Project/Solution name: Astarte
Country(es): Indicate the country(es) or region/sub-region involved in
the project: Global conflict affected, currently Liberia and Sierra Leone
Nominated by: Indicate the institution(s)/organization(s): JSI Research & Training Institute
Sector: Health (reproductive health in conflict)
Sponsor(s)/Donor(s): Currently, AJWS
Implementing agency: institution(s)/organization(s) responsible for the implementation of the
project: Childrensmile, Paracom, PMU-Liberia, MERCI-Liberia with JSI Astarte
Project status: indicate if the project is in phase of development, implementation or completed:
Ongoing
Project period: indicate the time-frame, if applicable: phased in three years
1. Description of the initiation, including background and challenges:
“For capacity building in any area of our country’s recovery to be truly sustainable, it must be
indigenous. It must flow from the people themselves. It must be built upon the experience of all
Liberians. It must be driven by their present social conditions and by their dreams and desires for
the future. We understand that the issue of sustainability is paramount, as is the need for
support and assistance from our donors and partners. We all share the goal of developing our
internal capacities, so that with the passage of time Liberia will thrive with diminishing
dependence on outside support.” - Liberia’s President Ellen Sirleaf, quoted by Minister
Gwenigale, National health policy/national health plan Liberia
The quote from Liberia’s President Ellen Sirleaf summarizes the purpose of the Astarte initiative.
Astarte fosters leadership and institutional strengthening among local NGOs who have proven
to fill the gap of essential Reproductive Health (RH) services and advocacy in conflict affected
areas.
To date, Astarte has granted more than 1,000,000 USD to local NGOs in nearly 20 countries.
These groups have used the small grants to develop innovative and effective strategies to
increase access to reproductive health in their respective communities. Astarte partner NGOs
frequently operate in geographically remote communities where no other services are available
thereby increasing access to RH services for marginalized populations. With technical and
organizational support and modest financial inputs, Astarte partners provide high-quality,
comprehensive reproductive health care in a sustainable way.
Although the project started over a decade ago with a focus on increasing access through direct
support for service provision, Astarte has increasingly promoted advocacy and network building.
The networks emphasize linking grassroots community advocates with in-country policy makers,
donors, and Ministry officials. Because Astarte is focused on work in conflict and post-conflict
areas, Astarte partners are often uniquely positioned to influence donor priorities and policy as
it is being developed when governments are rebuilding after a conflict has ended.
The Astarte Project’s main goal is to increase the access and availability of quality,
comprehensive reproductive health (RH) services, especially family planning, for populations
affected by conflict. Astarte recognizes that enhancing access for reproductive health services
requires both supportive policy and adequate funding, and that building human and
organizational capacity in conflict affected is needed to ensure that these resources translate
into quality services for local communities.
2. Main partners:
Astarte current partner organizations include: Childrensmile, PMU-Liberia, PARACOM, MERCILiberia, and RHANSL (Reproductive Health Advocacy Network Sierra Leone). Astarte promotes
linkages among these partners. Astarte resources (financial and technical) are mobilized from
private foundations and donors through JSI Research & Training Institute (JSI), a member of the
Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium. The RHRC was formed in 1995 to
respond to the reproductive health needs of refugee and displaced women, men and
adolescents everywhere. As part of the RHRC Consortium’s goal to increase reproductive health
service access for conflict affected populations, Astarte has been partnering with organizations
working in conflict affected settings in order to enhance the quality and availability of services
for Gender Based Violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS, adolescent reproductive health, safe motherhood,
and family planning.
3 Achievements and impact:
After more than a decade of working with local NGO’s, Astarte has witnessed the benefits of
capacity building:
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Capacity building for local organizations in post conflict settings does not only strengthen
health services, it also strengthens civil society itself which is critical for the success of any
public health initiative.
Capacity-building leads to economic strengthening and skill building, empowering not only
individuals, but the community as a whole. Building these communities brings us a step
closer to the ultimate goal of development: to improve livelihoods.
Local initiatives provide avenues for national-level advocacy. With access to
parliamentarians, access to media, local NGOs can develop powerful messaging as part of a
grassroots initiative within the community.
Local NGOs engaged in regional networks can strategize how to cover existing gaps in
coverage, target policymakers, and order supplies at a lower cost.
Astarte partners consistently prove that small amounts of money in combination with technical
assistance makes a significant difference in enabling organizations to deliver reproductive health
services in conflict-affected settings.
4. Sustainability:
Investing in capacity building and financial support for local NGOs in conflict affected areas
offers a sustainable solution to ensuring reproductive health services in emergencies and postconflict settings. Building local networks of support among agencies this optimizes learning and
coordination, and builds sustainability.
5. Innovation:
As a result of poor security and accessibility to communities, local NGOs are often the only
organizations providing health services in post-conflict states. Despite the fact that local NGOs
will play such a key role in shaping the future health system during the transition period, they
are frequently overlooked. They have the potential to contribute towards MDGs, particularly
with financial and capacity investments. Astarte is innovative in this approach to ensuring RH in
conflict affected settings.
6. Replicability and scaling up:
Astarte has been replicated in several countries already and scaling up can be easily achieved
through a regional strategy. Inputs of $10,000 seed grants for country based local organizations
that are providing reproductive health services in conflict work with Astarte for a period of 3
years, during which time network building and capacity building occurs. The
7. Areas of contribution:
Astarte contributes to a range of areas, particularly social inclusion, networks, and health.
Astarte is geared specifically towards strengthening the capacity of women and conflict affected
communities by ‘connecting them to a bigger picture’ – including financial, human and technical
resources. Facilitating in-country, regional (south-south) and international networks (southsouth and south-north) is achieved by investing in linking local leaders and communities to
national and international programmers, policy makers and experts working in reproductive
health for conflict affected areas.
8. Awareness of the initiative:
The initiative has been disseminated in the “Health and Fragile States Network: Report on Good
practices and New approaches,” June 2009; conferences (Raise conference, 2008), the RHRC
website (www.RHRC.org) and Astarte’s website (www.astarte.org).
9. Other information
10. supporting materials: website (see www.astarteproject.org)
As a result of poor security and accessibility to communities, local NGOs are often the only
organizations providing health services in post-conflict states. Given the current trend in
contracting out health services delivery to NGOs during the early recovery period, these NGOs
will play a vital role in shaping the future health system during the transition period. National
surveys are often conducted early on in the reconstruction phase to assist in identifying specific
health needs and service gaps. 67 2.7 Health information systems
One year after programme commencement, evidence suggests that One year after programme
commencement, evidence suggests that relatively modest investments, in the form of small
grants and capacity building, enhance the effectiveness of local organizations. The seed grants
helped the NGOs build an organizational base and track-record, and increased organisational
sustainability by creating the opportunity to leverage additional funding from other donors. The
project also resulted in the establishment of in-country and external links. The NGOs
collaborated with the MOHSW at county level by supporting MOHSW-identified priorities, and
linked with each other within and outside Liberia by sharing lessons learned at national
workshops and an international conference. At the end of the first year, all four NGOs had
expanded the number of areas of RH covered. Programme managers and staff demonstrated
increased knowledge and skills in relation to the delivery of quality RH programmes.