OpenIDEO
Cancel
OpenIDEO is an open innovation platform. Join our global community to solve big challenges for social good. Sign Up / Login or Learn more
Phase: Final Review

Youth Led Data driven accountability to improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health services for internally displaced young people

Our strengths as an actor and the ability to respond Swiftly to SRHR situations in emergency settings

Photo of Charles
14 2

Written by

What specific problem(s) are you trying to address?

Its estimated that 800 000 people are internally displaced in Zimbabwe.There is no available data on health for IDPs to inform their urgent health needs. Young IDPs often report discrimination when accessing health services and other opportunities as a result of their ethnicity or even the mere fact of being an IDP. IDP adolescents often lack access to SRH and other health services because of long distances they have to travel to reach the nearest clinics, affordability, lack of confidentiality and waiting times at the clinics also act as barriers to access.Threats of sexual violence is high among young IDPs. Poverty drives many IDP girls into early sexual debut, unplanned pregnancies, early marriage, sex work, drug abuse and trafficking.

What are some of your unanswered questions about the problem(s) you are working to address?

1,Absence of size estimates for young people Intenally Displaced. 2.Age-restrictive laws, e.g Age of consent for HIV testing and access to sexual and reproductive health services relating to young IDPs.3, Unfriendliness of health care settings towards young IDPs. 4,Stigma and discrimination including limitations of health care providers in providing information relating to contraception, location of health centres and concerns regarding confidentiality for intenally displaced young people

Explain Your Idea

Youth Data reporters Program Our Data reporters program focusses on utilizing the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative SRHR data using validated Ministry of health Youth Friendly Service Provision (YFSP) tools. Our idea ensures that “Youth Data reporters” collect and monitor data of young IDPs -"key informants" on access to youth-friendly services and comprehensive sexuality education. The data collected will then be synthesized by an overseer at the national level and processed for use in innovative communication tools and evidence-based advocacy. The Youth Data reporters represent the diversity of young people who are Internally displaced persons. The Youth Data reporters are selected from a pool of young IDPs currently working at the grassroots levels on HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth services provision and sexuality education. Selected Data reporters are invited to a rotational one year program. At the start of each program Youth Data reporters who identify as IDPs are trained and supported to collect data using client service provision tools in their communities and at the clinics. Youth Engage partners with government to ensure that there is buy-in to the mechanism and that the government will incorporate these mechanisms into national and districts level structures. Key target groups were involved in all planning steps of the Data reporters’ programme and will lead the implementation of activities at different levels

Name the three most important ways that your idea will address your identified problem(s).

We will:- Inform and or conduct research and size estimates for young IDPs to inform SRH programming and address current gaps. Re-train health workers on youth friendliness, advocate for improvement on laws/policy for IDPs, waiting times, confidentiality and affordability at clinics. Provide community and in-school based SRHR information for young IDPs via hotline, media, sensitization meetings and through IEC materials. Provide supportive supervisory visits to clinics to address challenges identified and or informed by the evidence from the Data reporters. Organise peer to peer young IDPs community programs to increase awareness on child sexual abuse and exploitation and demand for quality SRHS at the community level

How is your idea unique?

Our idea is unique because It is youth led, youth centered and focuses on using data/evidence to address health challenges for young Internally displaced People in Zimbabwe. The interventions for the project are informed by evidence provided by the youth data reporters who are also young people. Unlike other programs that ignore the influence of social, cultural, and economic factors in the lives of young IDPs , our project acknowledges these and how they significantly influence young IDPs access to reproductive and sexual health information and services. We also believe that programs that ignore the influence of community and family in the lives of young IDPs are, in fact, creating a nearly impossible situation—asking young IDPs to change their communities on their own. It is unfair to ask young IDPs to change their beliefs and behaviors without also providing community and family support for these changes.

What are some outstanding concerns or questions that you have regarding your idea?

Lack of interest from government, health providers and beneficiaries IDPs are facing food shortages so our activities may have low attendance as the general moral of young IDPs will be low. Young IDPs may end up coming to community meetings for food only. Hacking, cyber-bullying based on social media posts. Unstable economic situation:- Uncertainty economic environment, cash shortages

Who are your end users?

Direct beneficiaries table Direct beneficiaries table
Direct Youth Beneficiaries: - The adolescents and young people, primarily aged 10-19, from the Internally Displaced Populations who will benefit directly from program activities. Direct Adult Beneficiaries:- The adults (teachers, youth workers, parents, etc.) who also identify as Intenally Displaced persons will be trained (formally or informally) or receive some other direct benefit from the program. Indirect Beneficiaries:- The people (youths and adults) who will indirectly benefit from the program because of their contact with people who are directly involved in the program or because of their contact with materials developed by the program (curricula, films, etc.).

