Action rain
The action Rain is a non-profit, politically independent and non-denominational organization for development cooperation , based in Vienna . It was founded in 1989 by the Viennese gynecologist and development worker Maria Hengstberger . The association is largely financed through donations.
aims
The most important goals are the reduction of maternal and child mortality , the reduction of poverty and the promotion of women empowerment in developing countries . Aktion Regen aims to achieve these goals through educational activities in the areas of family planning , reproductive health, mother-child health, FGM ( female genital mutilation ) and HIV / AIDS prevention. To this end, Aktion Regen develops economically and culturally adapted methods for family planning and HIV / AIDS prevention, even for people with little education and little financial means or limited access to contraceptives .
Rain worker
Under the leadership of Hengstberger, the association trains local multipliers to become so-called "rain workers" in several developing countries under the motto "Education - Motivation - Innovation". These are mainly local employees of NGOs who are already active in the social field. They act as cultural bridge builders. With the help of the newly developed educational tools from Aktion Regen, they pass on the knowledge they have acquired to the people they deal with on a daily basis in their social professions.
The two-stage training workshops are held on a voluntary basis by Austrian doctors and educators . The association teaches how to educate, motivate and use new methods of family planning in a practical way and how to prevent diseases and complications in connection with pregnancy and childbirth.
Training topics:
- Introduction to the topic, importance and topicality (economic situation, population development , UN Millennium Development Goals )
- What is family planning and why is it important? What does responsibility for a child mean?
- Body, fertility and awareness about it
- Pregnancy, early and / or unwanted pregnancy, mother-child health
- Dangers of Unsafe Abortions
- All types of contraception - natural, hormonal, non-hormonal
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV / AIDS Prevention
- FGM (female genital mutilation), sexual violence, sexual abuse
- Mind and body relationship, mental health
Pedagogical topics are also taught in the workshops. In addition, the participants should be enabled to lead discussions with the population and to motivate people to act responsibly and independently.
Educational tools
Through the new development of easily understandable teaching aids, the educational tools, Aktion Regen brings knowledge into shape, making it easier to convey to people.
Baby chain
The baby chain is a simple cycle calendar in the form of a necklace and is primarily used to provide basic information for people with a lack of education. For this purpose there is the “baby poster” with a text to read aloud that explains the chain. Hengstberger developed the chain under the name "Birth Control Chain" in 1989 in Ethiopia together with women living there and adapted it to their wishes and needs. In 1995 the chain came to Georgetown University in the USA through the agency of the “Pastoral of the Child” in Brazil , which developed the scientifically based “Standard Days Method” on this basis and has been distributing the modified chain as “CycleBeads” since mid-2002, protected by trademarks and patents . Aktion Regen is currently designing the pearls for the fertile days in a shape reminiscent of babies in order to promote understanding. Hence the new name "baby chain".
Little mom
This fabric uterus model with a doll makes the educational work easier. The model shows the internal sex organs of the woman . Contraceptive methods such as performing sterilization, inserting a diaphragm or inserting a coil into the uterine cavity are easy to explain.
The maternity protection watch
The prerequisite for healthy motherhood is knowledge of a medically urgently needed recovery phase between births. For health reasons, there should be an interval of at least 18 months, or better still , between the birth of a child and the conception of another child. The maternity protection watch shows the phases of healthy motherhood in an easy-to-understand way: pregnancy , childbirth , breastfeeding phase with contraceptive protection and phase without reliable protection before a next pregnancy. The woman herself has the option of using the maternity protection watch as a calendar by pulling the elastic band on the card one notch every month. If the symbolic full moon on the card is blue (like the color of the fertile days on the baby chain), conception is already biologically possible, but should be avoided for medical reasons.
Girl's Diary
The Girl's Diary offers young girls the opportunity to observe and compare their own cycle according to a template and to deal with it habitually for three months. The first brochure of this kind in German with the name 28 Days was published in collaboration with the Austrian school doctors in March 2013 and was reprinted twice due to the great interest.
Projects
The association is active in several developing countries. Since its inception, the association has carried out five projects to build health stations: in Rwanda in the village of Rurenge , in Ethiopia in the Awash region in cooperation with CARE Austria, in Mexico in Chimalhucán as part of the social project "Centro Comunitario San Martin de Porres", in Nicaragua in Managua and in northern India in Shidbari together with the partner organization Nishtha.
In addition to projects such as the “Warmth for Siberia” campaign, the association specialized more and more in training and further education in the medical field. The focus is now on the training of “rain workers”. Projects for this are running in cooperation with several partner organizations in Kenya , Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda.
donate
In order to raise funds, Hengstberger holds gynecological lectures for laypeople across Austria and offers practical medical information based on the motto “Offer knowledge against donation” in the biannual donor newspaper Initiative . Since October 27, 2011, donations to Aktion Regen are tax deductible. The association bears the Austrian seal of approval for donations, which guarantees the proper handling of donations.
literature
- Maria Hengstberger: Water to the roots. Diary. As a doctor in Ethiopia. Association f. Development aid “Aktion Regen”, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-901145-00-1 .
- Maria Hengstberger: My way through India: travel diary. Family planning for the developing world. Association for development aid "Aktion Regen", Vienna 1993, IDN 955005175.
- Maria Hengstberger: Gynecology from woman to woman. Questions, answers and advice. 2., revised. Ed., Springer, Vienna, New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-211-70832-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brochure 28 Days (PDF)
- ↑ Initiative magazine