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an inspirational step-by-step-guide

twin2twin – Midwives Empower Midwives

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An inspirational step-by-step-guide

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an inspirational step-by-step-guide

Twin2twin, midwives empower midwives An inspirational step-by-step guide

Copyright © 2012 Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives (KNOV)

info @ knov.nl

Authors: Myrte de Geus Liselotte Kweekel

Editors: Franka Cadée Hilde Perdok

Graphic design: Chrille Brun with Emma Olanders

Photographs kindly donated by Dorine ten Doeschot and twin2twin participants

Printer and binder: Drukkerij Mart.Spruijt b.v.

ISBN: 9789081051057

This guide is carefully composed and produced by the KNOV. Every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct. The content of this guide may only be reproduced or published with the prior written consent of the KNOV. The KNOV assumes that the information in this guide will be used correctly and under the sole responsibility of the user.

MIDWIVES EMPOWER MIDWIVES

AN INSPIRATIONAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

twin2twin

The backbone of twin2twin is based on what I see as a natural law that gifts, in the broadest sense of the word, are never ‘free’. Just like the famous anthropologist Marcel Mauss and many before and after him have pro-claimed, it is only when there is reciprocal exchange that there is true independence. Exchanging gifts leads to a mutual interdependence between giver and receiver. If you assimilate this core value, you will understand the great strength and at the same time the deep challenge of twin2twin.

Franka Cadée,

project leader twin2twin

“For it is in giving that we receive”

Francis of Assisi

MIDWIVES PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN REDUCING MATERNAL DEATHS

WELL ORGANISED MIDWIVES = BETTER CARE FOR WOMEN AND NEWBORNS

TWIN2TWIN EMPOWERS MIDWIVES AND STRENGTHENS MIDWIFERY ORGANISATIONS

TWIN2TWIN EMPOWERS MIDWIVES AND STRENGTHENS MIDWIFERY ORGANISATIONS

16

5.

1. 2. 3.

TWIN2TWIN IS LIKE SLOW COOKING. ALLOW THE INGREDIENTS TIME TO DEVELOP A FULL FLAVOUR!

8.

6.

9.

7.

10.

4.

TWIN2TWIN IN 10 STEPS

PREPARE A FINANCIAL

PLAN

BUILD THE INDIVIDUAL TWIN BOND

DEVELOP PRODUCTS

CHOOSE A TWIN

ORGANISATION

BUILD THE ORGANISATIONAL

BOND

COME TOGETHER AT A CONGRESS OR ANOTHER OCCASION

EVALUATE AND CELEBRATE

ESTABLISH A SMALL TEAM OF

COORDINATORS

RECRUIT AND MATCH TWINS

PRESENT THE OUTCOMES

18

GETTING STARTEDPLANNINGFINANCESORGANISATIONSTWINSCOMMUNICATIONWORKSHOPSPRODUCTSWRAPPING UPAPPENDIX

19253341475561657175

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

This guide will provide you with all the ins and outs of the twin2twin method (t2t) as developed by the Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives (KNOV). In a nutshell: two midwifery organisations and 40 midwives are linked with the joint aim of improving maternal health. Basing the relationship on reciprocity makes twin2twin sustainable.

CHOICES TO MAKEA key ingredient for a successful twin2twin project is expectation management. Starting with the right expectations will prevent a lot of disappointment and frustration! Questions you might ask yourself are: What is the aim of our organisation? What is the aim of our professionals? What is possible? What is our budget? Who are the partners involved?

WHAT YOU NEED• Coordinators to lead the t2t project• Financial resources• Two organisations who are eager to build a t2t bond• Professionals linked to those organisations who are

eager to build an individual t2t bond

1. GETTING STARTED

SAVE LIVES BY EMPOWERING MIDWIVES!

Empowering professionals by building a twin2twin bond is not confined to midwifery!

• Buildhousesby empowering carpenters

• Educatechildrenby empowering teachers

• Bringjusticeby empowering lawyers

• Spreadnewsby empowering journalists

Etc., etc.

twin2win Guide19

THE COORDINATORSStart by gathering a core group of at least three people who will lead the project in your country. The best scenario is when they want to be involved for the entire length of the project – four years including starting and rounding up. These three persons are: an overall project leader, a twin2twin coordinator and a fundraiser. They need plenty of assistance though! It has proven to be very effective to mobilise volunteers (retired) for specific tasks, such as fundraising, consultancy and communication.

FINANCESBefore you can truly embark on a t2t project, you need to outline your financial needs and possibilities. In general, t2t is funded by external donors, by selling merchandise and by contributions from the twins. The topic of finances is addressed in detail in chapter three.

CHOOSING AN ORGANISATIONThe next step is to choose an organisation to twin with. This can develop from an invitation or by spreading the news in your network that you are looking for a twin partner. Make sure you have an outline of criteria, such as: • Size of the organisation• Common language• Clear goal for t2t partnership• Access to communication• Financial resourcesThere is no need to flog dead horses! It is very important that the applicants are pro-active, since you will need that same attitude throughout the project. The project will naturally have its ups and downs, but needs to be rewarding for both sides in order to be sustainable. Shortly after you have selected your twin organisation, two members of it are chosen to lead the project in their country, who will join the coordinating group. They will be the counterparts of the twin2twin coordinator and fundraiser.

A brief history of twin2twin

On 30 June 2007, several public and private organisations gathered on the Dutch historical site ‘Schokland’ to sign an agreement for the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There was also a group present who made commitments based on MDG 5, the 75% reduction in maternal mortality by the year 2015. The Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives (KNOV) was part of this group and committed itself to empower midwives and to strengthen midwifery organisa-tions. Due to the alarmingly high maternal mortality in Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Midwives Association (SLMA) was chosen for the first t2t project.

20Chapter 1: Getting Started

TWINSFinally, you need to involve individual professionals from both countries who want to build a twin bond with professionals from abroad. These people are called ‘twins’. Depending on your budget, you can determine how many twins you will recruit. Take a group that is financially manageable but large enough to make a mark. We have found that 20 pairs of twins is perfect. This group size can cope with a few changes but still has enough ‘body’ for rewarding results.

ORGANOGRAM

TWIN2TWIN WILL ONLY BE SUSTAINABLE IF IT IS BASED ON RECIPROCITY!

There is a film giving a brief intro-duction to the twin2twin project. Use the QR code above or go to:

www.midwives4mothers.com/guide

twin2twin coordinator

fundraiser

twin2twin coordinator

fundraiser

20 twins

20 twins

Overall twin2twin project leader

Organisation B

Organisation A

twin2win Guide21

Kabala

Binkolo

Kamakwie

Makeni

Koidu

Kailahun

Kenema

Bo

Sumbya

Moyamba

Waterloo

Lunsar

••

••

••

Port Loko

Kambia

FREETOWN

Pujehun

Total population: 5,868,000

Births: 226,000 per year

Total fertility rate: 5.0 children per woman

Adolescent birth rate: 143 per 1000 women

Demand for family planning satisfied: 17% (2008)

Skilled attendance rate at birth: 42% (2008)

Caesarean section rate: 2% (3% urban, 1% rural) (2008)

Maternal mortality ratio: 890 per 100.000 live births

Stillbirth rate: 30 per 1000 births

Neonatal mortality rate: 45 per 1000 live births

Ten years of civil conflict (1992-2002) left the west African country Sierra Leone with a devastated health sector. In 2000, it’s maternal mortality ratio was the highest in the world, with a lifetime risk to die in pregnancy and childbirth of 1 in 8 (1300 maternal deaths per 100.000 live births). Only after the war, the country started to make progress. Eventually the maternal mortality ratio dropped with 30% between 2000 and 2010, to reach 890 per 100.000 live births. It still is one of the highest ratios in the world though, alongside countries as Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia and South Sudan.

SIERRA LEONE COUNTRY PROFILE MATERNAL HEALTH

Country Profiles maternal health

You can find the entire country profile of Sierra Leone on the internet: www.countdown2015mnch.org. This website provides you with information about 75 high-burden countries.

Source: Countdown to 2015, The 2012 Report, Sierra Leone country profile (statistics from 2010).

Maternal deaths per 100.000 live births in Sierra Leone

in order to reach MDG 5

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

1300 1300 1300

1000

890

325

1500

1200

900

600

300

0

23 Twin2Twin Guide

LOG FRAMEStart with developing a project plan. An effective way of shaping and visualising your project is by developing a so-called ‘log frame’. This helps you to create a SMART project plan, an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. The log frame is a clear way to present project goals, benefits for the partners involved, activities and indicators for success. There is an example of such a log frame in the appendix.

