Global STEM Initiative (GSI)’s Post

Our Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa program focuses on ensuring the well being of children and families in rural or isolated parts of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia. Improving the lives of children in sub-Saharan Africa involves investing in health. Helmsley grantee Catholic Relief Services's Mayi Na Mwana II project works with communities, healthcare workers, and the government to increase access to quality healthcare, promote healthy behaviors, and strengthen community resilience and participation to bring maternal and child deaths to zero. We also fund trachoma surgeries and mass drug administration for Neglected Tropical Diseases (#NTDs) through organizations like Sightsavers, The END Fund., Reaching the Last Mile Fund. Children who suffer from NTDs often have malnutrition, cognitive impairment, stunted growth, and the inability to attend school. A Nobel-winning study found that NTD elimination is one of the biggest predictors of improved school attendance rate for children. Helmsley grantee Bridges to Prosperity helps students access new opportunities by creating trail bridges that make it easier for them to access schools. Americares' Girls Clubs greatly reduced unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls in Ghana, resulting in increased school attendance and retention. Helping vulnerable children means helping mothers, caregivers, communities and schools. It means helping change the entire ecosystem. This #WorldChildrensDay, learn more about our Sub-Saharan Africa Program: https://lnkd.in/eHbME5kt #UniversalChildrensDay

In Mali, the #RHFWCA helps provide access to health and education for communities recovering from conflict. Two Malian NGOs, #AMSS and #FEDE, repaired the school, trained teachers, and ensured students received the necessary supplies. The project also stocked up school canteens to ensure hunger was not an obstacle to learning. With funding from the RHFWCA, #ACTED’s project aims to increase access to maternal health and nutrition support in the commune. The project supported six health centers, providing free care and deploying a mobile clinic for people in rural areas. https://lnkd.in/eQBtd2xY United Nations OCHA OCHA Financing and Partnerships United Nations OCHA in Mali Alain Noudéhou Amy Martin #InvestinHumanity

Who is ready to make an imPAct ?

Anti Female Genital Mutilation Project - Uganda We as GAM have been on a mission to Eastern Uganda to address the pressing issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalent among the Sebbi and Pokot tribes. With a mission rooted in compassion and biblical principles, we sought to bring awareness, education, and lasting change to communities struggling with this harmful practice. FGM, deeply entrenched in cultural traditions, has long affected the women and girls of these tribes, leaving a lasting impact on their health, well-being, and psychological harm as they have been cut like animals. Over the course of the trip, twelve community meetings were held, where we engaged 500+ individuals, raising awareness about the dangers of FGM. In addition to community outreach, training sessions were conducted, educating 20 local leaders, 10 healthcare workers, and 15 educators on how to lead the fight against FGM within their communities. We also held discussions with five government officials, five traditional leaders, and five influencers, encouraging their involvement in advocating for change. A critical part of our effort involved appointing ten young girls as leaders to champion anti-FGM initiatives, empowering the next generation to take a stand. To further solidify our message, the team distributed 20 anti-FGM materials, including posters and leaflets, throughout the communities to ensure continued awareness and education. This combination of community engagement, training, strategic partnerships, and youth empowerment laid the groundwork for sustainable change in the fight against FGM. We covet your prayers as we continue to fight this big battle in Eastern Uganda. #Uganda #project #gospelalive #mission

One More Child’s global ministries seek to bring transformational care by meeting basic needs and introducing the saving grace of Jesus to vulnerable children and families in developing countries. This is precisely what our ministry is doing in communities in Uganda. https://bit.ly/4dwCcNQ

Today on #InternationalDayofCareandSupport, we celebrate the partners involved in the Scaling Care Innovations in Africa initiative. Co-funded by Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada and IDRC, this initiative is actively scaling innovative solutions to address care work challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Among these solutions are the childcare centres in public markets operated by Wow Mom Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, to ease a responsibility that disproportionately falls on women. Wow Mom’s work is reshaping the lives of families, opening economic opportunities for women and gathering evidence on the childcare needs of market vendors to advocate for broader policy action. Read more about Wow Mom: https://bit.ly/3Cb6rMi We are also excited to welcome to the initiative two new research projects for policy action to transform elder care and enhance evidence-based policymaking on care work in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa, and in Benin and Togo. Learn more about the new policy projects here: https://bit.ly/4hirD3c Let’s continue to support care and promote #GenderEquality!  #CareEconomy #SDG5

As part of my commitment to social impact, I recently had the privilege of participating in a charity initiative organized by East Africa Radio, titled 'Namthamini.' This campaign is dedicated to supporting young girls who, due to economic challenges, experience discomfort during menstruation and often miss school or face psychological distress because they lack essential sanitary products. Recent reports highlight the significant challenges faced by young girls in Tanzania regarding menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and the impact of these challenges on their education and well-being. According to a study conducted by UNICEF https://lnkd.in/eFZiFG9x, many adolescent girls lack access to proper sanitary materials, with a considerable number resorting to unhygienic alternatives like clothes, which can lead to health risks and embarrassment. The report indicates that 20% of primary school girls miss classes for three to five days each month due to menstruation, resulting in academic setbacks and increased dropout rates I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to East Africa Radio and its partners, Amref Tanzania and Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) , for spearheading this important initiative. I urge all stakeholders to join this campaign and help provide comfort and dignity to our young girls as they navigate this natural phase of life. Together, we can make a difference and bring smiles to their faces. Office of the Chief Government Spokesperson / Ofisi ya Msemaji Mkuu wa Serikali Eliminatha Paschal Josephine Julieth Mongi Temu, Dr. Florence Tully Esther Mwambapa Ntuli Kapologwe Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) Tanzania Association of Women Certified Accountants-TAWCA Tanzania Women in Energy TAWLA TANZANIA Tanzania Women CEOs Roundtable CEO Roundtable of Tanzania #NamthaminiCampaign #SupportYoungGirls #MenstrualHealth #EndPeriodPoverty #GirlsEducation #SocialImpact #HealthAndDignity #EmpowerHer #CommunitySupport #TogetherForChange

