Share,Learn,Grow
Greetings from a rather wintry Albury. We are delighted to share the second edition of our Share, Learn, Grow newsletter. Thank you for your responses to the first edition, we truly appreciated the feedback, suggestions, and content contributions that we received
In this edition you’ll get a snippet of some of some of the things that have been happening here at ALWS this past quarter and learnings from our collaborations and networks.
To start with, ALWS' Community Action Team pulled together a spectacular fundraising and awareness raising event, ‘Walk my Way’, that brought together over 800 ALWS supporters in South Australia. You can read more about this in the Comms Corner and experience the event through the photos in the link therein Our Good Practice Spotlight this quarter is on LWF Ethiopia’s practical approach to implementing Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS). You will also get to know more about one of our Network partners - CANDO and how we are working and learning together with our partners. As some of you would already know, ALWS has been preparing for our re-accreditation with the Australian Government. This process happens every five years and
GET
KNOW:
CANDO pre-qualifies ALWS to access government funds for our development programming. The process involves a thorough scrutiny of our organisational structures, policies and practices including in relation to our programming and partnerships. (cont.)
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THE TEAM: What the Programs
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A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R INTRODUCING
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GOOD PRACTICE: Learn about how LWF Ethiopia approaches
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COMMS CORNER: Walk My Way
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Get to know about
On21JunewesubmittedourAgencyProfileprovidingresponsesand documentaryevidenceforasetof101criteriacoveringaspectsofour governanceandriskmanagement,developmentapproachesand management, approaches to partnerships and collaborations, communications,andFinancialManagement. Wewouldliketosincerelythankallourpartnerswhohavebeenmorethan generouswiththeirtimeasweworkedtogetheronourupdatedtoolsand processesaspartofourdocumentaryevidence.Wearenowawaiting feedbackformtheaccreditorsandanin-personorganisationreviewlater thisyear.Welookforwardtoyourcontinuedsupport.Pleasekeepusin yourthoughts.Andfinally,youcanfindALWS'2020AnnualReporthere. HappyReading! LeahOdongo ALWSProgramDirector WehadsomerequestsafterthelastSLGtomeetthe ALWSProgramsstaff.So,I’dliketointroducethe teamandwhattheyeachloveabouttheirrole.Forme, whatIenjoythemostaboutmyworkisthe opportunitytowitnessinrealtimetheloveandcare ofALWSsupportersforcommunitiesoverseas transformedintopracticalsupportbyALWSpartners, andthedifferencethatthismakesinpeople’slives. Ialsofeelblessedtoworkwiththerestofmyteam–youcanmeetthemonthenextpage! A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R ( C O N T . ) J U N E 2 0 2 1 Share,Learn,Grow
"I am greatly humbled to work towards equitable partnership with RDRS and LWF Asia Pacific Emergency Hub in Bangladesh and Life with Dignity in Cambodia. I look forward to realising the outcomes in each program."
Travis John
"A favourite part of my role is when I visit partner activities and meet community groups. Hearing their plans and ideas and achievements and seeing their passion has taught me about the power that people have to change the world."
"The part I like most about my job is when I get to hear in-depth about the projects, from the teams implementing them in Burundi, Somalia and Kenya. I also like ... knowing that we are all part of a team trying to make a positive impact on the world"
"What I enjoy most about my role is learning from (partners), about their programs with the most vulnerable people in target communities and hearing about the changes taking place"
I N T R O D U C I N G T H E A L W S P R O G R A M S T E A M
Anne Fitzpatrick
Frank Elvey
"I really enjoy engaging with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG Church Partnership Program team. We share ideas and learning for supporting and strengthening (programs)"
Jane Anderson
Jacinta Harford
G O O D P R A C T I C E S P O T L I G H T LWF Ethiopia have been looking to mainstream the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) acrosstheorganisation.Weallknowhowdifficultitistointroducesomethingnewintoour everydaywork,andhopeforquickadoption! Sowhathavetheydone?TheLWFEthiopiateamhavebeenconductingtrainingtoteachstaff abouttheCHSandhowtocompletefieldmonitoringreportswithanevaluationofactivitiesnext tothe9CHScommitments.Duringfieldmonitoringvisits,staffthenevaluateactivitiesbythese standardstosaywhethertheyaremet-partially,fullyornotatall.Nexttimestaffgobackto monitortheycanclearlyseeifthereisanimprovement. Thisisapracticalapproachtochange,asstaffneedtoputinpracticetheirknowledge,think throughwhateachcommitmentmeansandevaluatethesituationagainstthatcommitment.To encourage staff to mainstream the new standards, no advance settlement will be processed/approvedunlesssuchareportisattached. “It has been useful for us, and hope others can use it too” – Sophie Gebreyes - Country Representative-LWFEthiopia LWF Ethiopia - Mainstreaming CHS Standards Back row: Siye Yonas, Almneh Tilahun, Yosef Girmay, Sophie Front row: Semret Getahun, Ynbrah Amare, ZewduTehsome, Thomas and Dessalegn Do you have an exciting example of good practice from your program you would like to share with ALWS and our other partners? Let your focal point know and we can try to include this in the next Share Learn Grow!
