FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM ANIMATION CONTENT - Inter Aide

Inter Aide Ethiopia - 2010
FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM
ANIMATION CONTENT
This animation guide provides a frame to help the animators in their work to promote family planning in the
remote areas.
General objectives:
� inform the communities about family planning and the different
methods of contraception
� raise the communities’ awareness about the benefits of family
planning
� dispel misconceptions and fears
� guide women to contraceptive delivery services (health posts,
outreach sites and health centers )
The family planning animators facilitate the animation process with the following four steps:
I. 1 st contact: house to house visit....................................p.2
II. A 1 st group session: family planning promotion...........p.3
III. A 2 nd group session: contraceptive methods.................p.7
IV. A selective house to house visit....................................p.9
Before starting the process in a limat budun, the animators agree with the communities on a date and
schedule when and where they will implement the two education sessions.
The place is chosen according to the habit of the communities.
At the end of the animator's intervention, all women (and couples) should have received the same
information.
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STEPT 1: 1 st contact (house to house)
Recommended duration per household: 15 minutes
Objectives:
� to introduce yourself and the project
� to invite the family to the following education sessions
� to give to the family the desire to participate in the sessions
a. Present Inter Aide programs and the animator’s mission.
b. Give a brief description of the family planning:
Family planning is a method which allows you to plan when you want to have children and how many
you want to have.
c. Explain the purpose of the two education sessions you will facilitate, with the precise location and dates.
5 main situations can be encountered
���� the woman is user, already under contraceptive: invite her to share her experience in the group
session.
���� the woman is not user and don't know what family planning is: explain her briefly and invite her to
come to learn about Family planning.
���� the woman refuses to discuss about family planning, try to make her confident and to know the
reason of refusal. If she refuses to come in the group session, you can propose to visit her in the
selective house to house visit (4 th stage).
���� the woman is a former user: she stopped using contraceptive because she has some fears of sideeffects:
tell her to come in the group session in order to get more information about side effects or
beliefs.
���� the house is empty: you should remember this house and come back, all the household have to be
visited.
As much as possible, discuss also with the husbands and invite them for the first educational session.
Cross check each house you visit putting a mark on the door.
� Do not forget:
• a precise date and place for the sessions
• give a particular attention to the young women ( 16 - 25 years old )
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STEP 2: First group session about Family Planning
Recommended duration: 1h30
Recommended target group: 10 - 20 persons
Objectives:
� to know what is family planning
� to understand the advantages of family planning
� to get out false beliefs about family planning
a. First story
Recommended duration: 30 minutes
To open the discussion and ask the knowledge and beliefs of the group, the animator can use this story and
show the pictures:
“ A father and his son were planting corn. The son asked his father why the corn wasn't planted closer
together in order to obtain more per hectare. The father explained that if there is space between the plants,
they grow stronger and healthier and produce more grain. Can you see the relationship between little corn
plants and children?”
TOO CROWDED
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WELL SPACED
They do not grow well. They grow healthy and strong.

. Second story:
Recommended duration: 30 minutes
Almaz and Abebe is a young married couple. They are farmers and have already one child.
Discussion between the husband and wife
Almaz and Abebe discussion
One day Almaz asked her husband if he knew
what family planning is.
She knew some women who were using this to
have a gap between the children.
Abebe answered that he didn't know about
family planning but it was better to let God
choose when they will have children or not.
Almaz said that even in the church, they were told that it was good to use this modern method. They said
that it is good for mother and child health and for the economic situation of the family and the
communities. Abebe did not totally agree with this but accepted to go with her to the health post to get
more information.
In the Health Post
Almaz and Abebe with the Health Extension Worker (HEW)
money to buy this food.
Abebe and Almaz went to the health post and meet Emabet, the
HEW. Abebe asked the HEW, “my wife told me about this child
spacing method but what is the real benefits of this?
Emabet said that these methods allow to choose when you want
to have a child. It is better for the mother health to have some
space between pregnancies. It also gives her more time to take
care of the children and to do other things.
Abebe asked “but if she starts to take this method, can she be
pregnant afterwards?"
Emabet answered that the contraceptives do not make women
sterile. When the woman stops, she can become pregnant again
as before.
Almaz heard that when the women take the contraceptives, they
need to eat special food and she is afraid because they don't have
Emabet told her that she can eat normal food; there is no need to change the food habit. Then, she
explains them the different contraceptive methods.
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A planned family
Almaz and Abebe family
Almaz and Abebe have decided to plan their family.
After this discussion, Abebe and Almaz became confident
with family planning.
Almaz choose the method she preferred. And they decided
to have four children with four years space between each.
The older ones go to school, help their parents in the farm
and take care of the younger ones.
Almaz is in good health, she started to study again and
became a Health Extension Worker.
c. Key points to remember
10 minutes
Contraception does not make the women sterile
This woman took a contraceptive between two pregnancies.
5

