At the 2016 CCIH Annual Conference, Andrea Kaufmann of World Vision International discussed the role of faith leaders in communities and how faith leaders can be very influential in increasing the use of family planning.

1. Andrea Kaufmann, World Vision International
Director, Faith partnerships for development (Channels of Hope)
Faith communities and Family Planning
Engaging faith communities in Healthy Timing and Spacing of
Pregnancies (HTSP) through Channels of Hope

2. Core Values and Guiding Principles
The Church is our
indispensable partner
and all faith leaders
and communities are
important partners in
promoting human
flourishing.
We demonstrate
God’s love through
practical acts of
compassion.
(2 Corinthians 5:20)

3. Religion and faith are influential
85%
people in the world
associate themselves
with a particular
religion
74%
people in Africa trust
religious leaders the
most
1970 2010
Agnostic Athiest
25%
people in the world
were either agnostic
or atheist
In 1970 In 2010
6.5% 50%
people in the world
either Christian or
Muslim
In 1910 In 2050
64%
1910 2050
Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life -
Global Religious Landscape, December 2012.
T.M. Johnson & B.J. Grim, The world’s religions in figures, 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/0
9_september/15/world.shtml

4. Why faith leaders?
• Faith leaders are
influential and help shape
social norms and behaviors
• Faith leaders have deep
and long-term relationships
• Faith leaders share values
with the public health
community
• Faith leaders can mobilize
significant human resources.

5. What is Channels of Hope?

6. Addressing Critical Issues
Birth spacing
Government
CulturalandReligiousPractices
WV & NGOs
Local Community
Wife inheritance
Malnutrition
Early marriage
Gender based violence
HIV infections
TB & malaria
High child mortality
Trafficking
Violence against children
Gender inequality
Ebola

7. CoH – Contribution to Achieving CWB Aspirations
Birth Spacing
Government
CulturalandReligiousPractices
WV & NGOs
Local Community
Wife Inheritance
Malnutrition
Early marriage
Gender based Violence
HIV infections
TB & Malaria
High Child Mortality
Trafficking
Violence against Children
Gender inequality
CulturalandReligiousPractices
Birth Spacing
Peace building
Reduced HIV & AIDS
TB & Malaria
Reduced Child Mortality
Gender equality
Well Nourished
Ebola
Enjoy good health
Are educated
for life
Experience love of God
and their neighbours
Children...
Are cared for,
protected and
participating

8. Expected Outcomes
CoH MNCH
All children are celebrated
Increased male involvement
Support healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy
Improved access to and utilization of health services for Pregnant and
Lactating mothers (PLMs)

9. CoH MNCH Content and Learning:
MOMENT Project Kenya

10. Faith Leader Catalyzing Workshops
• Engaging the Head:
Learning basic technical
information
• Touching the Heart:
Understanding impact of
issues on people in the
community and engaging
faith texts
• Equipping the Hands:
Practical connections with
other community actors to
plan a response

11. Engaging the Head: Key HTSP Content

12. Stories of change
“We realized that family
planning is not killing; life
begins at conception. This
was an eye-opener for many
pastors. We knew we needed
to engage the church and our
communities on child health
and family planning issues.”
-Tom Obiero Ohawa, Pastor
Glad Tidings Church, Siaya
County, Kenya

13. Touch the Heart: Key HTSP Content
Tough Stuff Statements
(1) Birth spacing (birth control) is wrong, because it is
God who creates and intends pregnancy. It is not our
role to play God.
(2) Is it necessary to explain to teenagers how to use
condoms, or provide information about other
contraceptives? Would such explanations not
encourage early, irresponsible sexual activity?
(3) God says the man is the head of the household; and
He has commanded humans to be fruitful and
multiply – therefore, it is for the man to decide when
to have sexual intercourse and when to have
children.

14. Stories of change
• We believed that things to
do with reproduction and
giving birth belonged to God
and no man should interfere.
I used to quote a lot of
Scripture to support that…. .
I was very moved by what I
heard at the course and felt
family planning was the right
thing for me to do personally
and to share with my church.
-Phanuel Odany Mbande,
CoH champion, Siaya County,
Kenya

15. Equipping the Hands: Community Partners

16. What leads to change in Faith leaders
perspectives?
• Engaging Scripture/sacred
texts (Guiding Principles)
• Well-facilitated, sustained
dialogue on controversial
issues (Tough Stuff)
• Emotional and spiritual
impact (Testimony, Morning
reflections)

17. Stories of change
“I like World Vision’s faith focus
on birth spacing and family
planning. In the past, information
was available, but the medical
approach was not well-received.
This is the first time we’ve
combined family planning
information with a faith approach,
and engaged faith leaders as
champions. People trust us as
leaders, and are now confident
about seeking family planning
services in the local health
facility.”
-Rev. Gabriel Anyiko Owino,
Anglican priest CoH champion,
Siaya County, Kenya

18. From Faith leaders to faith
communities: CHAT workshops
• 4-6 representatives from a
faith community
• Meaningful community
interaction/engagement
with other actors
• Develop action plans

19. Faith community to whole community

20. MOMENT project: Siaya, Kenya (2015)
•200 faith leaders trained
•360 church volunteers mobilized
•The Result: 4,288 women referred to family
planning services by faith leaders. More than
half (2,819) are now using a method of family
planning.

22. Community Impact
“ MOMENT is effective as it brings together all
stakeholders—faith-based organizations and churches—
along with the community health workers, who are
creating the demand for family planning. Now when
people come for family planning services at health
facilities, they are available and they get them. Our
humble plea is that MOMENT expand. It would help
many women and reduce maternal mortality, which
continues to be a problem here.”
-Solomon Osaya, Sub-county Public Health Nurse
Siaya, Kenya

23. CoH MNCH+ HTSP
Ongoing Operational Research

24. CoH MNCH + HTSP
Operational Research
Project Description:
Faith leaders advocate for increased healthy timing and spacing of
pregnancy/ family planning use and stronger maternal and child
health outcomes.
Research Questions:
What is the impact of using CoH model to deliver messages related
to HTSP on the prevalence of contraceptive use among mothers of
children under 2-year of age in rural areas of Kenya and Ghana?
Does using Channels of Hope methodology to deliver messages
related to HTSP influence faith leaders to change attitudes towards
HTSP?