Transformational Change: gStrengthening African Capacity for Enhanced and Sustainable for Enhanced and Sustainable

Humanitarian Action

Case StudyCase Study

Mercy Medical Relief Society Doing it Better: Transforming Humanitarian Efforts International

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Humanitarian Conference 2011Kuwalalumpur Nov 26-29

The State Of Human Despair In AfricaHuman Despair In Africa

• an estimated 22 million people an estimated 22 million people remaining forcibly displaced;

• 13 million are starving in the Horn of 13 million are starving in the Horn of Africa;

• mal governance and Conflictsa go e a ce a d Co cts• Diseases of poverty• African organizations suffer from ca o ga a o s s e o

insufficient funding to up-grade competences and structures to a pcompetitive level to deal with this challenge

Paradigm shifts necessary for f i l htransformational change

• What is the overall rationality or significance • What is the overall rationality or significance of the great traffic of international projects of in fragile states, the proliferating activities g , p gthat seem to show little regard for economy of co-ordination?

• How far and in what ways do various international agencies, programmes, mechanisms forms of knowledge and mechanisms, forms of knowledge and technical assistance feed on one another in helping set the boundaries of CD reform in helping set the boundaries of CD reform in fragile states?

Africa Humanitarian ActionAfrican in spirit, concept and

iti AHA i Af i composition, AHA is a pan-African non-governmental organization non governmental organization

(NGO) providing effective h i i i ll i humanitarian assistance to alleviate

human suffering building on the human suffering building on the strength of African people to solve

African problems.

BackgroundBackground• Founded in 1994 in response to the Founded in 1994 in response to the

Rwandan genocide;• Supported nine million people in 16 Supported nine million people in 16

African countries to regain their health, dignity and well-beingg y g

• Currently AHA works in 18 African countries

• Values: AHA seeks to empower African people p p

Goal: ensure that vulnerable African communities face minimal risk of di d i hdisasters and receive the necessary humanitarian assistance when they occur

Objectives: strengthen AHA’s programmedelivery capability so it can delivery capability so it can implement effective disaster prevention, mitigation and response work throughout Africa;

O t t h d t t ffi d Outputs: enhanced structures, offices and trained staff in place to deliver more extensive programmes to reach more extensive programmes to reach more people at risk from and affected by disasters

AHA Outcomes • Diversified and scaled up assistance are provided; • Diversified and scaled up assistance are provided; • Humanitarian values included in all

programmes;p g ;• Complementary programme areas are identified;• Associations/offices are harmonized ;

S f l h lth ti lidifi d• Successful health promotion are solidified;• Mainstreaming gender, specially focusing on

SGBV; ;• Application of knowledge and learning level; • Improved management information;

I d ti l t d d• Improved operational systems and procedures;• Enhanced long-term financial sustainability;• Improved results and impact measurements Improved results and impact measurements

established and practiced

Operations• Corporate Planning Operations & Impact M&E• Corporate Planning, Operations & Impact M&E• Capacity Development• Code of Practice for a mutual accountability y

contribute to on going efforts of the CD partnership towards commitment to the use of standard practices• serve as a guiding document for improving the

partnership by setting out institutional modalities aimed at enhancing pluralistic processes and foster aimed at enhancing pluralistic processes and foster a genuine to a locally driven approach

• enable societies & polities to be aware of acts of enable societies & polities to be aware of acts of public offence

• build systems of knowledge management (KM) for CD

Conclusion AHA endeavors and works to

• foster institutions which currently do not exist;

• reorienting institutions which have been • reorienting institutions which have been diverted to non-humanitarian c ends; and

• building in-country capacity for democratic building in country capacity for democratic governance on the basis of African demand and with a minimum of outside expertise

http://www africahumanitarian orghttp://www.africahumanitarian.org