Breaking the Barriers and Increasing Access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (Dwabo Project)

Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) has been awarded a small grant by the French Embassy in Ghana for the implementation of a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights project under their DWABO grant in the Northern and Savannah regions. This project is titled ‘Breaking the barriers and increasing access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and it will build on other SRHR interventions being run in the region. Project regions and districts are Savelugu Municipality and Mion district in the Northern Region and Central and West Gonja Districts and Municipality respectively in the Savannah Region. The project period spans from May, 2023 to April, 2024. The project will be implemented in 3 communities in each district. 

The overall objective of the project is to: “Increase access to quality Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services among adolescent girls and young women in the Savannah and Northern Regions of Ghana”.

The specific objectives are:

• To increase the uptake of contraception and Antenatal services by AGYW   
• To increase the percentage of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) who correctly demonstrate knowledge on SRHR services and utilise these services
• To build the capacity of decision makers, duty bearers and community leaders and health workers to enhance access to SRHR

Key results of the project are:

• Increased uptake of sexual reproductive health services among adolescent girls and young women in the Savannah and Northern Regions of Ghana.
• Adolescents Girls and Young Women are aware of their sexual and reproductive health rights and utilise referral systems in seeking services and redress for gender-based violence and barriers that inhibit access to reproductive health services and rights
• Improve contraception uptake by 20%
• At least 70% of community actors/religious leaders including Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM) in targeted communities/regions supporting AGYW to patronise SRHR services.

The key strategies we are using are:

• Building the capacity of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) as Peer Educators to conduct sensitisation sessions for AGYW on comprehensive SRHR for ABYM as well
• Facilitating learning/experience sharing sessions between AGYW and older women (intergenerational discussions) on SRHR towards reducing harmful traditional practices
• Conducting visits by AGYW to reproductive health units of the health facilities and youth friendly corners to interact with the nurses to increase knowledge and understanding on SRHR services provision from the nurses’ point of view and the nurses also learn from the point of view of AGYW
• Strengthening working relationships with decision makers, duty bearers and community leaders and health workers to enhance access to SRHR

Our key partners/stakeholders 

We are implementing the project in partnership with the Regional and District Health Directorates of Ghana Health Service, District Assemblies, Ghana Education Service, community leadership, peer educators and other relevant stakeholders in the regions and districts.