TASKS OF THE COORDINATORS• Overall project leader: developing a log frame and

activity-based budget, supporting the relationship between the two twin organisations, communicating with the other twin organisation, organising visits to the twin country, handling financial responsibility, overall communication and coordination between all involved.

• Twin2twin coordinators: recruiting and matching the twins, supporting the development of the individual t2t bond, communicating with the other t2t coordinator, organising t2t meetings and workshops, communicating with the twins, evaluating the project among the twins.

• Fundraisers: Writing proposals for funding, developing and distributing merchandise, supporting individual fundraising activities by the twins.

Reciprocity and equality are key ingredients for the sustainability of the project. You can assign monitoring of these important issues to one person of the coordinating team.

2. PLANNING

twin2win Guide25

TRAVELLINGTravelling back and forth between twin organisations is necessary to keep the momentum going. Even though web-based communication is relatively easy nowadays, nothing beats individual, face-to-face contact. Especially when there are cultural and language barriers to overcome. In the course of the project, a member of the coordinating team travels to the twin country several times a year, often for about ten days at a time. Having one constant person present during these visits is useful for constructive com-munication. During the visits, personal messages are exchanged, and video recordings are made. Workshops are always planned in conjunction with these visits to help build up the twin organisation. When appropriate, individual twins are visited to get acquainted with their social and working environment. Individual twins from either country are invited to join these trips, two or three at a time, and over the course of the project, all twins are encouraged to visit the other country. This also allows them to foster their twin bond and work on a collaborative product with their twin sisters. This topic is addressed in chapter eight. It is advisable to be flexible in planning the visits so you can take into account the needs and wishes of both organisations involved. Applying for NGO status may allow you greater flexibility in adjusting your flight schedule.

26Chapter 2: Planning

TWIN2TWIN MEETINGSTwins within the same country meet each other three times a year in the course of the project. Depending on the distances to be travelled, these meetings can take from five hours to three days. Flexibility and adaptation to these kinds of issues are important. Sometimes twins from the other country will also attend these in-country meetings. These back-and-forth visits should be encouraged, especially if this adds to the content of the given workshops or if the relationship of individual twins requires it. All twins involved, from both countries, meet each other half-way through the project for about a week during the triennial ICM congress.

Some of the Dutch twins went on personal trips to Sierra Leone, to meet their twin sister and build their relationship. A professional filmmaker made a beautiful and impressive documentary of one of these visits. Watch it on the website:

www.midwives4mothers.com/guide

Documentary part 1

Documentary part 2

twin2win Guide27

PRODUCTSAll twins will be actively involved in the development of several collaborative products, which takes around two and a half years from start to completion. The products aim to create greater awareness of maternal health issues. Through the process of developing a product, twins learn basic principles such as planning, budgeting and group work. The products are addressed in chapter eight.

EVALUATION AND RESEARCHEvaluation of the projects’ progress at an organisational level occurs once a year using the indicators from the original log frame. To monitor the progress, twins are asked to complete a questionnaire twice during the project period. The t2t coordinators from both countries take the lead in this. The topics covered include expectations, communication, fundraising and learning about each other’s culture and profession. There is an example of the final questionnaire in the appendix. It may be culturally appropriate to use focus group discussions instead of questionnaires. A professional research institute should be asked for an overall evaluation of the t2t project. Choose an impartial institute with expertise in both your profession and developmental cooperation. A combined quantitative and qualitative approach works best, with in-depth interviews with participants and focus group discussions among other types of research. It has proven to be very effective to invite the researchers to accompany the twins to the ICM congress. The benefit of such research by far outweighs the financial costs! Have a mid-term report and a final report published, and adjust the t2t project using the key findings.

“�It�has�been�a�learning�process�for�all�those�involved�and�has�proven�itself�to�be�an�innovative�initiative�that�has�caught�the�attention�of�the�global�midwifery�world”

KIT, mid-term evaluation

We asked the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) to evaluate twin2twin. The key question concerned the sustainability of the project. Both the mid-term and the final report can be found on:

www.midwives4mothers.com/guide

28Chapter 2: Planning

“�It�is�like�a�ripple�in�the�water,�getting�bigger�and�bigger.”

Dutch twin

LESSONS LEARNED• Develop a log frame as a clear project plan.• Have a clear distribution of tasks among the coordinators.• Apply for NGO status.• Outsource the evaluation of your project to an external,

independent organisation.

LEGAL ISSUESThere are some important legal issues that need to be tackled before you can embark on the t2t project, such as: • Can you embed the project in an existing organisation,

or do you need to start a new legal entity?• Is your organisation entitled to raise and manage funds?• Is your organisation entitled to sell goods for fundraising?• Does your organisation have to pay taxes on the goods

that it sells?• Are donations tax-deductible for the donors?• Can your organisation acquire NGO status?

twin2win Guide29

Choose two coordinators from your twin organisation

Match the twins

Recruit the twins

Organise two workshops in each country

Year 1 first half

Year 1 second half

Year 2

Choose a twin organisation

Start fundraising among major donors

Advertise for applications

Produce a communication plan

Prepare an activity-based budget

Develop an initial log frame

Assemble a group of three project coordinators

Start the development of merchandise

Organise the first workshop on expectation management

Let the twins meet, preferably face-to-face or by video messages

Introduce twin2twin to the members of both organisations

Make informal acquaintances

Start with the development of products by groups of twins

Bring all twins together at the ICM congress

(or equivalent for other sectors)

Publish a final financial report

Develop an exit strategy

Have a mid-term evaluation

TIMELINE OF THE twin2twin PROJECT

Year 4 first half

Year 4 second half

Year 3

Organise three workshops in each country

Continue working on the products

Prepare a final evaluation

Organise a final t2t meeting

Have a celebratory exhibition of the products and results!

Organise two workshops in each country

Finish the products

Start the cycle again if you want to twin again with another organisation!

twin2win Guide31

34Chapter X

3. FINANCES

MAKING A FINANCIAL PLANPlease start immediately on day one with the financial planning! It is crucial in order to make decisions that will influence your t2t project. For example, the number of twins that you can recruit and the country that you can invite. In general, you can expect to spend 64,000 euros annually on a t2t project including three trips with a small team and 130,000 euros for the year in which you organise a gathering of all of the people involved, such as the attendance at the ICM congress. These figures are based on 20 twin pairs.

Expenses for:

Working hours of staff (for workshops, planning, reporting) 12 hrs p/w à €40

Consultancy (workshops)

Communication Logo design, web design,

flyers, postcards, newsletters, video equipment, etc.

Trips Tickets, visa, vaccinations,

accommodation, meals

Workshops (excluding staffing costs) Tickets, visa, accommodation,

premises, catering

ICM congress 40 twins ×

Hotel 7 nights × €70= €490 Congress entry =€650 Flight (average)* =€300 Meals 7 × €40=€280

Evaluation

Product development €2400 × 10 products

€25,000

€12,000

€2,500

€3,000

€16,000

* Including travel of twins to ICM congress. If self-financed, this would decrease the budget for year 2 by €12,000

€6,000

Year 1 Start of project

€25,000

€12,000

€2,500

€2,000

€10,000

€68,800

€3,000

€6,000

Year 2 ICM congress

€25,000

€12,000

€2,500

€3,000

€16,000

€6,000

Year 3

€12,000

€2,500

€3,000

€16,000

€3,000

€6,000

€25,000

Year 4 End of project

Total: €64,500 €129,300 €64,500 €67,500

twin2win Guide33

WHICH EXPENSES ARE COVEREDTo avoid miscommunication with the twin organisation and the individual twins, it is very important to make clear at the start of the t2t project which expenses are covered and which are not. We made the following choices:

TIME INVESTMENTFundraising is a pretty intensive job, and you need a committed fundraiser, especially in the first year of the project. The average time investment is around eight hours a week. We were blessed with a retired midwife who voluntarily took on this very important job and worked tirelessly on it. Your twin organisation will also have to assign a fundraiser in their country who will be part of the coordinating team.

FUNDING FROM BOTH SIDESTo avoid the ‘big sister, little sister’ trap, both countries are involved in raising funds. You can use the GDP of both countries to calculate an amount which each country is expected to contribute. Contributions can also be made in a non-financial way. You can ask your twin organisation to provide interpreters during visits, for example.

The Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives, KNOV, funded 30% of the t2t project, i.e. 0.5 fte (18 hours per week) for two mem- bers of the coordinating team. Midwives (KNOV members) raised all the necessary funds (20% of total) for attendance at the ICM congress. Cordaid, a Dutch NGO, donated 10% and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs donated 40% of the total costs. For the next project, the total budget will be fundraised through the charity midwives-4mothers that was established by the KNOV for this purpose.