Where will your idea be implemented?

  • Zimbabwe

What is the primary type of emergency setting where your innovation would operate?

  • Prolonged displacement
  • Epidemic

Tell us more about the emergency setting that you intend to implement in

Intenally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are some of the most neglected vulnerable populations in Zimbabwe. They are often neglected because they are an internationally and legally unacknowledged group amongst the Moving and Vulnerable Populations (MVPs) due to a lack of legislature pertaining to them. Zimbabwe failed to take the necessary steps to provide assistance to its displaced citizens who were displaced during farm invasions, illegal settlements and various government operations.

What is your organization's name?

Youth Engage

Tell us more about you.

Youth Engage (YE) is a grassroots youth focused organization that advocates for the health, well-being and human rights of all young people including young key populations, We believe in Youth-led, data-driven accountability. Currently Youth Engage is operating in 20 districts around Zimbabwe; Youth Engage is also the ACT!2030 Convener in Zimbabwe, ACT!2030 a flagship programme of UNAIDS and The PACT is a youth-led social action initiative which engages young people including young key populations with advocacy and accountability skills around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other SRHR agreements/frameworks.

Organizational Characteristics

  • Youth-led organization
  • Locally/community-led organization

What is the current scale of your proposed innovation?

  • Community - 1+ communities within 1 country

Experience in Implementation Country(ies)

  • Yes, for more than one year.

Expertise in Sector

  • Yes, for more than a year.

Organization Location

Youth Engage is registered in Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa

What is your organizational status?

  • Registered non-profit, charity, NGO, or community-based organization.

What is the maturity of your innovation?

  • Roll-out/Ready to Scale: Completed a pilot and am ready / in process of expanding.

Website

Facebook page :- https://www.facebook.com/YouthEngageInfo/ tweeter handle :- @YouthEngageInfo

How has your idea changed based on feedback?

Based on the feedback we have recieved both online and offline, we are going to make diliberate efforts in ensuring that the project promote smart and selective integration of health services; greater involvement and leadership of young IDPs in the SRHR response; better data collection and analysis for generating evidence; and engage in national research, advocacy and policy through building on local evidence. Our idea will strive to ensure equity, quality, empowerment and sustainability through targeting the poor and marginalised and emphasising gender and rights issues for intenally displaced young people. Our idea's thematic priorities are interlinked with actions that pull in the same drection for broader change. The idea will focus on all hotspots districts of Zimbabwe prioritising where poverty and inequality is highest and marginalisation of the poor young people in access to health services and participation in health policy processes is more significant.

Who will implement this idea?

Youth Engage has its Data reporters as its major human resource since they will spearhead the Data collection and community activities of the organisation. However, these are young people who require some level of support to enable them to mobilize and be able to produce the right Data and appropriate interventions. As Youth Engage Data reporters in their respective communities, they are well positioned to be agents of change but require to be sharpened with skills and facilities on how to do that and ensure the production of meaningful results. In addition to the Youth Data reporters, Youth Engage also has a staff membership of 6 people who will be working on the project on full time basis.

Using a human-centered design approach, you may uncover insights that lead to small or foundational changes to your organization’s existing strategy or processes in order to unlock the potential of your idea. How would your organization go about making such changes?

Youth Engage has a governance Structure:The Governance of Youth Engage consists of a Technical Advisory Board, and a member of the Secretariat, some of the responsibilities of the advisory board is to advice on the strategic direction of the organisation based on new developments/trends in our on going work. Youth Engage also makes it a priority to hold monday morning meetings to discuss emerging issues that may need urgent attention or re-focusing in order for the organisation to achieve its set objectives

What challenges do your end-users face? (1) What is the biggest challenge that your end-users face on a day-to-day, individual level? (2) What is the biggest systems-level challenge that affects your end-users?

Access to services: - Access to services is geographically homogeneous due to the decentralized scale up of services through health and community structures at all levels. However some hard-to-reach populations remain including resettlement areas and mobile populations such as young internally displaced people and youth. Young Internally displaced people also face higher levels of stigma and discrimination when they want to access SRHR and HIV prevention services on any given day.

Tell us about your vision for this project: (1) share one sentence about the impact you would like to see from this project in five years and (2) what is the biggest question you need to answer to get there?

To Influence research, advocacy policy and practice for inclusive and accountable health delivery system and greater equality for young women and men in internally displaced communities through the active participation of internally displaced young people in national processes that design, deliver and evaluate projects that address gaps in health service provision (including life skills and sexuality education) and to work alongside government and other organisations to share results

What is it that most attracted you to Amplify instead of a more traditional funding model?

What attracted us to the Amplify is the innovative drive that this initiative encourages applicants to focus on, its focus too on human centered design is a great approach and ensures team work and that the beneficiaries of the program are part of the design process.

