Civil Society sues for Resource Mobilization.
Mrs Esther Agbon, Senior heath finance and advocacy advisor Evidence for Action MamaYe a leading campaigner in Reproductive and Maternal health has urged participants at a one day workshop organised to inaugurate Gombe state Accountability mechanism for Maternal and New born Health GoSAM, which is born out of the challenge of increasing rate of maternal mortality and the need to hold government to account for efficient budgeting in health sector and to use creative means such as capacity building by regularly organising workshops on Budget tracking into resource mobilisation she said “Today’s programme is expected to make GoSAM more viable financially. I expect a lot after now, this is basically on resource mobilisation, I expect that participants will place their hands on the plough, challenges are rife but they are surmountable. “Resource Mobilization is not about money, this training is hinged on harnessing the relationships into needed advantage, which came out clearly on making kids budget advocates, using recognised dates to achieve their targeted desires. What we did today is on mobilising resources locally instead of donors which is not sustainable” she added.
Hajiya Zariyatu Abubakar, chairperson Advocacy subcommittee GoSAM and founder Coe Wildan Care Foundation has promised to involve more policy makers in achieving results she said “The work plan is a novel idea looking at the sustainability of GoSAM, we know some of the methods exists but we have never put them to use.”I expect that we will engage more policy makers, especially the new ones coming in, carrying on with developmental activities” she noted.
The chairman of Gombe state Primary Health care board Alh. Yaya Hammari, was amongst participants at the workshop he called for individual and collective efforts towards realising the goal of GoSAM Hammari said “This training has opened our mind and brain towards keying into means of mobilising resources, today’s workshop is educative as we have been coached on means of making GoSAM viable even as the next government comes in he noted.
Ibrahim Sheye, Gombe state coordinator for Evidence for Action MamaYe has noted with enthusiasm the entry of GoSAM in the state reproductive and maternal health thereby making itself useful by other organizations with support from MamaYe as a catalyst which spurs people into action he said “For the past three years MamaYe has been here as a catalyst making itself available to other partners through facilities which may be withdrawn as it exits the state, that is why this resource mobilisation is important to educate participants on the means of harnessing resources locally. “The aim of GoSAM is to ensure Accountability and Transparency in Reproductive and maternal new born health going by the challenges. Encouraging government to invest in maternal and new born health” he said.
Participants at the workshop which includes CSO’s, government functionaries and selected media platforms – Advocacy, Evidence and Knowledge Management Committee all agreed on the need to source for resources within avail means towards sustaini
ng the role of Accountability and Transparency in reproductive and maternal health in the state.