The KNOV has to pay taxes on the money it raises. Therefore, the decision has been made to start a charity foundation under the umbrella of the KNOV. This found- ation, midwives4mothers (m4m), ensures that all funds raised can be invested in the project and makes it transparent to donors that their donation is entirely spent on the project.

Registration for the ICM congress

Time (to meet, work on collabora-tive products, raise funds)

Ticket to the congress (but preferably fundraised by the twins themselves)

Travel expenses to the t2t meetings

Hotel at the congress Communication expenses

Workshop facilitators and external experts

Knowhow to facilitate workshops

Paid by midwives4mothers Donated by the twins

34Chapter 3: Finances

GETTING FUNDEDThere are four sources of income for the project: funding from external donors, funding from selling merchandise, funding generated by the twins and crowd funding. The fundraising among external donors can start before you make a choice for an organisation to twin with, since major donors like to be involved in the decision-making from the beginning of the project. You can present your initial plans to them and modify them later. Fundraising through merchandise and activities organised by the twins starts after you choose your twin organisation, so you can incorporate specific features of the twin country.

ADDRESSING EXTERNAL DONORSWrite a short activity-based budget. A few pages are enough to outline the project and get donors interested. Topics that you need to address are the aim of the project, benefits for society and professionals, indicators of success, activities, timeline and budget. It is also possible to write the proposal in the shape of a so-called ‘log frame’. An example is included in the appendix. Just sending a proposal and waiting for a response will not get you far. This ‘cold’ approach often lacks results. The ‘warm’ version of fundraising proves to be much more effective but is very time consuming. Investing in relation-ships will certainly pay off, though!

In Sierra Leone the members of the SLMA chose to make a regular deposit, from their salaries, in a t2t fund for which they opened a special bank account. A total of 3,000 euros was raised, which is high compared with the country’s GDP. They also created the great outfits and colourful scarves that were worn by the twins during the ICM congress. This drew a lot of attention!

twin2win Guide35

PRODUCTS TO SELLA successful way of collecting funds is to develop a few products to sell. It is useful to know your twin organisation so you can incorporate specific cultural features in the design of your products. Apart from generating income for the project, the merchandise also draws attention to the issue of maternal health and millennium development goal 5. It will give an extra dimension to your merchandise if it is locally produced in your twin country. You will need to assign somebody on the spot to keep track of the production process. It is also important to ensure a high quality so that you can ask a fair price for your product.

INDIVIDUAL FUNDINGAll twins are expected to raise some funds to cover their own participation in the project and to finance their travel to the ICM congress. Make this clear in your criteria for selecting twins. The amount is not fixed, and what they actually contribute varies widely. The final evaluation shows that some twins feel more comfortable donating money themselves than asking their social network to do so. Our experience was that 10% of the total budget was generated by the twins themselves. To safeguard equality, twins shouldn’t be sponsored directly by their twin sisters. It is also advisable to make agreements on the maximum value of gifts.

CROWD FUNDINGEncouraging a large group of people to give a small amount can raise quite a lot of money! Present potential donors with a simple and clear goal that they can give a donation for, such as a specific product or the ICM congress fee. Involve your network to reach midwives, their clients and everybody else who feels connected to the issue of maternal health. You can combine a crowd-funding cam-paign with holidays such as Christmas and Ramadan. Make it easy for the public to donate: have a donation button installed on your website or make it possible to donate by sending a text message.

Midwives4mothers had a baby hat designed and sold it to many Dutch midwifery practices, midwifery academies, hospitals, a couple of baby stores as well as individuals. The price of the hat was 5 euros for one with a discount for larger quantities. A total of 34,000 hats was sold! It raised over 50,000 euros after deduction of costs. The hat came with a small leaflet explaining the project and stating the bank account of m4m. Another initiative was the develop-ment of a Christmas card. In total, 35,000 were distributed without cost to Dutch midwifery practices so they could send them to their clients. The bank account of m4m was mentioned on this card as well as a short introduction to the project.

36Chapter 3: Finances

LESSONS LEARNED• In the Netherlands it was necessary to start a charity

foundation, midwives4mothers, to be legally entitled to raise and manage funds without having to pay taxes.

• Engage donors from the start of the project; they like to be involved in the decision-making early on.

• Invest in relationships before you ask for a donation.• Use the GDP from both countries to calculate a fair

amount for each country to contribute.• Be clear about the expenses that you will or will not

cover for the twins.• Don’t expect similar contributions from all twins

involved. Some are fundraising geniuses, and others are much better at generating publicity for the project. Create room for every one’s talent.

twin2win Guide37

“�Sometimes�it�was�very�easy:�you�tell�others�what�you�are�doing�and�you�hear�that�many�people�are�looking�for�a�good�cause�to�donate�to.�Maternal�and�newborn�mortality�is�a�gratifying�cause�to�support.”

Dutch twin

Experiences of Yvonne Ossentjuk, Dutch twin

I used my own social networks to raise funds for the t2t project: friends, colleagues, school, sports. Everyone has a network! The first activity that I organised was a ‘pampering weekend’. Beauty specialists, pedicures and cooks, they were all present. This brought in a lot of money because of the voluntary participation of those people. After this, a ‘Sierra Leone week’ followed in which we organ-ised a lot of different activities. Many people and companies were excited to provide financial support, and it was very motivating to see

how much we achieved (free market stalls, free djembe lessons, free printing of flyers and catering). I finally organised a Christmas market where my experience of the earlier African market came in handy. To attract a lot of people, I gave an interview on the local radio station, and several articles in the local newspapers followed. I would like to advise anyone not to think that a lack of experience makes you less capable of gather-ing sponsors and money. I had no experience myself at all. There are a lot more options than you might think!

Experiences of Marianne Wigbers, Dutch twin

I have written stories about my work as a midwife for several years now. My aim is to generate more publicity for the wonderful stories about Dutch home-births as seen through the eyes of an independent mid-wife. My twentieth anniversary gave rise to the publication of a book. About the same time the t2t project started, and I became the twin sister of Hannah. I invested a fair amount of money in the book and figured I could donate a few euros per book to the t2t project. I asked Hilde Perdok to write a foreword on behalf of the

KNOV’s foundation, midwives-4mothers. In this way, everyone who read my book would also hear about the t2t project. I put in a coloured pamphlet of the project as a bookmark and tried to sell my books at midwifery conferences. My colleagues and I weren’t always officially allowed to do this, but we solved this problem handily by asking anyone who wanted a book to fill out an authorisation card for donation. This ultimately produced a thousand euros donation! I still sell my books, mostly through internet orders from around the country.

38Chapter 3: Finances

Experiences of Agaath Schoon, Durch fundraiser

It became clear to me that fundrais-ing is a time-consuming activity. It is almost equivalent to a fulltime job as money is never easily available. Our fundraising strategy had multiple levels. We collected money by selling merchandise and acquir-ing donations from the KNOV and partner organisations. We tried to obtain subsidies as well, though this succeeded only through the develop-mental organisation Cordaid. An important lesson that I have learned during the process is that approaching a potential donor in a personal manner is very effective. There were some issues which I found particularly challenging while raising funds. First of all, I found it difficult to get support from the professional organisations that were very close to us. Not all our initiatives seemed to be supported, which was demotivating sometimes. Second, many developmental organisations that we asked for funding regarded us as already being too far ahead with the project. They preferred to be involved from

the very beginning. In addition to this, some organisations only wanted to fund material develop-ment (e.g. building a school or a hospital) because they didn’t feel that strengthening an association was worthy of subsidy. Finally, the fundraising activities of the twins didn’t completely match my expectations. There was a wide difference in activities among the Dutch twins. The effort of a large number of twins was incredible, in contrast to some twins who undertook few actions to raise money.

“�It�(raising�funds)�assisted�the�midwives�to�solve�a�lot�of�problems.”�

Sierra Leonean twin

“�It�was�not�easy�for�me�to�be�involved�in�fundraising.�Sometimes�I�felt�that�it�would�have�been�easier�to�self-fund�my�trip�to�the�ICM�congress�instead�of�having�to�take�part�in�a�sponsor�run�every�time.”

