Max Foundation plan

Transcription

1 Max Foundation plan Page1

2 Content 1. Introduction 3 2. Goal 4 3. Our values 5 4. How we work 6 5. Max-WASH approach 7 6. Were we work 9 7. Ambition 10 Page2

3 1. Introduction Max Foundation prevents child mortality in most efficient and effective way by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene currently in rural Bangladesh. It chose this approach and location because this generates the most impact for the effort and funding. Max-WASH, a combination of safe water and sanitation are fundamental to life and everyone has a right to these basic services, especially children. Established in 2004, Max Foundation is an international nongovernmental organization focused on reducing child mortality by improving poor people s access to safe water, proved hygiene and sanitation in developing countries. We finance small scale WASH programs, implemented by local partner organizations, in the poorest and most remote regions of rural Bangladesh. In addition, to generate a fly-wheel effect MF strives to convince other NGO to focus on these high-impact low-cost activities. Max Foundation is founded by Joke and Steven Le Poole, following the death of their son Max in Max died when he was only eight months old, of a rare viral infection. Steven and Joke wanted something positive to come out of Max s death. After a global search, Max Foundation identified WASH in rural Bangladesh as the way to achieve most impact because of the high child mortality due to relatively easy preventable causes, high population density, social stability, low cost and willingness to learn. The approach is focused on community managed implementation of WASH, meaning that local involvement with community and local government and ownership are key words to obtain a sustainable effect. In this strategy plan we set out our aims to the next three years. Our ambition is that by 2016 a further 1.5 million people will have access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation as a direct result of our work. Through this strategy we seek to maximize our impact and reduce child mortality through access to safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene. Page3

4 2. Goal Max Foundation envisions a world where no children die due to easily preventable causes of child mortality. Our mission is reduce child mortality in most efficient and effective way by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in world's poorest communities. In addition Max Foundation constantly seeks to improve "Max value for money. Approximately 2,000 children die per day from diarrhoeal diseases. Of these deaths 88%--or around 1,800 per day--are due to poor drinking water, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene 1. Around 44% of deaths in children under 5 occurred during the neonatal period. Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene education (WASH) addresses child mortality in the most effective and sustainable manner. Access to clean drinking water is an essential prerequisite for survival and healthy development. Schools without water and sanitation cannot attract teachers and without private sanitation facilities girls often drop out as they reach puberty. Max Foundation believes that water hygiene and sanitation form the first essential steps to overcoming poverty and we see it is the starting point for all other kinds of measures to fight child mortality. 1 WHO 2013 figures Page4

5 3. Our values The following values drive our way of thinking, work and actions: Personal Business driven Learn and improve Accountable Collaborative Inspiring Personal: As personal is our roots (Max) as personal is our way of working with our donors, staff, partner organizations and communities. Business driven: We have a business driven approach and continually strive for maximum impact. (Max value for money) Learn and improve: Learning and improving is always integrated in work, by adapting to local circumstances and continues improve our approach and our thinking to ensure an effective and sustainable result. Accountable: We believe that we should be accountable and transparent to our donors, local partner organizations and other stakeholders and we request to same from them. Collaborative: We believe in collaborative action. Working together with communities, other organizations, staff and supporters to achieve maximum impact. Inspiring: Max Foundation is a passionate champion to promote the business driven approach within the sector, to influence decision makers to maximize the impact. Page5

6 4. How we work Max foundation works with local partner organizations to deliver the safe water, sanitation services and improved hygiene in the poorest and most remote regions of rural Bangladesh. Max Foundation collaborates with several local partner organizations in Bangladesh. We work together with these organizations on a long-term basis in order to get the best results. The approach is focused on community managed implementation of WASH, meaning that local involvement with community and local government and ownership are key words to obtain a sustainable effect. We run our NGO like a business always focusing on maximizing the impact, reducing child mortality. Our team has a corporate background and we use our entrepreneurial skills to manage the Max WASH programs based on max value for money. Our work contains the following main elements: Maximize our impact: The money we have is spent as carefully as possible to maximize our impact. Focus: By focusing on the Max- WASH method and on the regions where we are active, we have become experts within our field. Collaborative: We work together with communities, local partner organizations and other specialist and focus on the poorest (social inclusion). Operational excellence: We continuallystrive for operational excellence. Throughmonitoring, evaluationand learning we improve our approach. Integrated approach: Our integrated Max WASH approachconsists of elements to maximize the reduction of child mortality and is customized locally. Sustainable: We strive for sustainable solutions. Via intensive cooperation with local partner organizations, and the personal contribution of the communities themselves. Page6