G E T T O K N O W C A N D O Child Friendly Reporting & Code of Conduct Workshops Get to Know - CAN DO CAN DO members have also been working together to strengthen Safeguarding in their own agencies and support their partners in Safeguarding practice. In the months of July and August, CAN DO will be organising a series of learning activities for our partners on “Child Friendly Reporting Mechanisms and Codes of Conduct”. The goal is to support partners to ensure that children who have contact with their activities understand expected behaviour of personnel and know how to report safeguarding concerns. The learning activities will include self-paced e-learning resources followed by online workshops with groups of agencies working in similar contexts. We look forward to inviting our partners to join this initiative in the coming weeks! ChurchAgenciesNetworkDisasterOperations(CANDO) ALWSispartofaconsortiumof8denominationalagenciescalledCANDO. TheCANDOagenciescollaborateonmanythingsincludingprogram effectiveness,safeguardingandjointadvocacy.TheCANDOConsortiumis alsooneofonly6Australianagenciestobepre-selectedforAustralianDFAT Governmenthumanitarianfundingfor2017-22.ThishasenabledALWSto accessDFATfundingforpartnersforhumanitarianresponseandprotracted crisesinMyanmar,PNGandBangladesh.Wehopetobeabletohelpmore partnersaccesstheseresourcesinthefuture. CANDO’swebsiteisatChurchAgenciesNetwork|CANDOConsortium. YoucanfindtherecentAHPAnnualReporthereandreadaboutLWF Myanmar’sEducationinEmergenciesproject(pg51)andEvangelical LutheranChurchofPNG’sCOVID-19response(pg30)andtheresponse RDRShasrecentlyjoinedinCox’sBazaar(pg42)
2018 2020
The Church Agencies Network for Disaster Operations (CAN DO) brings a devolution of power and funding to local organisations in the Rohingya response. ALWS is part of CAN DO and works with the partner RDRS.
In Bangladesh CAN DO is represented by a consortium known as EKOTA. EKOTA (meaning Unity in Bengali) has brought together three partners to respond to the Rohingya crisis in shared leadership: RDRS Bangladesh, Caritas Bangladesh and Christian Aid.
EKOTA are the only AHP partners where local partners are leading and receiving the majority of funding (more than 70%) in collaboration
international partners. ALWS partner RDRS is a completely local organisation, Caritas Bangladesh is a local organisation but belongs to an international network and Christian aid is an INGO.
EKOTA is a new way of working in the humanitarian system and is shifting power relations - having local NGOs and INGOs on a level playing field. EKOTA has extensive reach and access through the three partners who have significant experience working with remote, ethnic and indigenous communities in Bangladesh and with Rohingya refugees.
G E T T O K N O W C A N D O
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Photos: Change of landscape due to reforestation in the Rohingya camp and nearby host communities (RDRS Bangladesh / Sultan Manik)
PRACTICE IN ACTION
' WALK MY WAY ' FUNDRAISING EVENT
'Walk My Way' gives ALWS supporters the chance to join with others around Australia in a 26km walking challenge - and raise money to support refugee children to go to school at the same time.
Participants walk (or ride or run!) 26km, and ask their friends and family to sponsor them in this challenge.
As a result of Walkers, the ALWS family and generous supporters since 2017, over 32,000 refugee children can now attend school! We’re so grateful to our caring supporters, and to you, our partners, for your help in providing photos, stories and other resources to help make this such a success.
- Kirra (ALWS Community Education)
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U R C O M P L A I N T S M E C H A N I S M A T C O M P L A I N T S @ A L W S O R G A U A LWF complaints mechanism mural as seen at Dadaab Refugee Camp Click here to see more photos from the event
