LOCALISING THE MDGs: IMPROVING EQUITY IN SARAWAK

LOCALISING THE MDGs:IMPROVING EQUITY IN SARAWAK Panel: Challenges & Recommendations in Addressing MDGs-related Issues Emphasis: Women and Children Health, Education & Spatial Concerns Speaker: Wee Chong Hui chonghuiSepti2006

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Working with community women towards HUMANE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Pap smear campaign After several discussions among themselves and with the full-time staff of the NGO, the newly formed women’s association in the kampong collected RM10 from those who wished to participate in the campaign. Some 20 women out of the kampong of about 100 households participated and the results of the campaign indicated that 3 of the participants required follow-up treatments. Later, some women who did not want to participate in the campaign requested the association to organise another pap smear campaign. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with womenReflections on/Findings from the pap smear campaign • Some women thought, “It happens to others, not me … not cancer.” • Then, “My healthy-looking neighbour had cancer!” • “Perhaps I need a pap smear test?” • Hence the importance of knowledge and awareness. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Reflections on/Findings from the pap smear campaign • JKKK, community organisations, NGOs may organise pap smear campaigns by requesting for assistance from the agencies concerned (SFPA, MOH). (LESSON: “Ask and you will be given”) • Service providers (SFPA, MOH) may work with the community. • Having the campaign at the kampong meant the women need not spend time traveling to the clinic, which they can ill-afford because they wanted to do household chores. • Service providers have to consider the needs of the clients (e.g. the women may rather have pap smear campaigns in the kampong than go to the clinic). chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Anti-headlice campaign The full-time staff of the NGO noticed that the children in the kampong had headlice. In her discussions with the women, the women said that the children got the problem from the school and it spread from children to adults. It was decided that the women’s association should conduct anti-headlice campaign. The NGO decided to sponsor the medicine, which a supplier has agreed to sell at offer price. A volunteer of the NGO asked, “Can we use kerosene?” chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women The NGO decided to ask the people which they preferred – medicine or kerosene. Or, should we use medicine for the children and kerosene for the adults in order to save costs. The people decided to use kerosene because they felt that they would be more familiar with using kerosene than medicine. Since then, the NGO had not been involved in headlice campaigns for the kampong. The women’s association conducted some campaigns on their own and some families treated their children on their own. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Reflections on the anti-headlice campaign • There was good participation when we addressed the people’s need (for an anti-headlice campaign). • Given a choice, the kampong women would like to deal with problems in ways they are familiar with. They would like to handle problems themselves. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Women’s associations We thought we should ask the women in the kampong what their needs were. When they said they needed piped water, we did not quite know what to do – we provide health services. But our visits to the kampong and attempts to get women to come together and organise activities gave them avenues to continue early abandoned efforts to collect and raise funds for piped water supply. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women We told the women that we are a voluntary body which has to be accountable for the funds we raise. We gave financial support for activities based on proper applications – group participation, common objectives, planning, accounting/bookkeeping requirements and post-mortem of the activities. We taught them how to prepare applications for our “grants”. We sat with them to facilitate their planning and evaluation sessions. Some women’s associations used what they learned to apply for government grants for minor rural projects. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women The women became closer as they worked together (bonding) – “Last time I was afraid of being laughed at for being illiterate. I learned through experience. Now we laugh at our mistakes together.” They increased their participation in the association. The women organised pap smear campaign. We had programmes for youths – on values, friendship and peer pressure, sex education. chonghuiSepti2006

Selected experiences from work with women Reflections • We, an NGO, are not the only one with resources. The people also have resources. We have to work together for our social good. • We can also get resources from other organisations (bridging) and the government (linking). • Bonding strengthens the association. • The women became more capable of handling their own problems. Our NGO was one of the many from which they sought support. (Community education) chonghuiSepti2006

CONCLUSION • Love and take care of yourself. If you are unhealthy or sick, you cannot love or take care of your loved ones. • “Ask and you will be given.” Know what services various government agencies and NGOs. chonghuiSepti2006

CONCLUSION • For service providers, government/NGOs • There is a need to disseminate information (knowledge) and create awareness. • And a need for community education/living skills for children. • Are you addressing your clients’ needs? • Governance: If you are receiving payments for providing service, can you justify your pay? • Your clients may have resources which you may find useful. chonghuiSepti2006

CONCLUSION • For NGOs: • Bonding • Bridging • Linking chonghuiSepti2006

CONCLUSION • For the government • Budget priority to equity • Governance • Listen to the people • Encourage sincere and meaningful dialogue - Work towards national (economic) sovereignty (in an era of increasing globalisation/liberalisation. THANK YOU chonghuiSepti2006

LOCALISING THE MDGs: IMPROVING EQUITY IN SARAWAK