Building towards a sustainable future

Health[e]Foundation never plays a solo lead in a project. To enhance sustainability and maintain local support, Health[e]Foundation seeks cooperative partnerships with local, well-established organizations and stakeholders in the countries where it is active.

We’re committed to building projects that last. With long-standing relationships, we thrive with our partners toward sustainable projects. Sharing tasks and responsibilities with our partners is, therefore, an integral part of our long-term projects. We encourage the transfer of ownership of each project to our partners, and together we search ways for projects to continue, also when Health[e]Foundation is no longer involved during implementation or when external funding flows decrease.

Last week, our respected colleagues from the Ethiopian Midwives association (EMwA), showed a beautiful example of successful task-shifting. Due to circumstances, the initial dates for a kick-off workshop in which midwives are introduced to the Female&Family[e]Education course and LUCY mobile service, had to be changed and the workshop was postponed. Rescheduling resulted in a situation in which our Project managers from Health[e]Foundation Amsterdam were unable to be present during the workshop in Arbaminch (Southern Ethiopia), therefore the workshop organization was handed over to EMwA. With close collaboration and distance support from the Netherlands, EMwA was able to conduct a very successful workshop. 60 midwives took part in the workshops, and are now fully equipped and motivated to start the Health[e]Families e-learning curriculum to increase their knowledge and skills in maternal and newborn health and care.

Health[e]Foundation wants to thank EMwA, Ibrahim Yimer and Diriba Bekele in particular, for their effort, ad hoc response and action to make the continuation of the project possible!