Founded by Jutta De Muynck "Mother and Child Rehabilitation Center" in Addis Ababa has been supplemented and extended by means of the Inner Wheel Club Münster Aasee, RFPD and RC Addis Ababa-Entoto. 161 children and 82 mothers find shelter here and be trained and employed. There are medical instruction in birth control and AIDS prevention. The teaching of women in reading, writing, arithmetic, sewing and embroidery has the autonomy to target and gives them the option later to earn their own living.

INDIA: "Family planning and vaccination in slums," Project 137

Nearly a quarter of India's total population lives in slums in extremely poor living conditions. To the living situation was affecting both health and hygiene as well as population-relevant in cooperation with the "German Doctors", the Rotary clubs Viersen-Schwalm-Nette, Horst aan de Maas, Kempen-Krefeld, Calcutta and Dstrikten 1870 3291, 1550 and RFPD a global grant project develops. Means vaccination of 35,000 children in the slums of Kolkata, is a trusting mood among women and families are created. Local women are trained as health funding and multipliers and social workers mobilize women to seek medical services to complete and to visit family planning courses. Educational materials will be developed and posted that them pointing the way for the use of the national health system and family planning deals for illiterate.

With the help of German Doctors women are trained as health funding and multipliers of family planning and vaccinated children in slums around Kolkata.

INDIA: "Education and hygiene for girls" project 136

The Indian district 3211 will bring in the entire state of Kerala all toilets on girls' schools to an acceptable standard. The current situation is not acceptable.Inadequate washing facility, no closed hygienically clean toilet units meant that the menstruating young women are forced to stay at home during their days, and thus forced to remain outside the classroom. The Global Grant project, which will now be effected a fundamental improvement of the situation of the Indian district of 3211, the German District 1870, the Rotary clubs Emmerich-Rees, Euregio Gronau and RFPD. The education of young women has been shown to have the greatest impact on the population development.

INDIA: "Enlightenment through theatrical performances" Project 123

Another Global Grant project brings awareness through street theater in the villages. Family planning, health issues and gender issues are central concerns here. At these shows is information - even for illiterate - distributed and posted.the project from RC Schwetzingen-Palatinate is supported, the RC Pune Riverside and the District 1860. It is performed by the award-winning organization MAHER on site.

The partner organization MAHER organized enlightening theater performances on issues of health care and equality.

INDIA: "Family planning and promotion of girls" project 143

The project "A Chance for Girls" is supported by the RC Hagen-Lenne and the Becker / Cordes Foundation and carried out locally by the internationally acclaimed organization WOTR. It is a proven concept to another in 20 villages in the district of Aurangabad (Maharashtra). Above all, the education of girls in reading, writing and health issues is paramount.

The project partner organization WOTR created vivid documentary material understandable for illiterate.
The persons and entities responsible offer on the sensitive area of ​​family planning, women discrimination and crusty village structures the necessary expertise in order to bring about sustainable changes. So in the villages self-help groups are started by women that make women more independent and provide a safety net, which increases their educational opportunities and also the desire of women promotes to have fewer children.

BRAZIL: "Enlightenment and breast milk," Project 138

Breast milk is the undisputed best and cheapest diet for babies and prevent many infectious diseases, their treatment is just the poor can not afford. The establishment of a breast milk bank in the region Indaiatuba in the local hospital allows for the collection of breast milk and reaching out to the less privileged mothers. This is an excellent opportunity to operate and health awareness, hygiene and family planning. The Global Grant project is funded by the clubs RC Gelsenkirchen-Buer, RC Indaiatuba, the districts in 1870 and 4310 and RFPD.

PHILIPPINES: "Auxiliary nurses from slums" Project 135

This Global Grant project is organized under the auspices of the RC Oberhausen and supported by 10 Rotary Clubs from 3 countries (Germany, France, Philippines) and 4 districts. With it, 60 women and girls from the slums around Manila received a vocational training as an auxiliary nurse, which also makes them multipliers of family planning. The best among them are then formed into a 4-year training for registered nurses. The fact that the women are suitable and really have the stamina, provide local partners and the RC Makati South by checking the family circumstances safely - see also: www.globalgrant.weinfellow.org .

Girl from the slums around Manila received training for auxiliary nurse and the best among them will be trained nurses.

ACADEMY

The eighth RFPD Academy took place on 20-11.22.2015 in Hamburg with various lectures and workshops on "Best Practice". They provided the participants by means of examples how successful projects can be carried out with the help of RFPD and Global Grants Rotary, Rotaract and Inner Wheel. From 11 to 11.13.2016 for Germany and Austria in Linz ninth Academy planned to be hosted by the Austrian Rotaractors. The importance of maternal and child health is to be displayed, including family planning and considered in a global context. Likewise are successful projects and the initiation of additional projects in focus - more at:rfpd.rotaract.de/rfpd-academy-in-germany .

AMBASSADOR

The information from RFPD members, attracting new members and promoting RFPD goals is enhanced by the use of RFPD ambassadors. Last year, Inner WHEEL- and Rotaract districts were for Rotary, each named those project initiatives should take shape. Each club is invited to inform authentically by the ambassador on the spot about the possibility of cooperation and mobilization of support from RFPD.

Other projects and current information about RFPD and the Rotary focal area "Health of Mother and Child" is available at  www.rfpd.de and www.maternal-health.org .
Board and Advisors RFPD, German Section