Dutch twin

twin2win Guide39

Angela Verbeeten, president of the KNOV 2

“And let’s not forget my sister in Africa, her name is Joan.” This is what I tell people when I explain my family relationships. The surprised faces give me the opportunity to elaborate on the twin2twin project. I don’t mind doing this because I’m very enthusi-astic about the project. Fifty mid-wives from Sierra Leone and the Netherlands reached out to each other in their passion for midwifery. These midwives wanted to increase the number of healthy mothers and babies around the world. Some contribute to this goal by educating midwifery students, others by practising midwifery at their work-place. My own twin sister Joan is strengthening the professional association. The KNOV helps in this process. Midwives work together to increase the chance of a safe delivery, which is badly needed in Sierra Leone where too many women give birth without secure assistance. The Dutch midwives are inspired by their Sierra Leonean twin sisters to show better leadership. This is very much needed in our country. High-tech developments that are used to assure a safe birth are now becoming a great threat towards safe motherhood in western countries. Due to unnecessary interventions the maternal mortality rate is increasing in many high-resource countries. I strongly believe that midwives could restore the balance between technol-ogy and physiology. The twin2twin project illustrates the advantages of working together. We sent e-mails, sang together, conducted research, gathered funding, and together created a product to commemorate our achievements. But most of all we inspired each other! Joan became more than a colleague to me. She is my twin sister!

Joan H. Shepherd, president of the SLMA 1

I consider the twin2twin project a very important and unique way of bringing midwives together. The idea is brilliant, experiential and innovative, and the experience is very worthwhile. It has helped our associations and members grow in various ways. We are privileged to have a project that has yielded many tangible fruits. The association, the members, as well as the presidents celebrate the success of the project. As a president I was responsible for driving the association to achieve its objectives in the twin2twin initiative, which aims at strengthen-ing associations. I personally encouraged members to keep in touch with their twins time and again. I think that all twins must appreciate each other as individuals and unique beings. All twins must understand each other and communicate as fellow midwives coming together for a purpose which is beneficial to the association and the women and children in their countries. We all have the same mission and that is to care for women and babies during and after pregnancy. Angela and I share a passion for our profession. We still contact each other frequently when necessary and at times just to stay in touch. During the project Angela made me under-stand that midwives have other skills apart from their profession. She made me appreciate art as a way of showing your experience and love to others around you. Personally, the twin2twin project has given me the opportunity to meet other midwives from different backgrounds. It has opened doors for growth of the association through activities and meetings with fellow midwives. I would like to use this opportunity to thank everybody who was involved in the twin2twin project. Long live midwives around the world, long live the twins, long live SLMA & KNOV!

4. ORGANISATIONS

1. SLMA – Sierra Leone Midwives Association 2. KNOV – Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives

BOTH PRESIDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE TWIN2TWIN PROJECT. THEIR ENTHUSIASM WAS INSPIRING!

twin2win Guide41

MAKING ACQUAINTANCES It is tempting to start the twin2twin relationship with your newly chosen twin organisation at the deep end. Getting down to business right away by formulating goals, making agreements and discussing financial matters. Instead, take some time for courtship! It has proven to be beneficial to have an informal gathering first. Get to know each other, eat together and celebrate the occasion.

A COMMON GOALIn order to have a successful t2t relationship, both organisations involved should engage in striving for a joint goal. This common goal needs to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and it must have a clear time frame. Be aware that the path towards realisation is as interesting and rewarding as the ultimate goal itself! Signing a contract stating each organisation’s plans and indicators for success is a way to formalise the agreement.

The t2t project can help to achieve a variety of goals. For example, gaining knowledge about other cultures, more professional know- ledge and international exposure.

42Chapter 4: Organisations

Sierra Leone The Netherlands

Subgoal

Main goal

Indicator

Making a contribution towards reducing maternal mortality

Midwives in Sierra Leone will unite in the battle

against maternal mortality

Midwives in the Netherlands will participate in the global battle against

maternal mortality

In December 2012, Sierra Leone will have an association with at least

100 paying members that is acknowledged and regis-tered by the government.

In December 2012, at least 50% of all Dutch midwifery practices will

have participated in the twin2twin project.

KNOV and SLMA formulated the following main goals:

twin2win Guide43

QUALITIESThe start of the t2t relationship is a great moment to identify each other’s qualities and to use each other’s unique insights for a fresh perspective on your own organisation. To point out ones strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats a ‘SWOT’ analysis can be used. A specific tool for midwifery organisations, the MACAT 1, has been developed by the International Confederation of Midwives. This tool determines the level of development of an organisation by assessing its capacities. The efficiency and effectiveness of different components of each organisation are measured. This tool can be found on the ICM website: www.internationalmidwives.org

BIG SISTER, LITTLE SISTER?It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is to safeguard the equality between the two twin organisations. Even though the possibilities (financial or otherwise) of the organisations involved will vary, there is no big sister and no little sister! Both organisations will bring their strengths and weaknesses into the project, they will inspire and learn from each other. Equality is therefore a core value of the entire project, and it is wise to appoint somebody in each organisation who will monitor this and continuously check the balance. Questions they might ask are: Does one of the twins think

MACAT

MACAT-guidelines for use

1. MACAT – Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool44Chapter 4: Organisations

she knows what is best for the other? Does one of the twins appear to feel pity for her twin? Discuss these issues frequently during t2t meetings.

WORKSHOPSDuring the t2t project, numerous workshops are organised. If possible they are scheduled during the visits of the twin organisation so that members of both organisations can participate. Involvement of both partners is of great importance as twins will get a better understanding of each other. Some of the workshops specifically aim to strengthen the organisations involved, such as workshops on financial planning and writing a membership policy. The workshops are addressed in chapter seven.

Sierra Leone Midwives AssociationMidwives save lives of mothers and newborns

_0D7WT_501349-62 SLMA_folder.pdf - pag.1 December 2, 2011LET OP !!! Lage resolutie!

LESSONS LEARNED• Start your relationship with informal acquaintances.• Make sure from the start that both organisations

know what they can give and what they need to receive.

• The process of twin2twin is at least as important as the end result.

• It simply isn’t sustainable when pity outweighs respect.

Twin2twin helped both KNOV and SLMA to develop several products to support their organisations:

KNOV:

• Translationofthevisionoftheorganisation in English

• TranslationoftheDutchmidwifery manual in English

• Logoformidwives4mothers

• Promotionalpinformidwives-4mothers

• Websitewww.midwives-4mothers.com

• Promotionalroll-upblindformidwives4mothers

• Quilttovisualisethet2tbondwith SLMA

SLMA:

• Membershippolicy

• Financialpolicy

• Logo

• Membershippin

• Promotionalbrochure

• Promotionalflag

• Promotionalroll-upblind

• Quilttovisualisethet2tbondwith KNOV

twin2win Guide45

AIM OF THE RELATIONSHIPThe twin bond is meant to empower both twins, professionally as well as personally. Empowered midwives have the capacity to strengthen the organisation, and in turn a stronger organisation can support and empower midwives! Twins will share knowledge, skills and experiences about midwifery and maternal health and will learn how mid-wifery is practised in each other’s country. Building a personal bond supports them in developing their individual qualities.

THE TWIN2TWIN COORDINATORSIn each of the two organisations, one person takes the lead regarding the t2t relationships. They are part of the project’s coordinating group and are also each other’s twin sister. Their task is to recruit and match the twins, monitor their relationship and adjust it if necessary. They are also responsible for communication of all matters to the twins and planning and organising of the t2t meetings. The overall project leader supports them with this. They report an average workload of ten hours a month, with peaks around meetings and the ICM congress.

HOW TO SELECT THE TWINSThe recruitment of twins is influenced by the initial goals of the t2t project. The project sets the same criteria to select the individual twins in both countries. The most important criterion is that all twins have to be able to communicate in a common language. They also have to have regular access to e-mail, be computer literate and willing to commit themselves to the t2t project for three and a half years. If a twin already knows that she might spend some time abroad, you can still accept her if she will be away for less than three months.

5. TWINS

“�This�relationship�is�an�awak-ening;�we�can�be�active�as�midwives�for�safe�delivery.�During�the�war,�most�of�this�work�was�left�in�the�hands�of�untrained�persons.�This�awak-ening�makes�us�feel�that�we�are�useful�to�society,�and�this�will�positively�affect�our�work�as�midwives.”

Sierra Leonean twin

Be clear about the criteria that you set for the twins. We only learned after quite a while that some twins weren’t computer literate at all! They managed to communicate through their children and other means of communication.

twin2win Guide47

Other criteria for the twins are attendance at the ICM congress, the willingness to raise funds or otherwise pay for their own travel expenses, and participation in the development of a collaborative product. Membership and support of the national midwifery organi-sation is obligatory. Many Sierra Leonean twins became a member of the newly created SLMA because of the t2t project. You can use various channels to recruit twins. Spread the word through advertisements and articles in magazines, incorporate your message in newsletters from your professional organisation, use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In a setting where internet is not yet common and the professional organisation needs to be strengthened, you can use the snowball method: start by gathering some professionals, ask them who they know, and so on.

