The launch of UNFPA Innovation Accelerator and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) on 22nd March, 2017 at Protea Courtyard Hotel
Summary of an event
Around 9:00 up to 9:30 in the morning the guest were welcomed in the event room, after entering the event room the guests were invited for a breakfast. The breakfast session was hosted by protea courtyard hotel staffs.The guests were a composure of people from different background. There were youths from different groups, representatives from government agencies,journalists from different media houses, donor organizations and representatives from different non government organizations. The guest of honour arrived on 10:07
The facilitator who was Mr. Basil malaki welcomed the guests and explained the timetable to the audiences and he also elaborated the ground rules for the day. He also made a short elaboration on what AMUA Accelerator project is. He stressed that AMUA Accelerator project is calling on youth to adress the sexuality and sexual reproductive health.It helps to adress issues such as abortion, birth control etc.
Opening Remarks by UNFPA Country Representative
The event was officiated on 10:13 by the welcoming remarks from UNFPA Dr. Hashina Begum.she thanked the guests for attending the event. She stated that the project aims at empower young people to end discrimination like forced marriage and early pregnancy which will result to infection of diseases like HIV/AIDS and death during child baring.it will also ensure the lives of young people are sustainable and progressive. She stressed that 2/3 of the population in tanzania is below 24 years old.
Remarks by Health Ministry Representative
After her speech the facilitator welcomed the representative from ministry of health Dr. Felix Mugala who said that the ministry welcomes the project as it seeks to reduce the number of maternal deaths in the country.He quoted from the statistics from the year 2015 that for every 1000 women who give births to new babies 556 among them usually die during the time of giving births. He also said the rate of early unwanted pregnancies is still high and most of the time it forces mothers to undergo abortion.To solve that he said that the adoloscents need education on sexual reproductive health.He also said that the project must look on how to make this service available and reach majority of people especialy those in rural area.
Remarks by the International Youth Day Ambassador
After that facilitator welcomed the International Youth Day Ambassador, a bongo flavour artist Barnaba classic he made a speech on why he decided to motivate young people and the community to be part of the AMUA project by submiting their innovative ideas that will solve SRH problems especially teeneger pregnancy.He said that he is passionate about saving youths lives and he ussually writes musics which focus on sexual reproductive health issues to help youth reach their dreams and have access to health services because majority of them fail to reach their dreams due to early pregnancy and early marriage.
UNFPA presentation of AMUA accelerator
After that Felister Bwana from UNFPA presented an overview of AMUA accelerator project. She started by explaining the role of UNFPA in the country.She also explained that UNFPA is embracing and technology and innovation among its staffs. She said that the innovation accelerator is a mentorship acceleration program supporting young enterpreneurs with seed funding, training and skills development to generate solutions in response to challenge facing youths in sexual reproductive health. Also on her presentation she touched on challenges which faces youths in accessing reproductive health education. She said that there is inadequate sexual reproductive health information and education, lack of parents and child communication, inadequate male involvement in sexual reproductive health, low uptake of FP for young people, contradictory laws and policies and socio cultural norms.
AMUA accelerator Project Manager presentation
After that there was a speech from Adam Mbyallu who is the Amua Accelerator project manager. He expressed his deep appreciation on behalf of the project team. He expressed what Sahara Sparks is doing as a company. He also pointed out about the sustainability of the project by mentioning several measures that will be considered. These measures are; creation of the digital/online portal where all the ideas received will be posted. This will help to keep the stakeholders on the loop as the portal will allow them to interact and comments further about the various ideas that might have been not selected to the next stage.
Another powerful advantage of this project is the fact that it will foster a new bond between the innovation ecosystem and Sexual reproductive health related issues as more Innovators will now see the potentials around the subject.
Further to this the project will open a new windows from various stakeholder (International agency, iNGO, CBO as well as CSO) to rethink on using innovation as a key tool of interventions on development sector. He further elaborates that by providing opportunity to youth on entrepreneurship on this project will attract more youth to work on the area and hence even though this project will be gone still there would be chances of increased youth interests.
After his speech there was short media questions and answer session.
