U.S. Delegation Inspired by USAID Family Planning/Reproductive Health Project in Egypt

On Thursday, May 12, 2005, a bipartisan group of nine local elected officials, policymakers and political activists from the United States used words such as “inspiring,” “powerful,” “enlightening” and “emotional” to describe their two hour visit to the Sawada Rural Health Unit in Minia Governorate. After talking with community leaders and beneficiaries of USAID’s family planning and reproductive health project, the delegates came away with a better appreciation for how taxpayers’ money is being spent to improve the lives of ordinary Egyptians.

“I'm often asked at home why we offer so much aid,” said Henry T. Perea, a Democratic city councilman from Fresno, California.

“This clinic is the answer,” he continued, referring to facility improvements and community mobilization activities spearheaded by the TAHSEEN/CATALYST Project and funded by USAID. “It’s a fascinating project. I can see how it’s changing people’s lives and changing people’s perceptions of the United States.”

“It makes foreign aid much more human. Now I can explain why we’re doing it,” he added. “Good things are happening.”

Amy K. Slater, a fellow delegate and Republican council member from the city of Lenexa near Kansas City, Kansas added, “We had to get out and see what’s happening in the country. It was one of the highlights of our trip.”

Perea and Slater were in Egypt as part of a study tour organized by the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and funded by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The visit to Sawada came on the last formal day of the trip, which included meetings with political officials in Cairo, a factory in 6th of October City and a meeting with university students. Before coming to Egypt, the delegation had spent one week in Jordan.

Source: ACYPL

Women’s Empowerment

As part of the visit to the clinic, all of the delegates met with women from the village who had participated in a women’s empowerment program based on Johns Hopkins University’s Arab Women Speak Out.

Council member Slater was particularly impressed by the women in the community and the impact of USAID’s activities on peoples’ lives. As part of an effort to encourage women to seek the family planning and reproductive health services they need, participants are encouraged to take a more active role in the community and to start home-based businesses. One woman spoke about serving on the clinic board and wanting to run for the village council. Several women spoke about the home-based businesses they had started and one talked of how she convinced her husband not to have their daughter circumcised. According to Slater, it was “emotional.”

Democracy and Governance

Slater was also very interested the Project’s initiatives to create opportunities for people to participate in how the clinic is being managed and in health care decision making, and in the newly opened communications channels with government officials. She was particularly impressed that governors are now visiting villages they had not been to before and were now talking directly with community members.

“It seems that a lot of people don’t feel listened to. These activities have provided an opportunity for leadership and participation,” she said. “They were clearly proud of their accomplishments.”

Support from Religious Leaders

Source: ACYPL

All of the delegates also had an opportunity to speak with Muslim and Christian religious leaders - male and female - who have become committed reproductive health advocates and who have played a pivotal role in the Project’s successful efforts to mobilize the community.

“It was great to see how the religious community had stepped up and embraced the messages. This is unique,” Councilman Perea said. “Getting everybody on the same page - doctors, religious leaders, etc. - is so important.”

Clinic Renovations and Community Mobilization

As part of the Project’s efforts to improve the quality of care, the clinic had been renovated almost a year and a half earlier.

Both Slater and Perea were particularly impressed that such a small, rural village could have such a well-run clinic and extensive community mobilization operation in place. “You turn the corner and see this clinic,” Perea said. “From the road it looks like any other village. You would never imagine this level of sophistication.”

At the clinic, in addition to the women from the village and the religious leaders, the delegation also met with a member of the Minia Youth Committee, two students who had participated in a youth activity, a university-based peer educator, members of the board that supervises the clinic, service providers, women who were participating in a family planning and reproductive health seminar and representatives of local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Joining them for the visit was the Secretary General of Minia Governorate.

“It’s obvious you have community buy-in. The diversity of groups was impressive. It was good to hear directly from people benefiting from the assistance,” Slater said. “That’s a big deal.”

Perea was also impressed by how much the community supported the project. “It’s good to see the U.S. involved in providing health care, education and other services,” he said. “We have a social responsibility to help.”

Next Steps

Other delegates on the study tour were from Cleveland, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; Pikesville, Maryland (near Baltimore) and Washington, DC.
Several referred to the Project as “inspiring” and were impressed by the scope of the Project and how much had been done in such a short period of time. They were also pleased that the people of Sawada recognized that the assistance had come from the American people through USAID.

Source: ACYPL

Once they return home, many of the delegates plan on talking with colleagues and the local media, hoping to educate people about the impact that USAID is having in Egypt.

Perea, from California, called the trip “enlightening” and has several interviews scheduled for when he returns home. Slater, from Kansas, said she would put information about her trip on her website and offer to talk to local community groups. “It was my last impression of the whole trip,” she said. “It was very powerful.”

About the TAHSEEN/CATALYST Project

The TAHSEEN/CATALYST Project is implementing an integrated family planning and reproductive health model that focuses on improving the quality of care, mobilizing the community and ensuring long-term sustainability. Funded by USAID, the Project is currently active in 54 communities in three governorates of rural Upper Egypt, and in two urban poor areas in the capital city of Cairo.

The American Council of Young Political Leaders is a bipartisan, non-profit educational exchange organization dedicated to fostering relations between the next generation of political leaders in the United States and their counterparts around the world. Its education programs include international exchanges, foreign policy and democracy conferences, and election study programs. During the study tours, delegates engage in candid dialogue with senior government and political officials, industry executives, and community leaders on a wide range of political, cultural, and economic issues. For many rising leaders, the exchange program provides their first substantive experience abroad and an early exposure to international affairs.

For more information on TAHSEEN/CATALYST, contact Neil Parekh, Project Coordinator, at neilp@tahseen.org.