Gender equity

The budgeted year-1 fixed cost (INR 13.8 lakh), is for creating basic infrastructure at the collection center (for sorting and packing of the agro produce) and buying lorry (of capacity 4-6 tone) for transportation. With added finance, cold chain (cold storage and refrigerated van) could be developed. This will reduce storage and transportation loss of the food items by 15-20%.

The plan is also to create a seed fund to be used for financing crop loan to the farmers for productive asset creation (e.g. pump set for irrigation) and other instant farming needs

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The maternal and neonatal deaths are a global problem. A proper management of obstetric emergencies can make a big difference to the rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. That's why our project’s goal is to optimize care for obstetric emergencies for contributing to the reduction of such rates.

The PACE Program / ALSO is based on the critical needs of the mother / son / daughter in the institutional alignment and effectiveness of the providers within the community context. The goal is to optimize the results in the care of obstetric emergencies and neonatal care. It is a training program based on teams that supports this model Paradigm Shift in addressing maternal and newborn health. The training and certification programs move from the providers as individuals towards a centered training / patients and teams at all levels of medical training (PROC, and ALSO BLSO) supported by the respective health jurisdiction to improving the alignment of assistance.

The PACE program, based on the spirit of multinational humanitarianism and professionalism in Emergency Medicine, has a vision of collaborative mechanisms to develop and improving each and every one of the links related to Emergency Medical Care in Mexico and Latin America through programs that disseminate culture and knowledge to health professionals involved in such care.
The particular goal for this challenge is reaching a saturation training for all providers who care for obstetric emergencies, managing to move from training providers oriented programs as individuals towards a patient-centered training to teams of all levels of assistance.

The MULTILEVEL PACE / ALSO project is aimed at rural women and indigenous people from different regions of Mesoamerica and its goal is to scale an innovative integrated interventions to ensure that every woman who seeks medical assistance, contact the First Obstetrics Responder (PROC). And if an emergency is identified, she enters the critical path of the Chain of Survival. With this, we ensure that all levels of care are in close relationship to provide the MAXIMUM in quality of care.

Ultimately, the beneficiaries of this Program and its Model of Care obstetric emergencies are women and their sons / daughters.
In addition, the whole community is benefited since the program allows its empowerment and also values the place that women occupy in society.
Finally, it also benefits the health workers at all levels of care, because through training they are better prepared to assist obstetric emergencies.

The training approach is the saturation of all the providers and levels of care within a given health jurisdiction. Thus all share the same language, processes and networks, creating strong links between all levels of care and integrating the different institutions throughout the Chain of Survival.
This method is through modular training based on the experience of the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics courses (ALSO), Basic Life Support in Obstetrics (BLSO) and First Obstetrics Responder for Communities (PROC).

ALSO is a course of two days (BLSO is just one day), based on scientific evidence where the use of mnemonics and simulations aims to develop psycho-motor skills. There is an evaluation / simulation and formal certification process. There are strict quality controls and the providers and instructors ALSO generate an "Identity". The First Obstetric Responder for Communities (PROC) is a derived of ALSO and BLSO programs and aims to train community workers as (promoters, auxiliaries and midwives) to provide care in the first line of contact and to activate the whole EmOC system.

There are other organizations and/or institutions that provide the same service of training for obstetric emergency care. What make PACE different is that proposes a model-based training system, ie, training ALL the SYSTEM care, thus strengthening the link between the different levels and, finally, optimizing the care of women and newborns, increasing their survival when they have to deal with an obstetric emergency.

There would be economic, political or cultural challenges. PACE Center has learned to overcome different situations thanks to the presence of volunteers and the efforts of doctors (of Mexico and North America). In addition, we have taken advantage of the help of internal programs to support the finances. We have been recently incorporated as Global and International Health PACE in the United States to apply for national and international grants. Last but not least, we trained staff of the Ministry of Health under contract so that we can follow a replication model of our programs.

The project is at an advanced expansion stage. However, the establishment of a PACE Center in the country’s south region, would allow our Programs to achieve wider dissemination not only in Mexico but throughout Mesoamerica, thus establishing our innovation paradigm shift in the care of obstetric emergencies.

The PACE / ALSO Program has shown great impact and success in all Mexico. This is what makes us believe that we can expand to the entire Mesoamerican region, collaborating with achieving one of the main goals of the area, the reduction of maternal mortality.