7 5. Max-WASH approach Our Max-WASH approach is based on three integrated pillars: drinking water supply (wells), latrines and hygiene education. The integrated approach has more benefits than the sum of the parts. The three elements of WASH in the programs are always jointly addressed, whereby school sanitation, educating traditional birth attendants, relevant educational elements of sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender have become standard elements. The population sees a clear improvement when they roughly simultaneously have access to safe water, less stench from open defecation and significantly less children with diarrhoea. The local community is always actively involved in the program. They of course benefit from the facilities, but also contribute to the costs of the well and toilets. Furthermore, they are responsible for the maintenance of the facilities. Through the years, we have developed a Max-WASH approach by rigorous selection of local partner organizations; measuring and benchmarking results of different WASH programs and regular visits to partners and operating areas. The main focus is on creating a long term sustainable behavioral change. A water well is built only after a request from the villagers themselves, accompanied by 150 signatures. They also pay a contribution of about 10 to 20 percent of the cost of a well. To guarantee sustainability, a maintenance committee is set up, responsible for repairs to the well when necessary. The wells are mainly dug 300 meters deep. Ideally, we would like to build less deep and therefore cheaper wells, but in some regions the ground water is contaminated with arsenic (which can lead to diseases) or salt (near the coast). This is a factor we have to contend with, when building deeper wells. Water wells are simple and made of local materials. Maintenance is very straight-forward and parts are widely available. A well can last up to 20 years. Latrines are simple squat toilets mostly bought by the villagers themselves. We help the poorest villagers with the purchase. Education about hygiene and the consequent correct use of the latrines plays a crucial role in improving health. Since 2009, we have also been focusing on building toilet blocks in schools. Adequate sanitary facilities in schools make a huge difference, particularly to girls. A lack of these kinds of facilities means that Page7

8 girls often stay at home during their menstruation. Teachers play an important role in hygiene education and disease prevention. School children take this information home with them, which also means that we are reaching their families too. The most important component of Max-WASH is education about hygiene. According to the World Health Organization, this approach can reduce child mortality by 45%. Without good education, the installation of water wells has only a limited effect. A separate Max-WASH activity is the training and equipping of local traditional birth attendants, with which we help to prevent unnecessary child mortality during childbirth. Furthermore, in our programs we include child mortality related elements of sexual reproductive health and rights, like neonatal education and early marriage which is a huge problem in Bangladesh. Education, improved hygiene and clean water have, besides combating child mortality, a number of important other effects. Less disease means a decrease in medical costs, and contributes to an increase in productivity: adults can work longer, and young people can attend school more often. Because of the new water facilities in the villages, the women can use the time they save, to earn an income for their family, and so improve their living situation. Page8

9 6. Were we work Bangladesh is one of the countries fighting high child mortality rates, but the last decade this country has achieved significant success in reducing under-5 child mortality, due to its commitment to innovation and knowledge-sharing. 60% of child mortality in Bangladesh is due to neonatal mortality 2, caused by birth asphyxia, neonatal infections, prematurity and complications at birth. It is a challenge to take effective steps against this as 71 per cent deliveries still take place at home. The main reasons for the death of under-5 children remain pneumonia, drowning and diarrhea. Under nutrition is another challenge for Bangladesh which is a major contributing factor to child mortality. Among the under-5 children, 41 per cent are experiencing stunted growth. What characterizes Bangladesh? Available resources can be used most effectively, e.g. a Deep Tube Well (300 meters deep) can be implemented for approx. 550 euro. Dense population even in rural areas, meaning that a single water pump can ensure clean water for a village of around 150 people. An estimated 30 million people in Bangladesh have no access to clean drinking water and sanitation. More than a 75% of the population has to survive on less than $2 per day ***. Bangladesh is politically a relatively stable country, and an emerging market economically. We aim to start up in other regions, if it means that we can reduce child mortality in an efficient way. 2 Unicef report July 2013 *** According to World Bank Page9

10 7. Ambition We have developed the following five aims for the next 3 years We will reduce child mortality by providing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene to poorest communities in Bangladesh. 2. We will secure funding to achieve our ambition and ensure our independency. 3. We will achieve operational excellence through continued monitoring and evaluation and learning and improving. 4. Become recognized as a WASH leader and have Max WASH recognized as an efficient and effective method to prevent child mortality. 5. We will further develop as an efficient and effective organization. Page10