Hi everyone, 

We have now published a paper summarising the project qualitative findings. 

 Fostvedt-Mills Consulting sought to answer the questions:

1. What are the social and gender-based factors determining the nutrition and WASH practices of the communities?
2. How are those factors affecting the nutrition and WASH practices of the communities?

In this paper they share the findings and fiscuss the advantages and challenges of using photovoice in Afar. 

You can access the paper here:  A Photovoice Study on WASH and Nutrition in Afar, Ethiopia

Any comments and questions are most welcome - we'd love to know if you found it useful.

Thanks and best wishes,

Alice

Hi everyone,

Christine Fostvedt-Mills, Line Richter and Jocelyn Kelln have now published the third blog in their series focusing on a GIZ-funded project using PhotoVoice with pastoralist communities in Afar, Ethiopia. 

You can read the blog here: "Gender equality, nutrition and WaSH in pastoralist communities"

Please do let us know if you have any questions or comments - we hope you find the blog useful. 

Thanks and best wishes, 

Alice

Dear all,

I'm sharing part 2 in the blog series written by Christine Fostvedt-Mills (Fostvedt-Mills Consulting (FMC) :

Blog 2: Participatory action for nutrition & WASH with pastoralist women in Afar, Ethiopia

Christine shares reflections on facilitating participatory Community Action Planning workshops with pastoralist communities in the Afar region of Ethiopia. She also highlights work done towards one of the projects primary objectives - ensuring that the project remains participatory and centred the voices of women in the community, specifically mothers and female community leaders.

These approaches have resulted in culturally appropriate, gender balanced and community-driven actions toward improved nutrition and WaSH practises. She talks about the vital need to build trust with participants by involving them throughout the project, using
methodologies like photovoice to center their voices and asking them directly to design solutions to their own problems has demonstrated
promising results.

Her first blog looks at the use of PhotoVoice methodology to centre the voices of women in the community on nutrition and WaSH challenges . You can read her 1st blog here Blog 1: Empowering pastoralist women in Afar region, Ethiopia: the value of PhotoVoice in Covid-sensitive research)

Best wishes
Elaine

Dear Chaiwe,

I'm really glad to hear you liked the SLh blog by the excellent Christine Fostvedt-Mills , WASH and Nutrition Researcher. I really enjoyed it and thought the photos tell such a powerful story.

Thanks for much for the resources you have suggested, I will pass them on to my colleagues who are currently working on a new desk-based research report on exploring the interlinkages between environmental cleanliness, sanitation, and hygiene practices for improved child development
outcomes. This will be available over the coming months -  I will keep you posted.

I agree that the PhotoVoice manual is a useful tool - just adding a link here for anyone interested to learn more. eclass.hmu.gr/modules/document/file.php/YK128/PV_Manual.pdf

Best wishes
Elaine

Hi Elaine,

This is an interesting blog you shared here. Inadequate WASH facilities and poor practices contribute to sickness and malnutrition. There has been evidence showing the links between poor WASH conditions, especially exposure to poor sanitation, and stunted growth. I particularly enjoyed this project report from Burkina Faso on the subject: www.actioncontrelafaim.org/wp-content/up...burkinafaso_gb_0.pdf

The prevalence of lack of access to safe water close to home premises results in women and girls often having limited choices, about their drinking water source. Time spent suffering from water-related diseases or collecting water reduces time for education, economic activities and good hygiene practices. In situations where safe water is available for purchase
from vendors, high water prices often leave less money available for food and other necessities. There is an interesting read right here on the forum on the links between WASH and Nutrition, kindly follow this link: www.susana.org/en/working-groups/wash-and-nutrition

I looked through the PhotoVoice manual which was developed by experienced photographers who put in so much thought and effort in developing the manual. It is quite a useful tool for those who are working on similar projects and would love to carry out projects that require them to disseminate information through visuals or print media.

Regards,
Chaiwe

Pastoralist women in the Afar region of Ethiopia bear the burden for nutrition and WASH, and suffer more from effects of poor WASH.

This blog by Christine Fostvedt-Mills, WASH and Nutrition Researcher, shows that rich participatory research using PhotoVoice is possible during the Covid 19 pandemic, helping women share their vital knowledge and to address their many challenges.

Read blog: Empowering pastoralist women in Afar region, Ethiopia: the value of PhotoVoice in Covid-sensitive research



'The children need to help the donkey carry water from the river. If they didn't
help it would be too heavy'
Photo credit: Ebrahim – Afar region, Ethiopia | FMCConsulting AS