The expansion of the program to the Mesoamerican region, training more providers of obstetric emergency care, and finally, decreasing maternal and neonatal mortality.

In the short term, the main goal is to establish a PACE center in southern Mexico, in the state of Chiapas. From there, the long-term goals would be the expansion of the program to rural and indigenous regions of Mesoamerica, establishing different points from which would expand the program in the region. As a general and final purpose we propose the establishment of a paradigm shift model in the assistance of obstetric emergencies.

We are trying to increase awareness of women on health, exercise, and many kinds of women issues by providing them places where they can exercise and socialize and by providing them to start up their own business.

We offer women; accessible solution to avoid and heal their health problems for affordable prices.

- to take the business to Middle Eastern countries.
- to provide more free services to women in need.
- to start new women schools to educate more illeterate women

We would like experience more and more women of healthy life. So that, new generations will become more knowledgable and health. We will be able to decrease the level of illnesses.

Any women from 13 - 81 years old are our customers.

We have 218 branches all over Turkey and we grow by selling franchisees to only women. As the chain enlarges, our member numbers increase.

We sell sports membership to only women for affordable prices so that we can reach and more and more women everyday.

We make alliences with many institutions such as hospitals. So that we can continue their patient's healing process in our bfit centers.
We have 4 main competitors in the market. They follow all the strategies applied in bfit and open their clubs just next to our branches. However, competitor's strategy allows members to try both clubs and make the final selection on our clubs.

Management is one the main issue for our organization. As we have 218 franchisees, they are all expected to serve the same service and quality. However, this is mostly impossible. We have our own auditing system to monitor and evaluate all the branches once in a year.

Our success has been proven by many awards. As mentioned before, we, now, aim to enlarge the business by entering international markets.
To achieve this aim, we are looking for new people or organizations that can invest on our business.

We consider ourselves ready for growth, as we monitor the success and positive change on the women that we could reach.
All we need for growing; is to find new sources for the business.

The investor has to fully understand our company mission in order to provide the same service and quality in different markets.

We have been increasing the number of our branches at ther moment in the domestic market. The big plan - investing on Middle Eastern market - is a mid-term plan. We made and continue our market research for that market.

HIV epidemic in Botswana, among the highest in the world, has resulted in 32,254 vulnerable children reported in early 2013, an increase since 2008. Youth face an increased risk of violence, emotional distress and HIV due to widespread alcohol abuse, unemployment and a struggling education system. In Botswana, 38.9%, of the population is between ages 10 and 24, but while this population could contribute greatly to development, peace and security, they are not being met with sufficient support. National government has formally committed to providing services to provide youth with education, healthcare, nutrition, safety, psychosocial wellbeing and social protection but has signaled the importance of the working with stakeholders in and outside government to develop these support networks.

In the Dintshang project, PING has developed an online platform to engage youth ages 15-35 in frank discussions focusing on topics like love, relationships, sexuality, gender identity and disparities, societal norms, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (including HIV/AIDS), cultural issues and more. Topics will be presented using celebrity and entertainment content (both local and international) as the vehicle to drive interest and foster dialogue, often by asking provocative questions geared to bring up subjects that are rarely, if ever, taught. The platform will be accessible online and via smart or basic mobile phones, and through every modality participants will be will be able to both participate in frank discussions and access a location-based directory of support services.

Dintshang aims to provide a platform that disseminates information about HIV/AIDS, gender violence, cultural norms, healthy relationships, love, and other health- related information by relating to youth in Botswana in an entertainment-oriented manner, which will be shared virally through the Dintshang site and social media. Discussions begun on Dintshang will only be the first step toward enacting social change and initiative a broader discussion amongst youth themselves about the role these issues play in their lives. Objectives include: increase self efficacy to discuss and change relevant social and cultural structures, strengthen community structures and referral networks to meet youth’s needs and initiate exchanges between individuals of differing viewpoints and backgrounds.

Dintshang’s value lies in its fresh and innovative use of semi-traditional social media for a positive purpose. The interactive mobile and internet platforms that Dintshang employs are the perfect media for this kind of exchange. As Botswana has an estimated mobile phone penetration rate of 164%, engaging audiences through both basic and smart mobile phone and internet platforms ensures that nearly all Batswana will have a way to access Dintshang. In a country that is among the least densely populated in the world, Dintshang provides an important opportunity for youth to exchange ideas and interact with individuals far outside their community. Having a reliable source of health resources and a safe place to ask serious questions is valuable to users and would be new in Botswana.

