How MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience reaches communities in crisis
In Niger, many communities are now out of reach for international organizations, as a security crisis continues. Access to contraception is one of the first things to vanish for women living in fragile settings, when health centers close or minimize services, and travel becomes restricted. Local organizations have strong ties to these communities, but often need technical and financial assistance to operate at optimal capacity. Through funding from USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) to MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience, five local organizations in Niger are at the center of efforts to continue services to women and girls in fragile settings.
MOMENTUM collaborates with the public and private sectors in Niger to bring essential health services, such as nutrition, voluntary family planning, and antenatal care, to people in regions across the country. NPI increases the number of local NGOs able to use funding from other donors including USAID by strengthening their technical and operational capacities and providing them with better access to USAID information, resources, and funding opportunities.
Since 2022, USAID MOMENTUM, with funds from USAID’s NPI, has been working with the five organizations so that they can sustain services to women and their communities in areas with frequent shocks and stresses. This includes updates on technical expertise related to provision of family planning and reproductive health care and helping the organizations build the systems and processes necessary to compete with international NGOs for USAID funding as they grow the scale of their work. All work is guided by the local organizations themselves, who determine their priorities for growth.
Nigerien organization takes the lead
Initiatives sur la Recherche, la Résilience et le Développement au Sahel (I2RD-Sahel), a local organization focused on education, social cohesion and protection, and health, is one of those organizations. Through support from NPI and MOMENTUM, I2RD-Sahel has continued to serve women and girls in Dosso and Tahoua including four sites where there is an ongoing security crisis due to continued armed attacks.
I2RD-Sahel works with radio stations to broadcast information about where women can access contraception and groups of community relays—local health outreach workers—that provide information on contraception and reproductive health. The organization has worked with MOMENTUM generate demand for postpartum family planning. I2RD-Sahel’s connections to community leaders help to further strengthen health resilience and healthcare access.
“These community leaders are highly influential and play a central role in all community-related issues,” said Ladjil Attefine, President, I2RD-Sahel. “We have always put them at the heart of our actions, so that they can support us in our activities, and the results are palpable.”
In the areas served by I2RD-Sahel, uptake of postpartum family planning has increased eight-fold from October 2022 to January 2024.
I2RD-Sahel has also shown significant improvements in organizational development, including governance, organizational management, program management, human resources management, and financial management. Earlier this year, I2RD-Sahel receiving funding from Development Alternatives Incorporated/USAID for a project related to strengthening peace and stability in the Tillabéri region of Niger through the engagement of women.
“The NPI initiative is an opportunity to sustain the implementation of reproductive health and family planning activities in the community for efficiency at a lower cost,” said Dr. Issoufou Assoumane Guero, MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Deputy Chief of Party in Niger. “Technical and organizational support is crucial as we expand to reliable local partners for the implementation of family planning and reproductive health activities.
All five organizations supported by MOMENTUM and NPI are implementing their action plans for improved operational and technical capacities and are expected to be able to apply directly for USAID funding very soon.
Pathfinder is a proud partner on USAID’s MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience.
This story is part of our LinkedIn newsletter series, Country-Led in Action with Pathfinder International, where we delve deep into our country-led approaches, showcasing how our local leaders, teams, and partners are taking the helm in global health and development—leading the strategies, programs, and investments that drive impact in the communities we serve. From navigating complex partnerships to overcoming systemic challenges, we’ll offer practical insights, inspiring success stories, and candid lessons learned about how global organizations can localize effectively.