HOW TO MATCH THE TWINSAfter the twins have been selected, the interesting job is to match them and make them real sisters! We chose to do this mainly on the criterion of occupation. The president of the SLMA was matched with the president of the KNOV. A head of the school for midwifery in Sierra Leone was paired with her colleague from the Netherlands. Researchers were matched with researchers, teachers with teachers, community midwives with their counterparts, and so on. You could also use criteria like age, interests and even character! Be aware of sensitive issues such as religion and sexual preference. Part of the t2t experience is embracing each other’s differences, but there is no benefit in actively seeking confrontation.

In the Netherlands there were 46 applicants for 25 positions. Some of the applicants were admitted directly because of their profile or experience, for example the president of the KNOV, the principal of a midwifery academy, several teachers, and a top scientist. The remaining applicants were shortlisted by the coordinating group using the criteria previously described. A lottery system was used to select the remaining positions. You could also ask the applicants to write a motivational letter or you could select them by character features.

Experiences of Betty Sam, Sierra Leonean twin

When the twin2twin project was launched in August 2009 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, we knew little about the interna-tional recognition it would gain. I would like to use the spelling of the word TWIN as an example on why the twin2twin project was so successful. For me the T stands for Two. W for Who are, I for Identical, N for Nature. This is very true for me and my twin Franka Cadée. We were both project leaders and very identical in nature. Still we had to overcome some differences. That is how we learned impor-tant lessons that could be considered in the future, especially on how to match the future twins. I believe that there are individual differences in every relationship as is the case in the twin2twin project. But hey! There is unity in diversity!

“�I�feel�the�coordinators�looked�beyond�expertise�and�also�took�into�account�differences�in�per-sonality.�I�thought�the�matches�were�very�well�done…�and�of�course�I�was�lucky�and�had�a�good�match.”

Dutch twin

48Chapter 5: Twins

Sometimes you will find yourself making a political or strategic choice in selecting and matching the twins. In Sierra Leone, for example, several midwives who worked for the ministry of health were recruited as twins. This was a smart choice, since an important aim of the SLMA was to make itself known to this ministry.

Of 25 twin pairs, 15 were quite a good match. Seven pairs formed an outstanding couple, and three pairs didn’t match at all. Two ‘reserve twins’ were included due to emigration and study leave.

WHAT IF TWINS ARE NOT A GOOD MATCH?Key in building the twin bond is expectation management. Some will perceive the twin bond as a commitment to life-long sisterhood, others will see the conclusion of the project as the end of the relationship. Some will be happy with a few contacts per year, others will expect an immediate response to their weekly e-mails. Investigating each twin perspective at the start of the project and adjusting when neces-sary will certainly help to prevent disappointment and friction later on. Bear in mind that no relationship needs to be perfect. Twins will in fact learn a lot from difficulties along the road. If the t2t coordinators notice a serious problem between a pair of twins or the twins themselves ask specifically for help, it can be necessary to intervene in the relationship. Don’t be impatient though, allow time for the relationship to grow. In real life your sister is not necessarily your best friend, but sisters you will always remain! Keep some twins ‘in reserve’ in case a match really doesn’t work out or a twin has to leave the project, for instance because of personal circumstances. It might be an idea to evaluate the relationship of the twins after one year, before the ICM congress, and allow room to make adjustments.

The concept of ‘twin’ has a positive connotation in the Netherlands as well as in Sierra Leone. It is wise to investigate this matter in your twin country before you start using the concept widely.

twin2win Guide49

HOW MANY TWINS?We recommend selecting 40 twins, 20 from each participating country. Even when pairs are not that successful or if people withdraw from the project, you will still have a suffi-ciently large functioning mass to achieve your goals. To lower costs, you could reduce this number. A smaller number of twin pairs will make it more difficult to keep the momentum going, though. On the other hand, a larger number of twins might make the project less personal and more expensive. Be realistic in your budgeting.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE TWINSWe can’t mention it often enough: expectation management is key! Please make this the topic of your first workshop and cement the commitment to twin2twin officially with a simple agreement. You don’t need to be overly strict about this, but it helps to clarify what you expect from the twins and what they may expect from you. Topics you might address are:• Commitment for the entire length of the project• Commitment to attend t2t meetings• Commitment to be present at the ICM congress• Making a genuine effort to have contact with the twin

sister, even after the honeymoon period• Spreading the news about the t2t project• Willing to play an active role in the midwifery organisation • Working on a shared product• Willingness to raise fundsThe twins in turn may expect to be supported by the project coordinators through transparent project structures and clear communication. They ought to feel they have enough space to add their personal touch of creativity to the pro-ject and obtain genuine feedback.As mentioned in chapter three, twins are expected to raise funds to cover part of the expenses made on their behalf. Some will feel more comfortable paying directly from their own pockets. Make it clear what you expect from the very beginning, before the twins are matched, and discuss this topic in your first meeting to come to agreements.

The KNOV plans to have 20 twin pairs for their second t2t project with Morocco and aims for the same or even better results by selecting and matching even more critically.

Experiences of a Dutch twin

While working on the products I noticed difficulties in collaborat-ing as a team. I believe that hierarchical relations influenced the group dynamics. We couldn’t work properly on our products because it became overshadowed by the group process. I believe that the coordinators of the t2t project did too little to correct this process for the sake of peace-keeping. The contact with my twin diminished thereafter. We still contact each other regularly, but always in short messages about our families and wellbeing. I personally find this very unfortu-nate, especially because it could have been better had the coordi-nators been able to take the lead in this process.

Experiences of Annemiek van der Kraan, Dutch twin

While working on our product we faced some difficulties due to a lack of direct contact between the twins. In South Africa we managed to write a detailed action plan, but once we got home our attention sometimes slipped away. I believe the staff of the t2t project provided a lot of guidance, which activated me to continue our project. This resulted in a successful final product and an inspiring coopera-tion with my twin.

50Chapter 5: Twins

It is useful to investigate with the twins what their specific talents are and give them matching responsibilities. For instance in the field of publicity, text writing, graphic design, organisation and planning.

Experiences of Hilde Perdok, Dutch twin2twin coordinator

Organising the t2t meetings was rewarding. The discussions during the meetings were constructive, and most of the twins were very dedicated to the project. Some twins had lost their motivation but were recharged during the meetings! Especially after the ICM congress in South Africa, there was more unity in the group. There were some challenges in organis-ing the t2t meetings. First of all, in my experience it’s difficult to keep to the agenda. We were always short on time. My advice is to try to find a way to keep to the planned items, but also make room for discussions which arise during the meetings.

“�Communication�is�open,�clear�and�without�judgement.�I�have�a�lot�of�respect�for�the�way�they�(coordinators)�bring�all�the�people�together�and�get�every-one�oriented�in�the�same�direc-tion,�despite�all�the�different�experiences�and�stories�people�bring�with�them.”

Dutch twin

TWIN2TWIN MEETINGSThe meetings, organised three times a year in each twin country, are a great occasion to accelerate the t2t project and build the twins’ enthusiasm. Find a balance between a formal program with workshops and presentations and an informal gathering with space for interpersonal devel-opment. Combining the meetings with lunch or dinner is a good way to achieve this. In general, each meeting starts in a circle with a discussion about personal experiences in the project. How is the contact with your twin sister? Can other twins give advice based on their experiences? Allow plenty of time for this, especially in the first year of the t2t relationship. It is facilitated by the project leader or t2t coordinator depending on their communication skills. Each meeting continues with a workshop. The expertise of the twins themselves contributes to this, but sometimes an external consultant is invited to address a specific topic. Most workshops focus on teambuilding and intercultural communication. The workshops are covered in chapter seven. It is important for the twins to set and communicate dates for meetings early. Plan up to a year ahead.

twin2win Guide51

The agenda for each meeting is prepared by the coordinat-ing team and sent to the twins three weeks in advance. Action points are elaborated afterwards and distributed to all the twins. Make clear what you expect from the twins in the coming months until the next meeting.

HOW TO BUILD THE TWIN BONDWays to facilitate the development of the t2t relationship are: • Sending each other video messages• Meeting each other face to face, during planned visits

or at the ICM congress• Celebrate together; eating, singing, wearing specially

designed clothes• Developing a shared product• Using social media, such as FacebookTo further enhance the enthusiasm among the twins, the t2t coordinator will send an update on the project at least twice a month.

“�It�gives�a�feeling�of�support�and�commitment.�We�have�a�bond,�not�having�a�lot�of�contact�and�not�living�the�same�lives,�that�doesn’t�matter,�she�is�my�very�special�twin�sister,�and�I�will�for�sure�visit�her�in�the�future.”