Keletso, a 19-year old female living outside Lobatse, Botswana is a typical Dintshang customer. Keletso loves reading about Chris Brown and Rihanna’s tumultuous relationship and even though her boyfriend doesn’t physically abuse her, she feels like she and Rihanna are both trapped in relationships that are not good for them. Keletso wants to hear about local and international stars but feels like she would have to spend hours surfing the web, reading newspaper articles and listening to radio shows to do really be up to date. She has lived in the same town all her life, but has no idea about youth empowerment organizations or mental health services nearby. If she did, she would probably get her younger brother help because she thinks he is developing an unhealthy alcohol dependency.

Dintshang platforms' launch will coincide with traditional publicity, including the design and production of media such as flyers, billboards and posters, to be donated by our telecommunications partner, Mascom. In these early phases, Dintshang will also be promoted at local concerts and sports games, and through an independent Dintshang launch party with Yarona FM. Dintshang will target university campuses as a major part of outreach and promotion, and form partnerships with student organizations to spread the word through their networks. Dintshang will partially rely on users to share the site between themselves, both by word of mouth and through Dintshang’s Facebook and Twitter pages. These other sites will be big sources of new users once Dintshang has attracted a small following.

Before release, the Dintshang platforms will be subjected to consumer testing by local youth. PING hosted one customer development session to get feedback on how youth access health information, use the internet and what they thought of the site. As development completes, attention will shift to the site launch. PING will leverage partners like Mascom, local radio and television and government and publicize the site through print, social networks, and other media sources in order to attract users, culminating with a launch event at major universities in Gaborone, Botswana. PING will also form partnerships with local media to provide content on local celebrities, and train a blogger and moderator to find and post stories and discussion questions while monitoring site activity.

Our most notable peer is Young Africa Live, a website started by the Praekelt Foundation, that connects users to stories about HIV/AIDS and help lines where they can find referrals or support. PING believes that YAL, while similar, is not a competitor, as our tool is unique to Botswana, a market that we are very familiar with. Additionally, by adding mobile phone capabilities and location-based services, PING's platform is even more accessible to users, particularly youth. Dintshang has other seeming competitors in the social media space, like Twitter, Facebook and Tumbr, who it hopes to turn into collaborators by creating a Dintshang Facebook and Twitter page to re-direct traffic back to discussion on the Dintshang site.

PING’s major challenge is securing mid-term funding for our projects to sustain them until they can be funded and adopted by local government. To overcome this challenge, PING as branched to create a for-profit sister organization called Develo that utilizes lessons learned from working with technology in emerging markets. Develo, a for-profit, will generate revenue for PING, creating a synergy between the two arms. Currently, as projects are launching for both Develo and PING, the organization as a whole is struggling financially, making it difficult to secure adequate staff to sustain our projects in the short term. In light of current discussions with Ministry of Health, for-profit partners and others, PING believes that both will be able to carry out long-term plans.

PING relies on strong partnerships, expanding our hybrid operation model, working with local government and continuing to train local youth, ultimately creating a methodology for expansion that can be applied to various developing countries. Much of PING’s success to date has been tied to these business practices and our innovative business practices, as we move to expand this in coming years.

In light of our past successes, partners including government, international funders and local for-profits have expressed interest in continuing working with PING, and we are continually approached by organizations in Africa who are interested in forging collaborations who are interested in PING’s focus on creating sustainable products and weaving lessons learned into future products.

PING aims to expand operations to 3 to 5 countries in the next 3 years. In each, PING’s youth mentorship program will be replicated and local offices will be 70% youth led, with an understanding that this will require us to grow thoughtfully and may take time to establish but will ultimately be the most sustainable as youth can grow within the organization as we transition to government funding.

In the short-term, PING is looking to launch and expand several products, including Dintshang. Additionally, PING hopes to expand the piloted malaria surveillance and mapping project with the support of the Ministry of Health and interested funding partners. PING is in talks with various branches of the MOH to discuss new projects as well. PING also hopes to solidify a partnership with a research institution to ensure that our projects are held to the highest monitoring and evaluation standards as we move forward. By the end of 2013, PING would like to see an expansion to Mozambique, where partnerships have already been forged with local partner organizations. At the same time, PING looks to see its for-profit arm, Develo, secure product funding and add to PING’s long-term sustainability.