Sinana Female Genital Mutilation Elimination Project (FGMEP), Ethiopia

Background:
Female Genital Mutilations (FGM), early marriage, and prejudice are harmful traditional practices (HTPs) which are widely practices in Bale zone of Oromia Region. Among these harmful traditional practices, FGM is the chronic problem in the area. Taking in to account this complication, the EECMY/DASSC Wabe Batu Synod Branch office has launched a pilot project funded by NLM, known as Sinana Female Genital Mutilation elimination project. This non-governmental organization works in Bale zone, in Sinana district, in two PAs namely in Hisu and Obora on harmful traditional practice such as (FGM) which are practiced widely in the area.

Purpose/objective:
The evaluation is mainly intended to assess the performance against the agreed plan and other procedural and technical issues of the project and provide the out-come of the evaluation to the relevant government bodies and to the implementing agency Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus/DASSC and Norwegian Lutheran Mission to fill their information gap.

Specifically the team will look at:
 Whether the project has realized its goal and objective asset,
 Assess the project specific achievement against plan,
 The proper utilizations of the project resources in the course of the project implementation,
 The direct and indirect impact of the project pertaining to the natural environment and the community needs.
 Determine the effectiveness of the project and draw important lessons to be used when designing a similar project for implementation.

Methodology:
In effort to collect the necessary data and information for the purpose of this evaluation, the evaluation team has used the following methods:
 Hold discussion with the project management and staffs at the project site(Robe  project office)
 Reviewed the project document as well as periodical reports of the project,
 Holding discussion with the project beneficiaries especially on in different schools and the surrounding community and interviewed some of them on individual basis,
 Conduct discussion with the concerned zone and district line department.

Key findings:
EECMY/DASSC in partnership with Norwegian Lutheran Mission project entails innovative approach to experiential learning about harmful traditional practices. Especially the Muslim and Christians religious leaders take Koran and the Bible to convince and teach their followers on Female Genital Mutilations. The overall intervention was found promising to eliminate harmful traditional practices and to follow up practitioners not to circumcise girls.

Moreover establishment and strengthening of anti-Female Genital Mutilations committee and clubs in the peasant association and school respectively realized the efforts of Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus/DASSC and Norwegian Lutheran Mission to eliminate Female Genital Mutilations practices from the communities. 

Recommendations:
The evaluation team suggests the following recommendations on issues that need rectifications:

 Though the participants and the targeted Peasant Association PA communities have been fully oriented and developed the knowledge of harmful traditional practices, it is equally effective if the project incorporate the neighborhood PA communities because the project only cover two peasant associations from the total of 20 PAs of the District.

 As observed by the team even though financial audit was not reported annually, the overall utilization and management lacks technical proficiency in handling and reporting. The fore, the issue needs serious consideration by Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus/ DASSC and Norwegian Lutheran mission.

 As far as possible the organization should not have the basic understanding of regional NGO’s guideline. For instance, the quarter report format is not the regional NGO’s guideline format rather the donor’s format.

 The effort made by Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus/ DASSC and Norwegian Lutheran Mission focus on eliminating harmful traditional practices, especially Female Genital Mutilations was very encouraging. But members of the peasant association are very shocked because the neighbors hood community behaviors was not changed rather it is as the formers.

 During field visit the team observed that the project office couldn’t accommodate all facilities of the project and cannot attract competent professionals at the project site. Thus the organization ought to seek means by which the office condition will be improved for sustainable service.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The Sinana Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) project entered 2nd phase for a period of 3 years, 2010-2012. The impact in those two selected PAs was very successful and NLM through its partner EECMY/ DASSC in collaboration with District Stakeholders is determined to expand the activity to wider areas to combat the Harmful Traditional Practices, FGM in particular.