The African Development Aid Association (ADAA) in partnership with NCA works in efforts of abandoning FGM/HTPs. This project has been implemented in two Woredas namely Siraro and Shalla. However; since 2009 the project is implemented in Siraro. Community conversation is the major strategies used to implement the project in addition to establishing anti HTP clubs in 4 school, and local kebele and community awareness raising. The project is implemented in11 Kebeles.
The Siraro Woreda Women and Children Affairs office head appreciated the efforts by ADAA. As part of the government strategy the office is actively engaged on HTP abandonment in collaboration with NGOs, such as ADAA. The tendency of medicalisation FGM and clandestine practice are major challenges reported by the office.
On the 6th of August Beza Youth Health and Counseling Center (BYHCC) organized an event in Yirgalem townto sensitize the community on FGM and Fistula where the staff from NCA and the Embassy were able to attend. It was organized in collaboration with Women’s and Children affairs office, Sport and Youth office, and Idir associations in Yirgalem. The health consequences of fistula was presented by Ato Amare, from Fistula hospital; and documentary film on FGM was watched by 600 Idir members. In the past 4 months prior to this event BYHCC has been involved in series of sensitization together with the Idir association; had reached 3000 heads of households represented from 8 major Idirs. This event was the follow up of the series of mobilization; and as the result the Idir association decided in unison to include FGM in their bylaws. This was made public. The included bylaw consists of the following articles; members to commit themselves for anti FGM efforts, to report any incidence of FGM to local law enforcing bodies, follow up young girls not to be circumcised and provision of dismissal from membership if any member is found to be guilty. The bylaw was officially endorsed on the above mentioned date at Yirgalem 03 Keble Hall.
SNNPR HIV&AIDS Forum of NGOs (SHAFON) was established in 2004 by some 51 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based organizations (FBO), Community-based organizations (CBO) and PLWHA associations that operate in the region. It was originally founded under the Regional HIV&AIDS Prevention and Control Sector (RHAPCS) office in Hawassa. SHAFON was mainly established to unite and empower its members to develop a sustained collective response to the HIV&AIDS epidemic and HIV impact in SNNPR through participation, information exchange, capacity building, networking & partnership and Generation and dissemination of Researches on HIV&AIDS in the region. To date, SHAFON has 80 member organizations operation all over the region .These member organizations are International NGOs, National and local NGOS and CBOs and FBOs. It is one of the strong and pioneer networking organization next to CRDA in Ethiopia.
SHAFON organized a half-day workshop in Hawassa in collaboration with South Ethiopia Evangelical Churches Fellowship (ECFE); SHAFON and NCA on the roles of FBOs and CSOs in the overall efforts of abandoning FGM/HTPs on the 6th of August. By its conclusion the participants expressed their commitment to include anti FGM activities in their regular work.
The team visited the southern region Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia (ECFE) and Shiloh Theological College. Ato Tessema the General Secretary of the southern region, briefed the team on the overall progress of the FGM project. Currently 26 Churches are running Community Conversation in Aleta Wondo area; and 200 missionaries /students of the Shiloh Bible College have been trained on HTP/FGM. These trainees are expected to reach around 400 local churches on their 3 months field work. It has been agreed that their respective local churches will put a seal on their report paper which will help as confirmation for what they have done. The report will be used as input for future engagement of the theology college and specifically for the inclusion of HTPs in the curriculum. However; prior to the inclusion exercises, the dean of the college indicated more research to be conducted.
Finally, the team joined a weekly Edutainment program organized on “Role of Men for FGM abandonment” in Shashemene town on the 7th of August. The organizers, Tamira Reproductive Health and Development Organization /TRHaDO/ was established as “Tamira Youth Reproductive Health anti-AIDS Club” in September 21, 1997. Since then it has been engaged with wider scope of community development agenda envisioning “to see healthier & poverty free generation”. In the past 12 years, the organization has been implementing community development programs, with focus on the youth. TRHaDO has been partnering with NCA since 2001/2. It was such a lively event where close to 300 youth were having fun while being informed about the harmfulness of FGM.
Key observations:
• It is encouraging that civil society organizations and government offices are firmly committing to the effort of abandoning FGM
• There is a tendency that FGM is more practiced in urban areas where in fact some clinics are providing the service for people coming from rural areas
• Stigma and isolation remain as challenges. Even if the community declares FGM to be abandoned in public some individuals tend to uphold their practice of stigmatizing uncut girls which on several occasions is forcing girls and young women to be cut by their own initiative.
• NCA’s partnership with Ethiopian partners is commendable it is essential this is maintained in the next phase of the programme.