Dutch twin

52Chapter 5: Twins

Even though the need for well trained professionals can be acute in the twin country, you should be aware that many countries have requirements before you can start working there. It is wise to discuss this ethical and legal issue early on among the coordinators and the twins. The twin2twin project is not designed to facilitate so-called ‘medical tourism’!

“�There�is�always�a�room�for�improving�on�any�activity�as�the�world�is�dynamic�and�people�operate�with�different�cultures�and�opportunities.”

Sierra Leonean twin

LESSONS LEARNED• Twenty twin pairs is an ideal number.• Investigate each twin perspective at the start of the

project.• Use the expertise of the twins in the workshops.• Make sure the twins leave the t2t meetings with

positive energy!• Like every other relationship, the t2t relationship

requires investment.• Intervene when there are real problems.• Twins are adults and have an adult responsibility.

The coordinator is not a mother.

One Dutch midwife accompanied her twin in the labour ward in Sierra Leone. A client needed suturing for a serious tear, and no one knew how to do this except for the Dutch twin. The dilemma was very challenging: do you leave a woman unsutured or do you sit on your hands because you have no work permit?

twin2win Guide53

6. COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION PLANDon’t underestimate the influence of communication on the course and outcome of twin2twin projects. Nearly all problems and bottlenecks can be attributed to communication flaws. In contrast, great results are often due to open and transparent communication. Develop a communication plan at the start of the project. Pay attention to both internal and external communication.

INTERNALThe twins in both countries must be informed about their project’s progress twice a month by e-mail. This update is also used to communicate about actions that need to be taken by the twins. The t2t coordinators take the lead in this. The project coordinators contact each other nearly weekly to discuss current affairs. This can be in person or by telephone. The twins are encouraged to have frequent contact with their twin sister. Depending on the possibilities available this can be by e-mail, text messages, telephone calls, skype, chat, video messages and face-to-face contact.

VIDEOA powerful way of communication between the twin sisters is by video messages. Twins greet each other, but also give updates about the progress of their common products and can ask specific questions. The videos are made during the in-country meetings. Ensure a high quality by using proper equipment. The videos are then taken to the other country to be watched in their t2t meeting. Replies are recorded right away. This process may sound time consuming, but it is an effective means of communication when the internet is

“�By�communicating�regularly�we�put�things�in�place�so�that�our�relationship�will�continue�to�grow.�We�promised�each�other�faithfully�to�continue�forever,�even�if�the�project�stops.”�

Sierra Leonean twin

twin2win Guide55

not yet well developed locally or not easily accessible. Another benefit is that the messages can be posted on a website, for all twins to watch.

VISITSVisits are conducted around three times a year and are an excellent opportunity to build the twin bond between the organisations. Personal contact has proven to be the most efficient way to foster progress in the project. During the visits, video messages are delivered, as well as letters and small parcels. The reply correspondence is collected and sent through to the twins within a week after returning home. It has proven useful to have one constant person in the group travelling back and forth. For us, this was the overall project leader. Choose one person who will always be present during all visits and workshops so that a relationship can be built.

ICM CONGRESSIt proved to be very inspiring to have a t2t meeting half-way through the project with all twins involved, from both organisations. The global triennial ICM congress is an excellent opportunity for this if you are twinning with a midwifery organisation. This congress lasts for five days. Twins stay in the same hotel, attend the congress together and have ample time for discussions and brainstorming.

In the summer of 2011, all Sierra Leonean twins met their Dutch twin sisters at the ICM congress in Durban, South Africa. This required a huge organisational effort, but led to great inspiration!

www.midwives4mothers.com/guide

Experiences of Meike Beukema, Dutch twin

On the first day of the congress, the twins met in the central hall of the hotel. The Dutch twins had just arrived, while the Sierra Leonean twins had arrived the day before. It was very exciting to meet the twin you had been communicating with for about a year. Luckily, everybody recognised her twin, and the reac-tions were strong. It was like meeting a lover after missing each

other for a long time. Most of the reactions were enthusiastic, warm and wonderful to see. The whole week was a once-in-a-lifetime event. The feeling of having one goal brought us together as real sisters, and the whole congress was aware of that. I believe that’s the power of meeting face to face. When you know whom you are communi-cating with, you have more to share, and it becomes much easier to work on the collective products. Although after our meeting in South Africa,

I did have the feeling that the communication between the twins weakened a little. The reason might be that the congress was the highlight of the project, after which attention began to decline. I do think it is very important to meet during the project. How the meeting is organised doesn’t really matter. As long as enough time is spent on getting to know each other better and sharing thoughts on the collec-tive products.

“�It�was�so�good�to�meet�and�get�to�know�my�twin.�It�was�then�that�I�could�develop�feelings�for�her�and�really�have�a�conver-sation�with�her.�Without�this�contact�the�relationship�would�have�been�very�different.”

Dutch twin

“�I�want�to�take�your�memories�to�the�beautiful�South�Africa�where�25�sets�of�twin�midwives�converged�to�take�part�in�the�ICM�triennial�congress.�For�many�this�was�the�highest�point�of�the�twinning�activity.”�

Sierra Leonean twin

56Chapter 6: Communication

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIONCultural differences are omnipresent even in your own family and neighbourhood. Start imagining the vast differences in communication styles when you cross boundaries and start a t2t project with another country! Therefore, allow plenty of time during the t2t meetings to discuss these intercultural issues and how to cope with them. Apart from this attention, you can develop a specific workshop for intercultural communication and colla-boration. Ensure that the knowledge and perceptions of both countries are integrated in the training. It is advisable to hire an external consultant on intercultural communication if your team doesn’t possess this specific knowledge.

“�Sharing�my�twin’s�working�experience,�living�together�with�her�family�and�being�part�of�her�life�really�strengthened�our�relationship.�I�can�now�better�understand�how�she�perceives�and�experiences�things.”�

Dutch twin

Perception

The results from the final evalua-tion of the twin2twin project show some variation between the Sierra Leonean and Dutch twins. Espe-cially the questions on communi-cation are answered differently. The Sierra Leonean twins are more optimistic in their answers indicating a higher number of contacts than the Dutch twins. There seems to be a difference in the perception of communication. Trying to get in touch can count for a Sierra Leonean twin as actually having contact, while the Dutch twins might only count the actual received responses. It is important to take this into account when discussing intercultural communi-cation with the twins. This can avoid miscommunication or even frustration in the future.

twin2win Guide57

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONThe group of coordinators is responsible for communication with the donors, professionals, public and press. Try to share this task with the twins or even some expert volunteers! The donors are provided with an update about twin2twin twice a year by e-mail. There are also face-to-face meetings between the project coordinators and the donors, about once a year during the course of the project. Professionals are kept informed by articles in magazines and presentations. Twin2twin also involves an advocacy campaign to create awareness among the general public about maternal health issues. Merchandise, flyers and postcards are distrib-uted through various channels, most of them related to midwifery and healthcare. The press is invited at the start and conclusion of twin2twin and on special occasions, such as the ICM congress and the exhibition of the products made by the twins. Having an ambassador for your project opens doors and attracts a lot of positive attention. You might consider asking a famous politician or a celebrity in the field of music, media, fashion, etc.

Experiences with communication by a Dutch twin

When I started the twin2twin project I soon realised that I had to adjust my Dutch expectations of the project to the African standards and mental-ity. This meant less contact than I expected. Luckily my twin contacted (or attempted to contact) me regularly though we rarely spoke about our shared passion for midwifery. In the first year of the project, I decided to visit my twin in

Sierra Leone to get more insight into the problems she faced and obsta-cles she had to overcome, both in her profession and in maintaining contact. I quickly learned that it was much more complicated than I had thought it would be. There were so many problems I could not have thought of. For instance, the lack of facilities, difficult roads, lack of electricity, but also things like religion, voodoo, and complicated hierarchical relations to me. The purpose of my visit was to

see whether I could maintain better contact with my renewed insights once I was back in the Netherlands. At first, this seemed to help, and me and my twin talked and communi-cated more often about midwifery topics. However, later on our contact diminished somewhat. I regard my twin as someone I have worked with during the program, but not as a friend for life. I do have good memories and I hope to continue to hear from her how she is doing.

“�I�felt�that�I�am�part�of�the�whole�community�of�midwives�in�the�world�and�that�colleague�midwives�were�also�interested�in�me.”�

Sierra Leonean twin

“�The�union�of�midwives�all�over�the�world�was�inspiring.”�

Sierra Leonean twin

58Chapter 6: Communication

www.midwives4mothers.com

www.facebook.com/midwives4mothers

www.twitter.com/midwives4m

LESSONS LEARNED• Personal contact is the most efficient way to make

progress.• Video messages are the next best thing to personal

contact.• Have one person who attends all visits and workshops

throughout the project.• Pay continuous attention to intercultural

communication.• Link an ambassador to your t2t project.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIAA website is an excellent way to inform, inspire and gather donations. Keeping the website up to date is a serious task and can be assigned to one or two of the twins or to a volunteer. You can also choose to have a low maintenance website with basic information and distribute your updates through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to claim your domains as soon as possible!

