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| UNFPA
at work in Nicaragua Programme highlights: Forging a Sustainable Future Overcoming Barriers and Working to Develop a National Population Policy Advocating Population Issues Box:Making a difference in El Chile |
Programme Highlights: Forging a Sustainable Future UNFPA’s four-year country programme, launched in 1994, allocates $5.5 million for a comprehensive, integrated population initiative, with three main objectives: 1) to strengthen the capacity of national, regional and local institutions to formulate and implement reproductive health and family planning programmes; 2) to assist the central government in efforts to upgrade the quality of reproductive health and family planning services; and 3) to improve training programmes for the delivery of reproductive health and family planning services, the formulation of population policies, and related IEC activities. An additional $2.1 million in support is expected to come from sources such as Norway, Luxembourg and the European Commission. Within these three broad programme areas, UNFPA focuses on: addressing the reproductive health and family planning needs of rural women and adolescents (including women’s empowerment); improving the quality of reproductive health and family planning services, particularly in the poorest communities; training community health workers, nurses, family planning counsellors and youth leaders; assisting with population policy formulation; promoting IEC campaigns; and advancing advocacy strategies by working closely with policy makers, parliamentarians and the media. "We decided to broaden UNFPA’s reach and impact from the beginning," explains Jairo Palacio. "Consequently, we have invested much time and effort in launching a nationwide programme to reduce adolescent pregnancies and promote family life and sex education, for those in school and out of school as well." In 1994, UNFPA initiated a large-scale project in the remote highlands around the city of Matagalpa. Named "Reproductive Health for Rural Adolescents", the programme is executed jointly by the Ministry for Social Action and the Ministry of Health. More than 2,200 youth in this region have received training in family life and sex education, including information on self-esteem, sexual roles and gender issues, family planning and basic anatomy, according to Marta Lorena Chacon, the Project Director, based in Matagalpa (see box: Making a Difference in El Chile). UNFPA is also helping the government improve the quality and reach of reproductive health and family planning services, concentrating on underserved rural areas. "We are one of the few United Nations agencies working in the rural province of Leon," Jairo points out, "as part of our efforts to bring badly needed reproductive health and family planning services to the poorest communities." As part of UNFPA standard operating procedures, the Managua office collaborates with a broad coalition of NGOs working on a wide variety of issues—from gender equity, women’s empowerment and violence against women to family planning information and counselling for youth, and the provision of reproductive health and family planning services for rural families. Of all these initiatives, one stands out: a project, run by the Centre for Reproductive Health, to inform and educate inmates about reproductive health and safe sexual practices (among others) at Tipitapa, a prison complex located in a Managua suburb. "We began this project in close cooperation with the prison authorities, and we had a great supporter in police captain Norma Largaespada," explains Violeta Barreto, Director of the Centre. "Norma was the one who convinced the prison warden to let us try out this project." The results so far have been impressive. There are now close to 200 promoters in Tipitapa, a cross-section of prison society—including violent repeat offenders, drug addicts and street youth. "The project concentrates on gender issues, family life and family values and on the prevention of STDs and AIDS," says Maria Luisa Noquera, the coordinator of the project. In addition, prisoners have a chance to learn a skill, such as carpentry, electronics or car repair. For most participants, the project has given them not only something to focus on but also a reason to hope that the future will be better than the past. Twenty-five-year-old Juan Jose Perez is serving a seven-year sentence for armed robbery. "This project has turned my life around," he says flatly. "I would like to keep working on reproductive health and related issues when I get out of prison, and I would like to continue helping other inmates." |
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