The UNFPA-supported Asia Regional Project "Increasing Male Involvement for RH through Effective BCC Strategies" (RAS5R304) that JOICFP has been executing since 2004 for four years covers around 23,000 people in four villages in Indonesia, one of the three model operation countries of the project, together with Mongolia and Myanmar. (Click here for associated article)

From 15th to 23rd April, JOICFP visited the villages in West Java Province to observe activities by five male motivators in each village.

In this project,the Indonesia Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA), the implementing partner, selected male motivators from either formal community leaders or informal ones such as teachers and religious leaders who are influential and have good connections and relationships with community people, to facilitate the organization of community level activities.

Male motivators have started their activities by visiting pregnant women and their husbands to talk about maternal care and pregnancy related issues. In addition, the male motivators ask questions on pregnant women's health and enlist their husband's support.

Male motivator on a home visit

Male motivators have also started community events to deliver information and check health, such as a weekly radio that reaches two of the villages. The 90-minute program attracts its audience by playing popular traditional music, and then intersperses messages on the importance of male involvement. It has proved so popular that as many as 1,000 people can be mobilized by the program.

Community radio talking about maternal care
and reproductive health

Male motivators deliver reproductive health information
at a public event

The male motivators' activities will be strengthened by BCC media tools to be developed based on the outcomes from the training that JOICFP has conducted during the mission.

Looking to the future, male motivators are now finding ways to raise funds for emergency use.