“�Make�sure�that�you�have�specific�tasks�in�mind�when�visiting�your�twin.�For�example,�organising�a�workshop�or�work-ing�on�your�product’s�action�plan.�The�week�is�over�before�you�know�it.�See,�smell,�feel�and�experience!”�

Dutch twin

twin2win Guide59

7. WORKSHOPS

Workshops are organised two or three times a year and incorporated in the t2t meetings. Allow enough time to prepare them, depending on the subject. A few months of notice might be necessary, especially when guests are invited. The workshops last for several hours or a full day. An overnight stay might be a good idea if the workshop concerns teambuilding or getting to know each other. Topics are chosen according to the needs and requests of the organisations and the twins. Sometimes the expertise for the development and conduct of a workshop is present among the twins themselves, at other times it is necessary to hire an external consultant or request such an expert to volunteer.In general, there are three types of workshops: strengthening the organisations, supporting the t2t relationship and developing the collaborative products.

STRENGTHENING THE ORGANISATIONS, TOPICS YOU MIGHT THINK OF:

Structure

• Developmentofavisionandmission

• Membershippolicy

• Documentwriting

• Planningandorganisinganannual general meeting

• Leadership

• Stakeholders’analysis

• Teambuilding

• Planninginaction

PR

• Developingalogo

• Visibility,throughbillboards,flags, membership pins, etc.

• Socialmedia

• Networking

• Writingarticlesforthe local press

• Developingradiojinglesabout the organisation

• Sensitisationvisitstothedistricts

• VisitingtheMinistryofHealth

Communication

• Communicationplan

• Documentwriting

• Communicatingwiththemembers

• Communicationskills

• Presentationskills

Finances

• Financialmanagement

• Financialpolicy

• Documentwriting

• Fundraising,do’sanddon’ts

• Budgetplanning

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SUPPORTING THE T2T RELATIONSHIP, TOPICS YOU MIGHT THINK OF:

Teambuilding

• Singing

• Drumming

• Cooking

• Teachingeachotherhowtoswim, dance, etc.

• Sewingaquilt

• Travellingtogether

Communication

• Expectationmanagement

• Communicationskills

• Rulesoffeedbackinpractice

• ‘HowdoIgetthemessageacross in 30 seconds’- film

• Letterwriting

• Interculturalcommunication

• Computerskills

Sewing dolls

Four groups, of four twins each, had to work together to make a demon-stration doll that could be used for educational purposes. Each group had a free hand in how to shape the process. There were only two sewing machines, so communication and planning were essential. Sewing the dolls was enjoyable, but in fact the workshop was about leadership, communication skills and how to work together.

“May all the children who are born on this planet,

have a mother who’s healthy and a father who’s kind.

May the place of their birth be a warm and a safe one,

may they possess their own body, their soul and their mind.”

Twins sing anthem “May All the Children”

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62Chapter 7 : Workshops

Writing a budget is simple!

At first, twins were quite hesitant about their financial management skills. An unusual approach was followed: the workshop leader asked whether they ever organised parties or dinners. Of course they had! The twins started talking about making shopping lists and planning your finances in order to have a great party without going bankrupt. This translated easily into writing a budget for official purposes.

SUPPORTING THE PRODUCTS, TOPICS YOU MIGHT THINK OF:

• DevelopingaSMART1 product

• Writingaprojectplan

• Writingabudgetplan

• Timemanagement

• Leadershipcapacities

1. SMART–Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely twin2win Guide63

PURPOSEAn important part of the twin2twin project is the development of a shared product. Generally, four twins work on the same product, two from every country. The purpose of the product is manifold. The product aims to create more awareness of maternal health issues and to help reduce the number of women and babies dying in childbirth. Also, through the process of developing a product, twins learn basic principles such as planning, budgeting and group work. It is furthermore a great way to develop the t2t bond! While creating the products, the groups gather information, share knowledge and learn about each other’s cultural perspectives on the chosen topic.

TOPICSIn choosing a topic and a product, the twins are encouraged to keep it small and realistic. The topics are therefore chosen using the SMART principle. An acronym standing for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Preferably, the product should be useful in both countries.Some examples of products are: • A traditional Sierra Leonean women’s cloth that

communicates the dangers, prevention and treatment of malaria in pregnancy.

• A booklet with stories about female genital mutilation, to start a discussion about this controversial topic.

• Badges made to be given as a present to blood donors aimed to inspire more blood donation.

8. PRODUCTS

Experiences of Hossinatu Kanu, Sierra Leonean twin2twin coordinator

The twin2twin products have broadened the horizon of the twins in the Sierra Leone Midwives Association and the Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives. This is so, because the twins have had the opportunity of coming together and activate their thinking capacities in brainstorm-ing for product topics, planning for the implementation and carrying them out. It has made a lot of the twins understand on how to seek for materials needed and work on timelines for completion of the various tasks in each product. This is important in reducing the maternal, infant and under five mortality and morbidity.

“�At�first�it�(the�purpose�of�the�products)�was�not�clear,�until�we�got�deep�into�it.” Sierra Leonean twin

twin2win Guide65

HOW TO WORK TOGETHEREach group starts with a brainstorming session, preferably face to face, to choose a topic. This can take place at the ICM congress or before. Schedule ample time for this session! The group goes on to make an action plan, which includes:• a brief description of all necessary steps to create

the product• a clear division of responsibilities• a timeline• a financial planTo be successful, it is very important that all group members are keen about the topic and truly willing to participate. In some cases, twins have shifted to another group because they preferred that topic or found better cooperation there. Group members communicate primarily by e-mail, text message and telephone. Therefore, an up-to-date database with contact information is essential. Video messages are an important means of communication as well. Twins will travel abroad to meet their group members; these trips can be combined with a t2t meeting and a workshop in the visited country.

Hilde Perdok, Dutch twin2twin coordinator:

Once groups are formed to work on the products, make sure they function smoothly and the twins communicate with each other. If this is not the case, discuss the possibility of twins swapping groups. Ask the twins individually (by phone) how they are getting on. We realised too late that one group was not functioning. Many members were frustrated because communication between the twins in the country itself did not seem to work; their ideas differed too much. Plus the communication with their twin partner did not meet their expectations.

Experiences of Dutch twin Jacqueline van der Meer

As a midwife, I have always wanted to work in the tropics, but due to private circumstances this never came about. I found my role as twin a very impressive experience. For me, this was the opportunity to get into contact with an African midwife. While working on our product, I was able to use my own strengths as an entrepreneur. I had started some home practices in the Netherlands earlier and also implemented antena-tal screening in a hospital. I feel that these qualities helped me to develop our product. At first, we wanted to start up a maternity hospital, but this seemed too complex to achieve in such

a short period of time. That is why we focused our product on the referral of pregnant women in case of severe complications. We brought two ambulances to a remote district in Sierra Leone that could be used to transport these women to the general hospital. Bringing the ambulances was rather easy. The greatest challenge however was to keep them going. Ambulances might be useful in the Netherlands, but we needed to adjust the product to the Sierra Leonean situation. We were con-fronted with complex relations on a community level, as well as the district level. Who would be the rightful owner of the ambulance, what could it be used for and who was to pay for the drivers? We tried

to make a protocol that described the purpose of the product and the actions taken. Personally, I found it a challenge to communicate on a regular basis, because internet in Sierra Leone was not easily acces-sible. Moreover I found it difficult to negotiate as I do not quite under-stand the Sierra Leonean culture on this matter. Next to the hospital and community members, also the Catholic Church played a key role in the process which made negotia-tions even more complex.

“�In�the�future,�it�will�be�advan-tageous�if�midwives�are�given�enough�time�to�understand�the�cultures�and�opportunities�of�twinning�countries�before�the�projects�are�started.�This�is�to�avoid�the�troubles�of�slug-gish�starts,�frustrations�and�lack�of�enthusiasm�in�some�twins.”

