0ur Main Program Focus Areas
FOWYD has prioritized four main program areas to address the challenges faced by women and youth and these programs align with our objectives and are designed to:
Promote education and awareness
- Improve healthcare and well-being
- Support vulnerable children and youth
- Empower communities through agriculture and economic development
Education
- Promote education as an empowerment equalizer for community development
- Increase awareness on the value of education among women and youth
The world is still witnessing children being denied the right to education – according to the Global Partnership for Education, “260 million children and youth were out of school in 2018”. This is despite education being a human right issue and plays a key role in human, social and economic development. This is the basis on which the Organization works to promote education for the targeted communities especially in advancing the status of women and youth. The specific change in this regard that the Organization seeks to focus on, is to enhance awareness on the value of education as an empowerment equalizer for community development. It is envisaged that an increased number of women and youth will prioritize access to education.
Healthcare
- Improve access to quality healthcare services, especially for women and girls
- Address sexual reproductive health and rights, and HIV/AIDS
According to the World Health Organization, better health is central to human well-being and is an important contribution to economic progress. In many communities around the world, access to quality health care services remains elusive for most ordinary people especially sexual reproductive health and rights of women and girls. In many aspects, the cost, distance, unavailability of variety of health services and qualified medical professionals has made it difficult for rural community members to get the health care they need. The Organization anticipates that with more resources channelled towards health services for the marginalized, the health and well-being of the targeted beneficiaries in the operational areas will improve. By and large the Organization is also contributing to the general improvement of health outcomes at community and national levels where our present is visible.
Orphanages
- Promote quality care for children in orphanages
- Support mental, emotional, psychological, and behavioral development
Given the dynamics with economic situation in many communities today around the world, the care for children without permanent parents in family set ups remains challenging. Even under the government welfare and social protection systems, it has been noted that in most cases these institutions are unable to cope with the relatively large groups amid very few caregivers and limited resources. This therefore points to the fact that orphanages will continue to exist as alternative care options in the absence of permanent family care mechanisms. According to Groark and McCall, in “Implementing Changes in Institutions to Improve Young Children’s Development”, research indicates that creating more family-like structures in these orphanage environments will substantially contribute to children’s development. In this regard the Organizations approach will be to focus on promoting quality of care that will assure mental, emotional, psychological and behavioural development of children residing in its orphanages.
Agriculture
- Mainstream agriculture in interventions and advocacy for access to land
- Support economic emancipation and food security
In any given economy, agriculture is the main lifeline of economic emancipation especially given its multiplier effect on the situation of women and youth. With sufficient investment and skills competencies in agriculture, it is the Organization’s considered view that its contribution to world’s economy and food security will be that needed economic equalizer. In working with all the targeted communities, agriculture will be mainstreamed in all interventions and with it will be lobby and advocacy for access to land by women and youth. In this regard the traditional leadership shall be one key partner in promoting equitable land governance and administration that will recognize the important role that women and youth play in building economic prowess. The specific change in this regard is to see a number of communities with increased income from agriculture and improved nutritional status for their people.
