The IPPF European Network Regional Director Ms. Caroline Hickson has today paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Director of Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK), Mr. Edward Marienga. FHOK is IPPF’s Member Association in Kenya. Ms. Hickson is on a working visit to the IPPF Africa Regional Office located in Nairobi, Kenya. During the meeting, Mr. Marienga oriented Ms. Hickson on FHOK’s work in the country, whose core focus is the provision of quality sexual reproductive health and services to millions of men, women and young people. FHOK, a local Non-Governmental Organization has been a leading service provider of sexual and reproductive health services in the country for over five decades. With a strong grassroots network, FHOK is present in 14 Counties (out of 47), through its Family Care Medical Centers. Through innovative delivery programming and capacity building, FHOK particularly focuses on young people, marginalized groups, underserved and inaccessible populations in the country. FHOK has a pricing policy that offers affordable, quality and easily accessible services to all. The meeting between Ms. Hickson and Mr. Marienga also acted as an experience-sharing forum between the two parties, where both discussed best SRHR implementation practices. FHOK also showcased its successful business models including its Learning Center and other income-generation ventures, which have greatly contributed to the success and sustainability of the organization over the years. “Our work has also been greatly enhanced by the strong partnerships that we have formed with different stakeholders, chief among them the Government of Kenya. We recognize the invaluable support of the Government in the achievement of our goals, and regularly consult with them on various issues. We also collaborate with them in programme activities, such as cervical cancer screening, testing and treatment, as well as various HIV/AIDS activities –including at the grassroots level. FHOK works with other non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, youth networks and other groups towards the realization of it's goals,” Mr. Marienga added. Other issues that were discussed included effective advocacy strategies in the push for supportive SRHR policies and legislations at local, national and regional levels.   Ms. Hickson commended FHOK for its work, saying that there was plenty to learn from the organization, and which can also be emulated by other Member Associations –including those in Europe. IPPF EN includes 39 Member Associations and collaborating partners in as many countries throughout Europe and Central Asia. The Region reaches from Iceland to Kyrgyzstan and from Russia to Israel, from some of the richest countries in the world to some of the poorest, from donor countries to recipient countries, from long-standing democracies to countries still struggling to find their way.  Learn more about IPPFEN here. Learn more about FHOK here.

By Maryanne W. Waweru Monday 30 January 2017, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The IPPF Africa Region Director Mr. Lucien Kouakou today paid a visit to the IPPF Member Association in Ethiopia –Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE). During his visit, Mr. Kouakou met with FGAE members of staff including the Executive Director Ms. Genet Mengistu, whom he congratulated for their remarkable work in providing quality sexual reproductive health services to millions of Ethiopians. Mr. Kouakou, who is in the capital city of Addis Ababa attending activities around the 28th AU Summit, encouraged the members of staff to carry on with their commendable work. “We are proud of FGAE. Just last year, the organization celebrated 50 years of exemplary service and success in Ethiopia. FGAE is recognized as the pioneer organization for the introduction of family planning in the country, and five decades later, it is one of the leading providers of comprehensive, integrated, quality and gender-sensitive sexual reproductive health programs and services focusing on youth, underserved and vulnerable populations in Ethiopia. In addition, the success of FGAE’s Learning Center, which works closely with the Government and other partners in building the capacity of healthcare providers in Ethiopia through provision of needs-based quality sexual reproductive health training, is admirable. Indeed, the laudable success of FGAE is to be emulated not only in Ethiopia, but across Africa,” he said. Mr. Kouakou also assured FGAE of IPPF’s continued technical, financial and material support in regards to achievements of the organization’s goals. He further encouraged the Member Association to strive to establish and maintain formidable partnerships with other development stakeholders in the country, among them the Government, international, regional and national organizations, as well as local grassroots entities. “If we are to achieve our goals for sustainable development, then we must embrace the partnership of other organizations that share in our vision and the vision of ‘the Africa we Want’. When organizations work together, then they are able to accelerate development goals of the country and the continent, he said. The Regional Director further encouraged the Member Association to step up its efforts in resource mobilization, especially from domestic sources. “The African continent must steer its own development. We have to drive our own development agenda by investing our resources into innovative development-driven initiatives. Funding our own programmes will help avert some of the challenges that many development institutions face today –such as dwindling international donor funds or complete cut-back of funds. It is time for Africa to support Africa’s development through ventures such as domestic funding,” he said. In July last year, IPPF Africa Region launched the African Citizens Initiative (ACI) for sexual and reproductive health, which is a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that aligns with the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063 commitment to the principle of self-reliance as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The FGAE Executive Director, Ms. Genet Mengistu reiterated FGAE’s commitment to serving millions of Ethiopian men, women, youth and children through its unmatched services. She further reiterated the Regional Director’s call for the establishment of strategic partnerships with other development players towards the achievement of the organization’s goals. “We will endeavor to seek more partnerships at all levels, as this will help boost the delivery of our wide range of services. While in Addis Ababa, among key meetings that the Regional Director has participated in is the Forum of African Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FPA) side event, in which he called for more investment in family planning, girls and young people in the realization of harnessing the demographic dividend. He also called on African Parliamentarians to deliver on their commitments to the Dakar Declaration, in their capacity as key influencers. “Parliamentarians have the ability to influence their colleagues to push for the support and implementation of policies and legislations, especially those related to youth, health, population and development. They can call for more budgetary allocation to related Ministries such as those of Youth, Gender and Social Affairs, Health, Education Planning and Development, as well as other institutions that focus on the youth and their reproductive health. They can also take the lead in seeking innovative ways of mobilizing resources at the local level that would champion population and related issues. Seeking African solutions to African problems through domestic funding is one way to realizing Africa’s development, and we count on our Parliamentarians to champion this cause,” he said. Read the full article here: African Parliamentarians are Key to the Realization of the Demographic Dividend Story by Maryanne W. Waweru. For more updates on our work, follow us on Facebook and Twitter