| Community of Practitioners on Accountability and Social Action in Health |
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West Meru District Hospital offers Examination Bed and
Drug Supplies at Shishtone village Health Post in Tanzania
Drug Supplies at Shishtone village Health Post in Tanzania
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Manka Martin Kway
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Background
Civic education may be defined as the process of educating citizens on their rights, duties and responsibilities to empower and motivate them to identify what areas of the political and governance processes they can effectively participate in and what they can do to influence political outcomes and thereby improve the quality of governance at both local and national levels. DSW Tanzania through Healthy Action Project, conducted civic education training in three villages of Meru district to build capacity of community members in areas of good governance, health system and to enable them to understand their health and civil rights. Issues of transparency, citizen‟s participation and empowerment, government responsiveness, accountability, and equity were also discussed. After different presentations on health systems, good governance, health and civil rights by DSW, community members were able to identify challenges faced while accessing health services. Major challenges identified by community members include:
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The district medical hospital was made aware of challenges faced by community members and service providers in delivering better health services to the poor. The district reproductive and child health coordinator said “If it was not for DSW, I would have not have known all these challenges because these villages are very far from the district hospital and we rarely visit them”
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The district medical hospital was made aware of challenges faced by community members and service providers in delivering better health services to the poor. The district reproductive and child health coordinator said “If it was not for DSW, I would have not have known all these challenges because these villages are very far from the district hospital and we rarely visit them.”
DSW interventions in these villages have brought hope and change to the community because the district medical officer was informed of these challenges and in less than a week positive results were seen. District medical officer has offered one examination bed to Shishtone village dispensary. The bed was taken to the village on 7th September 2011 together with one mattress, bed sheet and different drug supplies to cater for three months – up to December 2011.
DSW interventions in these villages have brought hope and change to the community because the district medical officer was informed of these challenges and in less than a week positive results were seen. District medical officer has offered one examination bed to Shishtone village dispensary. The bed was taken to the village on 7th September 2011 together with one mattress, bed sheet and different drug supplies to cater for three months – up to December 2011.
Apart from that, the district medical hospital has scheduled outreach activities in collaboration with PSI to provide mobile clinic services for pregnant women and children under five as well as providing family planning services and education from 23rd September 2011.One of the biggest roles of civic education is to empower people, promote and help them understand their rights so that they demand the government to take responsibility or hold their leaders accountable. The project has done justice and built trust among community members.
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ABOUT AUTHORS
Manka Martin Kway, holds Masters degree in Community Development from Mt. Meru University in Arusha and BA degree in Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam. Previously, Manka has worked with different international organisations such as World Vision and UNHCR in facilitating and promoting sustainable community development and humanitarian aid assistance to Congolese refugees in Tanzania. Manka joined DSW in August 2007 and is right now serving DSW as Impact Tracking Coordinator. m understand their rights so that they demand the government to take responsibility or hold their leaders accountable. The project has done justice and built trust among community members.
Manka Martin Kway, holds Masters degree in Community Development from Mt. Meru University in Arusha and BA degree in Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam. Previously, Manka has worked with different international organisations such as World Vision and UNHCR in facilitating and promoting sustainable community development and humanitarian aid assistance to Congolese refugees in Tanzania. Manka joined DSW in August 2007 and is right now serving DSW as Impact Tracking Coordinator. m understand their rights so that they demand the government to take responsibility or hold their leaders accountable. The project has done justice and built trust among community members.