In the year 2020, RPC has managed the implementation of two projects with the aims to reduce Gender Based Violence (GBV)and Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Poor (SLOUP) with the vitalgoal of women empowerment. While the GBV project implementation is undertaking in Adama town, SLOUP is under implementation in Addis Ababa, Yeka sub city, Woreda 10 & 14. SLOUP project is funded by ERIKS Development Partner of Sweden whereas the GBV project is funded by British Council along with distinguished Embassies. The projects have targeted to reach 3400 women organized under SHG approach along with 7000 family and community members.
In the year 2020, women organized under SHG approach comprising of 1402 members have been capacitated with human right, advocacy and lobby, communication, leadership, resource mobilization and related concepts to enable them become self-reliant peoples’ institution that can fight against GBV in Adama town and surrounding Kebeles. As a result, the organized women have conducted a number of consultation and dialogue sessions with government bodies, community conversations, awareness creation events and campaigns on GBV and women right. They are challenging existing stereotypes with regard to harmful traditional practices.
On the other hand, due to implementation of SLOUP project in Addis Ababa, 1,815 destitute women in the fringe area of Yeka Mountain have been organized under 101 SHGs. These women have been capacitated with SHG concept, record management, leadership and communication, financial literacy and basic business skill training along with practical experience sharing from strong groups. As a result, these women have mobilized 817,344.00ETB weekly savings and managed loan revolving of 1,073,291.00 ETB. They are able to manage a group capital amount of 1,504,523.00ETB. In the reporting year, because of the global pandemic, the project has supported 537,300.00ETBto enhance the shock-absorbing capacity of vulnerable women. The loan service has helped most of the destitute women to engage on petty businesses and improve their livelihood condition plus absorb COVID-19 pandemic shock.
RPC has continued implementation of education projects intended in the year 2020. Although the year was challenging for education sector due to the global pandemic, RPC has strived to cope up with the situation to keep the students in touch with their education using several techniques.
In collaboration with Mennonite central Committee, the full-fledged preschool education project has maintained 250 OVCs to attend their school in the academic year take exams through correspondence and pass to the next grades as per the guidance given by Ministry of Education.
Similarly, in partnership with ERIKS Development Partner,8 Early Childhood Centers attached to primary schools have been addressed where 876 OVCs (456 boys, 420 girls) got access to quality inclusive preschool education. Likewise, the attached 7 primary schools those enrolled 21,168 students (9,437 boys, 11,731 girls) have got supports to create awareness on inclusive education and school environment conducive to children with disability.
With financial support of Children Aid Now, RPC has succeeded the support of 150 OVCs with educational materials and medical supports. Because of this project, the OVCs have continued their school without interruption and some of them have passed to secondary schools. Besides, to ensure sustainability of the intervention, the parents/guardians of the OVCs have been engaging on income generating businesses and now organized under nine Self-Help Groups where they are getting continuous technical support on self-awareness, business skill, attitudinal change and self-reliance methodologies.
The year 2020 was a very challenging year for humanity in 21st century. COVID-19 pandemic has hit all economic, social, political and overall living of people entire world. For organization like RPC, those depend on the funding from Northern and Western countries; the challenge was multi-faceted since most donors were forced to cut down their budgets. Moreover, the pandemic is a fast spreading virus across the globe and our nation Ethiopia was also forced to put restrictions on the overall mobility of people and shutdown services for slightly few months. However, the effect was critically serious on the destitute section of the community where RPC targeted to serve.
In the midst of this condition, RPC was fortunate to respond to the crisis by the financial supports of existing and new donors. RPC’s existing three donors namely MCC, ERIKS and CAN have been supporting the community with COVID-19 prevention materials and food items to cope up with the shock and sustain life. One new donor namely Austria Development Cooperation has also granted to support the most affected women in the intervention areas of Addis Ababa.
MCC Response
For instance, MCC has supported families of targeted 250 OVCs that are counted to be 1,348 family members for four consecutive months with 4,750Kg of Wheat Flour, 1,332 liters of Food Oil, 4,790Kg of Shiro/bean and 9,950 pcs of hand washing soaps. The support has meaningfully sustained the lives of the OVCs and their family members in this critical time. Awarenessraising about the pandemic for staffs, stakeholders and community members was another key activity of the emergency response.
ERIKS Response
Similarly, RPC had frequent consultation with ERIKS Development Partner in a way to respond to the emergency needs of the targeted community aligned with the project agreement. Accordingly, for the education project, the snack service is changed to food item support and during the lockdown; the families and the OVCs were able to get food items and sanitation materials. Hence, 300 households have 4,200Kg of Teff, 3,000Kg of Wheat Flour, 300liters of food oil, and 600pcs of hand washing soaps for COVID-19 prevention with two rounds of distribution. The emergency response has sustained the life of the OVCs and family members.
Correspondingly, EIRKS Development Partner has played key role in deciding to support the SLOUP project targeted women to absorb COVID-19 shock by providing seed money to the groups with minimum or no interest and a grace period of 6 months to one year for repayment. The seed money was transferred to the SHGs where they are mandated to revolve their loan as per the group by law but with slight modification on interest rate and repayment period. Accordingly, 480,000.00ETB is transferred as shock absorbing seed money for 80 SHGs comprising of 1,420 member women.
CAN Response
In the reporting period, CAN has supported all the families of targeted OVCs with food items and sanitation materials with three rounds. Accordingly, around 552 family members have got a support of 4,725kg of wheat flour, 2,025kg of Teff, 1,072 liters of food oil, 675kg of Macaroni and 810 pcs of hand washing soaps with three rounds of distribution.
Austria Development Cooperation Response
In the year 2020, following the occurrence of the pandemic, RPC has approached several donor organizations and Austria Embassy was the one who opened its door for supporting on emergency response.
The primary targets of this intervention are 500 poor and destitute women and girls engaged on petty trade, fire wood collection and daily labor works those have lost their employment, customers and income due to the pandemic and couldn’t afford to buy prevention materials and support themselves with minimum nutrition. Moreover, they are those dwelling in the fringe area of the city under Yeka Mountain and do not have access infrastructures including adequate and reliable information about the pandemic. Considering this fact, the existing eight Cluster Level Associations (CLAs) of Self Help Groups (SHGs) have undertaken grass root level selection of the beneficiaries in collaboration with the Woreda Women and Children Affairs Office adhering to the criteria. Accordingly, 500 destitute and marginalized peopled including people with different types of disability, people living with HIV, widowed and widowers, elderly and beggaries have got 10Kg Flour, 5litre hand washing soap and 1litre hand sanitizer per person.