Churches are in favor for family planning
Women under contraceptive do not need special food
Contraceptive is free
d. Discussion about group's understanding and conclusion
20 minutes
6

STEP 3: Second group session about "Contraceptive methods"
Recommended duration: 1h30
Recommended target group: 10 - 20 women.
Objectives:
� to know the different methods of contraceptives, how it works, advantages and
disadvantages
� to take out the fears of side effects
� to guide the women who want to the nearest contraceptive services
The animator will describe the four main contraceptive methods accessible in the health posts. Natural
methods exist but are not totally reliable. This session only focuses on the modern methods.
Depo provera: injection every three months
How it works: it stops ‘eggs’ (ovum) from being released from the
ovaries
Advantages: it is a reliable method; it is very easy to use.
Disadvantage: the woman has to remember to get a new injection
every 3 months. It takes a few months to become fertile once you stop
the injection. It can cause irregular periods and sometimes stop it,
particularly in the first months.
Pills: “medicine” to take every day
How it works: prevent the maturation of the egg so that the
fertilization cannot occur.
Advantages: prevents anemia because it reduces menstrual flow, it is a
very reliable method and is easy to use. It also reduces menstrual pain
Disadvantages: a pill must be taken everyday and can easily be
forgotten. If a woman forgets to take a pill, she must use another
contraceptive method for the rest of her cycle to prevent pregnancy.
7

Condoms: masculine preservative
How it works: prevent contact of semen and vagina.
Advantages: condoms can be bought in many places, can be used by
everybody, very reliable when used correctly. It’s the only contraceptive
method that prevents against AIDS/STIs
Disadvantages: Condoms can only be used once; it can burst if not used
correctly, it can lower sexual satisfaction.
The condoms are accessible in the Health Posts and Health Centers
freely. The Health Extension Workers can show how to use it.
Implant (if available): little stick inserted in the arm,
How it works: it stops the eggs and the efficiency of sperm (male
liquid).
Advantages: very easy to use, no risk to forget, efficient during 3 or
5 years, weight gain can occur.
Disadvantages: irregular periods or prolonged bleeding (at the
beginning), headaches, acne. Implant can be inserted at the health
post but it has to be removed at the Health Center.
At the end of this session, inform the group when and where they can find the contraceptives. Encourage
them to ask the Health Extension Worker for more information. The women body reacts differently to the
different methods: some may have side effects while others don’t. If the side-effects are not tolerated, they
should ask the Health extension to change the method.
Take a discussion time with the group.
� Do not forget
• Contraception is not dangerous for the health.
• Side-effects are not a reason to stop family planning: method can be changed.
• Contraception is free and accessible in the Health Posts, Health Centers, and in
outreach sites.
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This fourth step is dedicated to:
STEP 4: Specific family support
- Women who have shown difficulties to understand the key messages
During the session some women may show difficulties in understanding the messages, or may have been
uncomfortable with the subject. An individual contact with these women can make them more confident
and help them dispel misunderstanding.
- Women who did not attend the group sessions: with a priority for younger women
If you identified women who didn't come to the session, try to meet them in their house and to have a
discussion with them about Family Planning, to get their point of view and give them the main information.
- Young married women (as they constitute our main target group)
The young married women, as they don't have already lot of children, are the target group which
can really benefit from family planning and starting contraceptives.
- Young unmarried women
Women who are not married may also have sexual activities, even if it is not socially accepted, the
animator can't ignore it. This activity is hidden and the taking of contraceptive also. It is difficult for these
women to take contraceptive in the outreach sites or in the health posts where they are well known. In this
case, you can advice them to go in the health center, which is more anonymous, and choose a contraceptive
that is adapted to their situation such as condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and sexual
diseases.
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Inter Aide Ethiopia - 2010