Mama Amka Women in the Development of Birambizo ( Mama Amka means Mothers, let’s stand up!)

1. Mama AmkaWomen in the Development of Birambizo(Mama Amka means Mothers, let’s stand up!)

2. Global Objective • To contribute to Congo’s Human Development by reinforcing local capacity to respond to and prevent GBV within the framework of DRC’s Global Strategy to Reduce SGBV.

3. Intermediate objective • To sustainably reduce vulnerability to GBV and strengthen community capacities to assist the socio-economic reinsertion of Most at Risk Groups (MARG) in 10 health areas in the Birambizo HZ.

4. Output #1 • Community members and institutions gain knowledge on GBV, HIV/AIDS, family planning and tools on how to respond to and prevent it, thus increasing the well-being and safety of MARG.

5. Enhancing the medical referral system • Through coordination and training, CARE assists in widening and strengthening the medical referral system for survivors of sexual violence. The system uses psychosocial counselors, community relays and key community members to link survivors to local health centers, supported by either MERLIN or MSF. Mobilization and campaigning work is used to boost community knowledge on issues surrounding sexual violence (including gender equality) and services available for survivors.

6. Output #2 • The vulnerability of MARG to GBV is reduced through their economic empowerment.

7. Income generation activities • CARE provides a start-up kit and in-depth training for 40 ‘socio-economic’ groups. Members encompass a mixture of community members who include men, heads of households mainly comprised of women and sexual violence survivors. Training subjects range from animal rearing to literacy. Groups select and manage their own income generation activities using the kit largely comprised of in-kind resources CARE tailors to their chosen activities.

8. Output #3 • Long-term group psychosocial support is available and accessible to survivors of GBV, creating a protective environment and facilitating social reinsertion.

9. Long-term, psychosocial support • Apsychosocial counselor is identified and trained with CARE’s support at each of the 10 health centers. They provide individual counseling to survivors as well as mediation for families and the larger community. CARE further trains community relays in techniques to facilitate a confidentially managed socio-economic reintegration process for survivors and other acutely vulnerable community members.

11. Most Significant Change Observed to Date • Active participation of women in community affairs – they have a voice! • Women learn to save, rather than passively waiting for external financial support • Women are accepted by their community – but still need to promote women’s right

12. Program Challenges • Insecurity in some area • Customs and values • One year project – hard to measure changes in behavior • Limited funding – can’t cover all the needs

13. Funder and Evaluation Challenges • Funder: • Limited resources/unlimited needs: working in a limited area (to increase impact) when there are needs in many other areas

14. Funder and evaluation challenges • Evaluation: • Hard to evaluate long-term behavior/attitude changes – one year project • Staff capacity to understand/explain observed changes • Quantitatives vs. qualitatives indicators