Do you intend to implement your Amplify idea in refugee camps / temporary settlements?

  • We aim to implement our Amplify idea in support of displaced populations, but not in a refugee camp / temporary settlement.

How long have you and your colleagues been working on this idea together?

  • Between 6 months and 1 year

How many of your organizations’s paid, full-time staff are currently based in the location where the beneficiaries of your proposed idea live?

  • Between 5-10 paid, full-time staff

Is your organization registered in the country you intend to implement your idea in?

  • We are registered in all countries where we plan to implement.

My organization's operational budget for 2016 was:

  • Between $50,000 and $100,000 USD

What do you need the most support with for your innovation?

  • Other Technical Expertise
View more

Attachments (2)

Amplify Feedback Resources.pdf

Youth Engage prototype feedback

Final User Map Experience.pdf

Youth Engage User experience map

14 comments

Join the conversation:

Comment
Photo of Eunice Kajala
Team

Hi Charles, it is a good initiative, have you worked out/defined which indicators are you going to take on your data collection? Have you explored WHO guidelines on indicators to work with? Considering remote areas and weather e.g heavy rains and flooding, how efficient is your data collection will be? In case of big data, how are you going to analyze them, have you thought of applying technology? What is your thought on extracting data from sexually abused adolescents, face to face, do you expect to get reliable data? How is the law or policy in Zimbabwe, on interviewing an adolescent below 18 years without parental/guardian consent?

link
Photo of Charles
Team

Question- have you worked out/defined which indicators are you going to take on your data collection?
Answer- possible indicators would include but not limited only to numbers of young people accessing different services as per need, barriers etc, see also the attached beneficiaries table attached to the Idea

Question- Have you explored WHO guidelines on indicators to work with?

Our indicators are linked to the Zimbabwe National SRHR and CSE strategy and other related national documents

Question- considering remote areas and weather e.g heavy rains and flooding, how efficient is your data collection will be?
We expect that young people will use currently available platforms like Whatsup platfoms to share findings from their communities, Data collected can be compared with information from the National Statistical urgencies to ensure efficiency of the data.

Question-In case of big data, how are you going to analyze them, have you thought of applying technology?
Answer- Currently young people will be supported to gather data from their community. The data
collected is then synthesized by an overseer at
the national level and processed for use in
innovative communication tools and evidence-
based advocacy. In case of big data we are looking at developing a more simplified and efficient reporting system that ensures uniformity of data collected at all levels for example by developing a dashboard which will be linked to a mobile App.(The dashboard will have three options, 1. The ability to give an opportunity for an individual to score, 2. Shortened option for feedback to red flag needing immediate attention or to give a shortened summary of service experience, 3. To give a more detailed report with strengths, weakness, recommendations and other areas for improvement )

Question-What is your thought on extracting data from sexually abused adolescents, face to face, do you expect to get reliable data?
Instead of extracting Data from young people face to face, we expect to work closely with Victim friendly committees and local pressure groups at the local levels to ensure reliable of Data on identified and or reported cases to also ensure confidentiality and privacy of the targeted beneficiaries

Question -How is the law or policy in Zimbabwe, on interviewing an adolescent below 18 years without parental/guardian consent?

Answer- Based on laws and policies in Zimbabwe only young people below the age of 16 years require guardian or parental consent, Over the years we have been working with Human rights organisations in trying to push the Givernment to address this and many other laws which act as barriers to young people's access to services, this will also be a focus area during the implementation of our Idea

link
Photo of Eunice Kajala
Team

Hi Charles, great!! All the best. Have a look at this, WHO document for the indicators:
Measuring sexual health: conceptual and practical considerations and related indicators, WHO 2010, WHO/RHR/10-12

link
Photo of Charles
Team

Hie Eunice
Thanks so much for sharing and we will definitely consider it during the implimentation and our future work.

I would also like to add that we will also try to capture some of the following data gaps using technology/Dashboard:-

Who needs prevention: - What are the known characteristics of the most at risk young sex workers and young key affected populations based on levels of biomedical information in the internally displaced populations?

What do they need: - What are the facilitators and barriers to accessing various types of SRH services?

How should programmes find them: - What are the best practices for identifying at risk individuals?

How do they use it: - For those accessing contraception, condoms, PEP and PREP, what are the barriers to adherence?

-For those accessing strategies to build social capital (girl only spaces etc.) what are the barriers and facilitators to completing programmes and using skills to improve their well-being after completion?

What are the details of young sex workers and key populations experience with ART in Internally Displaced Communities: - After initiation, what influences retention in care or decisions to stop taking ART and other health services, and what facilitates or inhibits adherence (at the individual facility and societal level)?

-Integration of services: Integration of VCT services into other essential healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive health; STI prevention and management.

link
View all comments