June is a month that is richly saturated with commemorative days for children. June 11 was the first ever #InternationalDayofPlay. June 16 is the #InternationalDayoftheAfricanChild. At PATH, we like to say that play is serious business, since it is through play that children learn in the early years. Therefore, it behooves that in addition to making homes, preschools, health facilities, and other spaces child-friendly, it is critical that parents be empowered to play with their children, stimulate early learning, and help them reach their full potential. As such, it is not surprising that the entirety of June is #ParentingMonth, since supporting parents is the essential foundation of promoting early childhood development (#ECD). A few years ago, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation challenged us to identify specific touchpoints and refine service delivery materials that would improve both the quality of developmental monitoring and counseling through primary health care (#PHC)—and ultimately, uptake of key parenting messages, behaviors, and practices by caregivers. What followed was iterative rounds of learning and discovery with service providers, caregivers, and government managers in Kenya and Mozambique, based on PATH's innovative Living Labs model for human-centered design (#HCD). We co-created several compelling solutions—often as simple as a job aid to emphasize existing developmental monitoring and counseling content in a routine health card; or simplifying guidance on how to conduct play sessions in a health facility waiting area. There were so many "aha" moments that we were overwhelmed (in a good way!)💡🌟💡🌟💡🌟 Please read the brief linked in the post below to learn more about how we did this 👇

The Government of Luxemburg’s investments in the best start in life for children are crucial! Together with UNICEF team & partners, I was honored to welcome Vice Prime Minister of Luxembourg 🇱🇺 Mr.Xavier Bettel Xavier Bettel , Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Cooperation to showcase the results achieved for children and mothers! Through this partnership with Luxemburg, UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the implementation of the Home Visiting programme within the Primary Health Care (PHC) services in Kosovo*. This programme includes a standard number of visits: two visits provided to women during their pregnancy and five visits to children between children between a child’s birth and the child reaching three years of age, with additional visits provided based on specific family needs. The programme is implemented through established institutional structures and existing human resources at PHC. As of today, some of the results achieved with the support of the Government of Luxembourg include: •Expansion of the programme from 2 to all Kosovo municipalities; •80% of newborns in 2023 benefitted through the programme with health and childhood development support; •Over 2,000 healthcare professionals, or 50% of all Kosovo PHC staff, trained on provision of health and early childhood development support services through the accredited HV training curricula. •EUR 3.4 million allocated by the Ministry of Health to sustain this programme, informed by the UNICEF Costing Study for the home visiting programme. •More than 11,000 families from marginalized communities like Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians were reached with the services! Prioritizing investments in health and education and wellbeing of children is one of the smartest choices a government can do, and a donor can support, as it’s the pathway to protect human capital and stimulate economic growth!! #ForEveryChild #Results #Investments #LuxAid Huge thanks to UNICEF colleagues Jehona Luta Bekë Veliu Derya Brlajolli Sajeda Atari Dafina Krasniqi Dafina Zuna Ivelina Borisova Nora Maxhuni Arta Haliti Ardea Xhema * (UNSC 1244)

To commemorate the end of Women’s History Month, we want to spotlight United in Purpose’s new Empowering WOMEN in Health initiative, which works to provide menstrual products and menstrual health education access to refugee women and girls in Dadaab, Kenya. In a world where menstrual health is often overlooked, UIP is steadfastly changing the narrative for Somali Bantu women and girls. The lack of access to sanitary products and limited knowledge about menstrual health leave women and girls vulnerable, hindering their participation in daily activities, including education. Ahado Abdi, Founder and Director of United in Purpose, witnessed firsthand the struggles faced by these women and girls during her visits to Dadaab. The difficulties in finding affordable sanitary products and the pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation fueled her determination to make a change. Thus, the Empowering WOMEN in Health initiative was born, aimed at addressing the critical issues of access and education. In December, UIP organized a transformative pad drive and menstrual health education session at Mustaqbal Academy. Through strategic partnerships and the power of crowdfunding via GoFundMe, we exceeded our small goal of $2,000, ensuring monthly pad deliveries and education for the girls and women at the academy. The success of our inaugural launch was palpable, with 27 menstrual pads distributed, bringing dignity and empowerment to 25 girls and 2 teachers. The impact of our efforts reverberates through the stories of eager students like Fadumo, a 17-year-old at Mustaqbal Academy (https://lnkd.in/eX-Hys9G), who eagerly shares her newfound knowledge and confidence. Such stories underscore the immediate impact of our work, instilling a sense of dignity and empowerment among attendees. United in Purpose envisions a future where menstrual health is never a barrier to education and well-being for refugee girls and women. Building on our success, we aspire to host monthly pad drives and comprehensive women's health education courses. By addressing the often-ignored issue of menstrual health, we are committed to fostering knowledge and empowerment, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society. We invite you to join us on this journey of empowerment. Your support is crucial in making our vision a reality. Together, we can ensure that refugee women and girls in Dadaab and beyond have access to the education and resources they need to thrive. Donate to our GoFundMe today and be a part of this transformative change. https://gofund.me/ba585702