TARSC Annual Report 2005 - Training and Research Support Centre

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The savings methodology The savings methodology is a simple self managed micro-finance model that empowers poor people to improve their livelihood security. It rests on the premise that low income households face constraints that prevent them from engaging in economic activities, which would help build the resilience of the household safety net. In response to this affording poor households access to timely and flexible loans is identified as a means to improving economic resiliency. Developed in Niger, it has been adapted within a few countries in Africa including Zimbabwe and applies in contexts where there is limited access to capital or financial services in forms that meet the financial needs of households and limited outreach by financial services providers. While other work in TARSC such as the Community Monitoring Programme raises wider issues of access to credit, this methodology provides a means for self determination on earnings, savings and lending at a collective level, to build social ownership and enhance scale and sustainability. Hence in the context of wider structural and distributional interventions aimed at access to credit, this method strengthens community cohesion across groups that build shared savings. The approach, carried out with CWGH in 2005, aims to build understanding of and capacities in the method within organisations that have outreach, so that they are able to identify the most appropriate application and to deliver the methodology on their own. This involve exposure trips; one week training of staff in the methodology using participatory approaches, supported and mentored training of community groups. The organisations once trained take forward the follow up community activities. TARSC was involved in developing the facilitators skills and materials for the first civic education programme on health for the CWGH in 1998. We were approached in 2005 by CWGH to support their updating the programme of training and to develop new materials to reflect the new needs of the programme. To take this forward, TARSC in cooperation with CWGH, undertook an evaluation of the CWGH Civic Health Education Programme. The evaluation was implemented by Rene Loewenson, Elizabeth Shoko and Barbara Kaim (TARSC) and Itai Rusike and Linda Mashingaidze (CWGH). The evaluation carried out key informant interviews with CWGH at all levels, with Ministry of health and other health providers and with other CWGH partners. The evaluation report was completed in August 2006. In terms of past performance the programme was judged to have generally had a positive impact and broadly achieved its major objectives. The findings highlighted the strengths of the programme, including the ownership of the programme especially at district level, good use of participatory methodologies, approaches and content that address organizational issues and goals of CWGH, amonst others. In terms of weaknesses, interviewees pointed to the need to update the material, to provide better ongoing support to facilitators, and to better orient materials to needs of community levels and national level CWGH (as distinct to district levels). The evaluation report was tabled at a meeting of the CWGH Information and Research Committee who endorsed the findings and recommended cooperation with TARSC in 2006 for the development of the updated programme and material using the findings. A programme is being developed with CWGH for this. TARSC and CWGH are also working with the network of health civil society in EQUINET and the Health civil society network in East and Southern Africa, particularly Malawi Health Equity network, HEPS Uganda and TANGO Tanzania to share and further develop health literacy programmes in the region. This will draw from the priorities expressed by EQUINET and the health civil society network for a national, people centred health system. This work will also be taken forward in 2006. 14
In 2004 EQUINET through the Southern and East African Trade and Investment Negotiation Institute (SEATINI) initiated a programme of work to analyse trade agreements relevant to public health (particularly GATS, TRIPS and agreements relating to food security) and raised policy dialogue on these at state, parliamentary, SADC and civil society forums. This work is being used in 2005 to pilot a capacity building programme and training materials on trade and investment and health systems for countries in southern and East Africa, involving also the Centre for Health Policy (South Africa) and with support from the EQUINET secretariat at TARSC. The training provides capacities for national assessments of trade and investment policies for their impact on commercialisation of health systems to identify areas for policy, research and negotiation. The programme was initiated with the development of training materials by SEATINI, CHP and TARSC. The materials covered an introduction to trade and health systems, issues related to the commercialization of health systems, an introduction to the world Trade Organisation and the GATS and TRIPS agreements, and sections on policy analysis and a framework for auditing health and trade links at country level. The draft materials were peer reviewed and redrafted to be pilot tested in the workshops. Workshops were held in Tanzania and Zimbabwe using the materials and research implemented arising out of the training. TARSC has assisted in this follow up and in the regional workshop that reviewed the research and programme. CHP, SEATINI and TARSC are currently reviewing the training materials for final edit, publication and printing by EQUINET. An overall goal for the work is have a pool of skills with similar perspective on equity contributing to national policies on trade and health. In 2005 TARSC, through Naira Khan and Rene Loewenson worked with SANASO and SADC to provide guidelines on HIV and AIDS stigma reduction strategies for use by non-governmental organizations and the communities that they work with. The guidelines cover four thematic areas: Stigma and the family; in faith based organizations; in the workplace; and in the media. The guidelines were reviewed by a meeting of organisations working in these sectors convened by SANASO and by the SADC regional meeting of National AIDS Councils in Lesotho November 2005 and finalized with inputs from these meetings. In 2004, in response to expressed demand, TARSC established a co-operation with the University of Zimbabwe Medical School to fill a gap in the provision of short course training to certificate level in areas of public health and health systems aimed at strengthening capabilities of field practitioners in public sector and civil society institutions working at district level. Such programmes are not unusual- ‘summer school’ public health training is offered through a number of institutions including in South Africa, Australia and Europe. The two institutions jointly piloted short course training in public health from 11-16 July 2005 at the College of Health Sciences, DCM Health Sciences building. TARSC personnel involved in planning, organizing and acting as resource people for the course included Innocent Chingombe, Rene Loewenson, Zvikie Mlambo and Godfrey Musuka, with lecture input from Barbara Kaim. A student on attachment to CWGH, A Makone also assisted in the course. The focal point from UZ were Professor Godfrey Woelk, Dr Chirenda and J January. The structure and content of the course was based on the findings from a needs and capacity assessment carried out by the two institutions to assess the training needs of the people at district level. The assessment indicated areas that people working at district level in Zimbabwe wanted included in short course training and the course was designed to respond to these priority needs. The course thus covered the following areas of public health and health systems: • Principles of public health and epidemiology • Major public health issues, including HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria, nutrition • Elements of health systems, health financing, essential drug supplies and human resources for health • Zimbabwe’s health services at national, district and primary health care level • Community and non-health sector roles in health. TARSC ANNUAL REPORT 2005 15
Page 3 and 4: Training and Research Support Centr
Page 5 and 6: 1. ABOUT US Training and Research S
Page 7 and 8: Our work is documented in a range o
Page 9 and 10: Community based research on the cos
Page 11 and 12: EQUINET through CHESSORE and TARSC
Page 13: 2.2: Capacity building activities a
Page 17 and 18: Portuguese in cooperation with orga
Page 19 and 20: 2.3: Information resources Our info

TARSC Annual Report 2005 - Training and Research Support Centre

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?