Reproductive Health Alliance (Kyrgyzstan)

Reproductive Health Alliance (RHAK) was registered in the Ministry of Justice, in compliance with the IPPF standards, on December 27, 2001. Now there are seven branches in seven regions of Kyrgyz Republic (Osh, Jalal-Abad, Talas, Chui, Naryn, Batken and Issyk-Kul). All of them have officially registered in the local departments of the Ministry of Justice. National and branches' Boards were democratically elected to govern the FPA. Youth Committees are working under the supervision of the Boards. It is important that from the beginning young people, members of the organization; participate in strategic planning, management and policymaking.

Since 2002 RHAK has been implementing two big projects:

1. RHAK Institutional Enhancement, sponsored by the IPPF Trust Fund (Netherlands). The main goal of the project is to support the RHAK institutional development, capacity building and sustainability by means of Board empowerment, programmatic and financial management training for the staff in accordance with IPPF and international standards and building partnership relations with government, donors and the private sector.

2. IPPF/BMZ project, Protecting SRHR of People on the Move. The goal of the project is to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of refugees, repatriates, internally displaced persons and migrants through the provision of high quality, accessible sexual and reproductive health information and services.

The main results of the 1st project

1. At the beginning of the project there were six RHAK branches working; only Issyk-Kul branch was officially registered. By now seven RHAK branches have been officially registered at the regional offices of the Ministry of Justice, local fiscal representations, and local representations of social security foundation. They are able to work legally in all seven regions of Kyrgyzstan. 

2. Using new gained fundraising and resource mobilization skills, branches’ members were able to open and support offices in the regional centers. RHAK's central office assisted them with purchasing of basic office equipment. Jalal-Abad branch members even opened a rural area center in Kerben village. The center is being supported by other NGO's as well.

3. Sustainable network on cooperation and information sharing was established between the branches and central office. Each branch got an electronic mail, and now is able to contact with other branches and central office. At the beginning of the project only central office and Issyk-Kul branch had the email addresses.

4. Constant reporting system on activities and members’ registration was created on monthly basis. It is constantly updated, in accordance to the requirements of the National Board

5. A team of trainers was trained on Institutional Enhancement issues in each branch. Issyk-Kul and Talas branches get requests from the other NGOs and donor organization (Counterpart Consortium, UNDP) for the training conduction on Institutional Enhancement for the local NGOs and communities. A national team of trainers was created (9 persons). The team is involved by the other international organization for training conduction. The manuals "Institutional Enhancement and Recourses Mobilization", "FPA's Institutional Enhancement Evaluation", "ToT Institutional Enhancement" were developed. Not only Alliance members and staff use these manuals, but other organizations as well. 

6. During the twelve months of the project implementation the amount of the RHAK members has increased four times: from 101 members to 422 of members. They all actively participate in RHAK activities.

7. Youth Committees were elected. They successfully work in each RHAK branch. RHAK Youth National Committee was created at the General Assembly. The Chair of the Youth Committee was elected to RHAK's National Board. To hold youth training with the purpose of learning of RHAK mission, goals and objectives, and involving youth into RHAK activities and promotion of Peer led education additional funds were found. The trainings were conducted in six branches.

8. Partnership relations were established with many local NGOs, international and local donors. RHAK was admitted as one of the leading NGO in the field of Sexual Reproductive Health, Peer led education, HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention and Sexual Reproductive Rights promotion. That was proved at the UN Agencies meeting on July 2003. UN Agencies have acknowledged RHAK as the main partner.

9. Representatives from governmental structures (Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, Social Security Ministry, parliament members) friendly NGOs, International organizations, Donor organizations, and youth organizations participated in developing of the Strategic Directions/Framework for RHAK. 

10. Young people were actively involved in the developing of the Youth Policy of the Alliance, and main directions in the activities. Electronic network on the information sharing between RHAK branches youth Committees was created at the Youth Forum. This network is in use.

11. Four projects developed by young people became a result of increasing youth involvement. One of those is the prolongation of the IPPF/NTF project "RHAK Institutional Enhancement". The title of the Project is "Informational Technologies in Institutional Enhancement of RHAK" 

12. During the twelve months of the project implementation the branches Boards, using new gained skills, were able to fundraise resources for the branches' offices support and activities conduction for the amount equal to $3,500. At the beginning of the project only central office and Issyk-Kul branch had their offices. At present every branch has a place for the meetings and work.

13. RHAK entering to the associate membership of IPPF in June 2003 became a very important event for all members of the organization.

14. Chui branch Chair fundraised money from UNICEF and UNFPA to support the participation of 4 members of Chui branch in RHAK Youth Forum.

15. Issyk-Kul branch Chair was able to raise money for the one-day training on the topic "Violence prevention among youth and adolescents". 

16. RHAK central office staff in collaboration with the regional representation of Chemicals Works Gedeon Richter was able to receive humanitarian aid of Oral Contraceptives.

Main results of the 2nd project

The first objective of the project was to conduct a KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice) survey. A survey of migrants’ knowledge, attitudes and practice was conducted in three regions of Kyrgyzstan (Osh, Batken, and Chui). This survey attracted attention in the PoM communities. Totally, 2,473 people were questioned: 1,223 male, and 1,250 female.

Good partnership relations were established. An agreement with the Family Doctor Group Union was signed on the support and provision SRH cabinets with contraceptive services.

A lot of trainings were held for medical workers, PoM community leaders and RHAK members and volunteers:

· National Training of Trainers (ToT) on Quality of Care
· National ToT on Counseling 
· ToT for community leaders on SRHR issues
· ToT on working with marginalized groups

A team of specialists was brought together to work on the development and adaptation of the IEC materials and translation them into the Kyrgyz language. Twenty thousand copies of four different leaflets were printed in two languages, Russian and Kyrgyz.

A team of lawyers prepared comparative document on legislation.

Three clinics were technically equipped and supplied with basic medicines in partnership with FDGA in three regions Kyrgyz Republic: Sosnovka village, Chui region; Osh city, Osh region; Chon-Kara village, Batken region.

Other activity

A lot of International and Donor organizations express their wish to implement joint projects with RHAK. For example:

a) UNFPA offered to support two Youth Centers on the RHAK branches basis in Talas and Jalal-Abad cities starting from October 2003. 

b) UNCEF, German Agency for technical collaboration and RHAK seven Branches have implemented joint project for developing informational materials with adolescents for adolescents on the subject of reproductive health, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention since May. 

c) RHAK Chui branch, UNICEF, and Children Protection Center are implementing the project "HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention among the street children". They do it by the way of training peer led educators from the target group.

d) RHAK Issyk-Kul branch and Radio station "LW" are implementing the project on radio programs development. The term of the project is from January 2003 to January 2005. The title of the project is «Healthy radio waves". 

e) RHAK Issyk-Kul branch and "Medinai" Health Center with the support of WHO had implemented joint project on "Drug abuse and alcohol abuse prevention among rural young people" from March 2003 to July 2003. 

f) RHAK Issyk-Kul branch and "Medinai" Health Center with the support of Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation and Counterpart Consortium will implement the project in the frameworks of the program “Healthy Society” starting from the October 1st 2003.

g) Open Society Institute (Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation) offered to implement a joint project on "Promotion of Sexual Reproductive Rights" in the year of 2004. 

Besides the project activities, RHAK members and personnel actively participated in a number of training courses. The purpose was to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the further sustainability development of RHAK. The training covered many areas from accounting to psychological issues and conflict management.