ARDAHAN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROJECT

Project Summary: The Project is based on awareness raising and training activities through on-site visits for the men and women at the age of 15-49 as well as the community leaders living in rural areas in Ardahan. In addition to the intensive trainings, such supporting activities as counseling services, seminars and radio programs took place to outreach the wider public.

Project Objectives: The objectives of this project is to outreach, through face to face communication, to 4000 men and 6000 women at the age of 15-49, including influential family members and opinion leaders in rural areas where access to services is limited and to contribute to raise awareness on safe motherhood, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, breast and cervical cancer in wider public in Ardahan, and thus contribute to the increase in access to services and to the decline in unfavorable cases.

Implemented Activities 
Rural Settlement Units Trainings

Within the scope of the Project, in 100 rural settlement units, 6807 women were outreached face to face for 6 times, and 4219 men for 4 times. In the first of these training visits, a pretest was applied in addition to provision of the general information on stakeholders and the project content, and in the last visit, a post-test was applied in order to measure the improvement. In these trainings, information on safe motherhood, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, breast and cervical cancer were  provided, though the load of the trainings changed depending on whether the target group was men or women.

Consultation Services
Consultation services were provided for 59 people during face to face meetings, and for 206 people through free-of-charge hotline service. Consultation services basically included the services of an expert listening to the problem, providing necessary information and referring the person to the relevant medical institution if needed.

Awareness Raising Campaign
During the duration of the Project, 4 seminars were conducted. Approximately 120 people participated in the seminar on breast cancer and early diagnosis of cervical cancer, approximately 150 people participated in sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS seminar, approximately 250 people participated in safe motherhood seminar, and approximately 80 people participated in the family planning seminar, the number of participants being determined by the capacity of the seminar halls that these seminars took place.

17 radio programs were broadcasted about Project introduction and topics of sexual and reproductive health in local radio stations. In addition, 1 radio spot was broadcasted on a daily basis that announced the consultation center and hotline number.

Printed Support Material Production

• In total, 6 different kinds of brochures on the introduction of the Project and consultation services, Project experiences, family planning, early diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer, safe motherhood and Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS and 2 different kinds of booklet on family planning and breast and cervical cancer were prepared. Each of them were published in 12.000 units to be distributed to the target group in the trainings foremost, and in meetings, in seminars and gatherings.

7 different kinds of posters were prepared on the introduction of the Project and consultation services, Project experiences, family planning, early diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer, safe motherhood and Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS. Each of them were published in 200 units and were hanged in the common public areas such as coffee houses in rural settlement areas and in public areas in province and districts.

2 different kinds of stickers were prepared for the introduction of the Project and the consultation services, and family planning. They were printed in 2000 units and hanged in visible common public areas and distributed.

4 different kinds of    wall advertisements were prepared in order to announce the seminars on  early diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer, safe motherhood, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS, 4000 leaflets were published and distributed.

A narrative book on Project activities, the result on the project pre-test and post-test data, and lessons learned was prepared and was published in 1000 units. It was disseminated to the Project stakeholders and non-governmental organizations.  

Meetings with Local Administation and Policy-makers

Three meetings were organized with local authorities, with the participation of 11 persons in the first meeting, that of 21 persons in the second meeting, and that of 14 persons in the third meeting. 36 local administrations were visited. In additon, 3 meetings for mukhtars were organized with the participation of 37 mukhtars. 63 mukhtars were informed about the Project through field visits and phone calls. Face to face meetings with 100 mukhtars were realized during field visits, 3 non-governmental organizations in the region were visited 4 times and exchange of opinions was realized.

Data Management, Monitoring and Evaluation

2 databases were formed to collect data from the 2 surveys, the first of which was conducted among 12.633 women and men, and the second of which was conducted among 10.867 women and men. Forms, that were specific to this Project, were prepared and regularly monitored in order to keep track of the activities and to manage data, such as vehicle cards, training participants records, field visit Schedule and the like. 60 weekly field reports, 7 project reports, 37 field personel evaluation meetings, 18 project management evaluation meetings, 1 financial audit, and 2 technical evaluations were conducted.