The European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) officials recently concluded a significant monitoring and evaluation visit to the Northwest and Southwest regions. The visit aimed assessing the progress and effectiveness of grassroots partner organizations in implementing various activities under the ECHO-funded project.
The visit also set out to evaluate whether activities of the partners align with the standards set by the ECHO project and to identify the challenges faced by the implementing partners in fulfilling their responsibilities.
During the visit, a series of meetings were held with implementing partners of the UNFPA/ECHO Project in both regions. One of the key partners, CBC Health Services, which operates five facilities across these regions, was a prominent participant in the visit.
The officials were briefed on the progress made in the implementation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services, with an emphasis on results-based protection strategies. Additionally, CBC Health Services was involved in a capacity-building training session held at the UNFPA office in Buea, where the key results indicator matrix on humanitarian protection was updated and shared with the partners.
Visit to the Kumba Baptist Hospital: A Critical Partner in SRH Services
As part of the monitoring and evaluation process, ECHO officials visited the Kumba Baptist Hospital, one of the key implementing partners in the UNFPA/ECHO project. CBC Health Services oversees sexual and reproductive health and integrated GBV services across five of its facilities in both regions, making the Kumba Baptist Hospital visit crucial for the project’s stakeholders.
The officials were welcomed by the Executive Officer for Operations and Development at the Directorate of Health Services, Mr. Achataseh Godwill, who represented the Director of Health Services, alongside the Kumba Hospital Administration. The ECHO team, accompanied by UNFPA and other partner organizations in the Southwest and Northwest regions, conducted a detailed assessment of the hospital’s ongoing activities in delivering SRH and integrated GBV services to vulnerable women and girls in remote and hard-to-reach communities.
Key hospital departments were visited, including the laboratory, delivery room, antenatal care (ANC) clinic, and various wards. During these visits, midwives and healthcare professionals provided comprehensive updates on their activities, detailing the number of patients seen and the methodologies employed in their care. The team also verified the beneficiary criteria, ensuring that the right individuals received SRH services and, where necessary, referrals to Teen Alive for GBV services and psychosocial support.
The one-day visit allowed for constructive discussions on the strengths, gaps, and challenges faced in providing essential SRH services. To mark the successful partnership, the Kumba Baptist Hospital administration expressed its gratitude by presenting a symbolic CBC Health Services fabric to the funders as a token of appreciation for selecting CBC Health Services as a key partner in the delivery of quality healthcare services.