Sierra Leonean twin

66Chapter 8: Products

List of all products:

• Two ambulances for the transport of women in a remote area of Sierra Leone

• Badges to promote blood donation

• Booklet with personal stories about female circumcision

• Bracelet to educate teenage girls about their menstrual cycle

• Documentary on reducing mater-nal mortality and the t2t project

• Notebook to educate people about severe blood loss after birth

• Study into the use of the parto-graph1 in both countries, results presented on a poster

• T-shirt to educate people about high blood pressure in pregnancy

• Women’s cloth to wear, ‘lappa’, to educate them about malaria in pregnancy

“Perseverance�and�patience�are�two�important�qualities�that�are�needed�while�working�on�the�products.�I�learned�a�lot�from�this�experience�and�I�am�very�thank-ful�for�what�I�gained�through�the�twin2twin�project.”

Dutch twin

1. Partograph – a tool to document the progress of labour, and facilitate an early detection of abnormalities. twin2win Guide67

Tips and challenges discussed among the twins

During the twin2twin meetings, the twins are able to share their experiences and reflect on the products they are working on. According to a Dutch twin, these meetings gave her a new boost of energy and made her believe in the realisation of the product again. The twins found that perseverance, patience and mutual understanding were the most important qualities in reaching the goals that were set. One twin mentioned that though it might not have worked out as expected, a different path turned out to be even a better path. Others found it very challenging and sometimes even frustrating that there was little contact between the Dutch and Sierra Leonean twins. Visiting Sierra Leone gave the development of many products a great impulse. Further discussions within the group were held on the topics of feasibility, budget and cross-cul-tural understanding. For instance, the Sierra Leonean twins dis-cussed how the issue of female circumcision needed to be addressed to be effective in both countries. In the Netherlands the twins often shared their opinion on whether their products would truly contribute to raising aware-ness of maternal health issues. Ultimately, the process seemed to be most effective when the products were kept small and realistic.

TIMELINEThe product phase starts at the end of the first year of the t2t project. By then, the twins have got acquainted, and some of them might already have met each other on their own initiative. The important meeting for the t2t project, the ICM international congress, is still to come. That has proven to be a great opportunity to kickstart ideas for the products. In the subsequent year, some twins may visit their twin’s country to further work on the product. On average, twins report that they spent eight days on a product. Regular workshops to guide the product process are organised by the coordinators. The topics of these workshops may vary according to the needs of the group and can include: SMART planning, budgeting, rules of feedback, expectation management, leadership capacity and cultural differences in communication. Progress updates on each product are given during the t2t meetings in both countries. The twins prepare a brief presentation three times a year. Their fellow twins and the project coordinators can comment and make adjustments if necessary. Tips, challenges and lessons learned can be inte-grated right away by other groups. The products have to be finished half a year before the end of the t2t project, thus well before the final exhibition. That leaves about two and a half years from the beginning till completion. If twins decide to develop or expand their product further, they are free to do so, but it will be outside the scope of the t2t project.

FINANCESEach group makes a plan for the development of their product, including a budget, and depending on the available funds this can vary from 500 to 2000 euros. The proposals are assessed by the t2t coordinators and an external group of experts. Financial support comes primarily from the overall t2t project, but individual twins also raise funds within their own community. It is important to make it clear from the start what funds are available.

68Chapter 8: Products

Experiences of Liselotte Kweekel, Dutch twin

During our meeting in South Africa, I had intensive conversations with my twin sister, Sylvia Kobie, about all sorts of midwifery topics. One of them was female circumcision which is very common in Sierra Leone. The emotions and experiences of my twin sister were striking and inspired me and my group members to commit to a project which would address female circumcision.

To talk and write about a sensitive topic like female circumcision in Sierra Leone is very challenging. Almost all the Sierra Leonean twins warned us beforehand that it might even be dangerous to work on such a topic. That is why the goal of our project was not to advocate against circumcision, but to collect stories from Sierra Leonean women and learn from their experiences with female circumcision. These different stories might be of help in starting conversations, for instance, among

Sierra Leonean midwifery students. It could also be useful to illustrate different stories on female circumci-sion among Dutch midwifery students, for whom the topic is fairly unknown. We managed to interview nine Sierra Leonean women. Their stories were published on a poster which folds up like a booklet. Hopefully, they will be distributed among midwifery students from both countries and used to stimulate conversations.

“�Interaction�was�good.�Team�spirit�and�team�building�was�high.”

Dutch twin

LESSONS LEARNED• Schedule ample time for the brainstorming phase.• The ideal size of the product group is four twins.• Make a clear division of tasks and share expectations

with the group beforehand.• Face-to-face contact is necessary to keep the

momentum going.• Let the group consult with the project coordinator

before putting their plans into action.• Keep the goals small and realistic.

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION

Interviews w

ith wom

en on

female circum

cision.A

publication made by K

NO

V, S

LMA

and Midw

ives 4 Mothers.

twin2win Guide69

9. WRAPPING UP

EXIT STRATEGYKeep in mind that one of the strengths of the twin2twin project is its relatively short length. Don’t be tempted to postpone the final date for any reason such as unfinished plans. The closure of the project provides a lot of momentum and hard work. Start developing an exit strategy a year before the project ends. Which goals do you still want to realise? Which products are worth an extra effort? Which topics need to be addressed in the final workshops? What are the expecta-tions of the organisations and the twins for this final year? Which plans turned out to be unrealistic and should be abandoned or can be adjusted? Develop an exit strategy and communicate it clearly to all involved.

PRODUCTSThe products that the twins have worked on should be finished half-way through the fourth year. Be in time to adjust the plans to fit this schedule using the SMART principle. Enabling face-to-face contact between the twins involved is a very effective way to accelerate the finalising of a product. Allocating more money usually isn’t.

FINAL WORKSHOPSThe twins will have their last workshop half-way through the fourth year. The theme of this gathering is finishing the products and consolidation. Make a serious attempt to gather all of the twins involved. Incorporating the work-shop in a holiday weekend or another occasion might help to achieve this. Set the date up to a year in advance. The organisations will finish with a workshop at the end of the fourth year. They will explore and discuss their long-term relationship and come to a final agreement.

You will be positively surprised by all the work done at the last minute. The twins had a total of two and a half years to develop a product, but some pushed it to the limits. The products had to be ready to be exhibited in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Two groups actually left their products in a locker in the Dutch international airport, 30 minutes before the deadline!

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RESEARCH AND EVALUATIONAs mentioned before, a final evaluation is presented by an independent and impartial research institute in the fourth year. The report is based on questionnaires and focus group discussions among the twins in the beginning of the fourth year. The findings are then linked to the questionnaire of the mid-term review. Allow at least half a year for the entire process.

KEEPING IN TOUCHSome of the twins develop a bond that lasts for a lifetime. Others feel that the relationship ends when the project does. Both scenarios are fine. If twins want to keep in touch after twin2twin, they will have to make this happen personally and will no longer receive professional support for this. Twins can be involved in a subsequent t2t project by being ambassadors for the project, assisting with fundraising, interpreting, or even taking a role as coordinator. They are not necessarily encouraged to join the next t2t project as a twin though in order to allow others to enjoy the unique t2t experience. You can make an exception if the experience of that twin is useful for the next group.

DEMONSTRATING ACHIEVEMENTSIf your t2t project is successful, there is a lot to show the outside world! An important aim of twin2twin is to raise awareness for maternal health issues, and this is a golden opportunity. You might think about an exhibition of the products, distributing the research report, organising a congress, making a short documentary, etc.

PLAN FOR THE FUTUREWrapping up your t2t project also makes space for a new twin2twin with another organisation! If you want to keep moving, you could combine rounding up with starting up. You could of course also allow yourself some time off to reflect and enjoy the fruits of your work.

Perspectives vary: When asked about their plans for the future, some Sierra Leonean twins answered that they wanted to keep in touch by sending a postcard now and then. Several Dutch twins answered that they would end the relationship, and only send an occasional postcard. Every-body happy.

72Chapter 9: Wrapping Up

Celebrate!

Don’t let the project just fade out, close it on one specific occasion. Organise a festive gathering of everybody involved! In the Nether-lands, twin2twin with Sierra Leone ended and twin2twin with Morocco started at a celebratory occasion in the KNOV headquarters. For this occasion all KNOV and SLMA partners were invited, as well as politicians and the press.

LESSONS LEARNED• Start developing your exit strategy a year before

the end of the project.• Be brave, kill your darlings when necessary to

complete the project in time.• Concluding a project requires other skills than

initiating one. Appoint the right person for this task.

SOMEWHERE ON YOUR JOURNEY, DON’T FORGET TO TURN AROUND AND ENJOY THE VIEW!

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GLOSSARY

APPENDIX

REFERENCES

Cordaid Dutch development agency, a donor of the t2t project

ICM International Confederation of Midwives

KIT Royal Tropical Institute

KNOV Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives, the initiator and donor of the t2t project

m4m midwives4mothers, the charity foundation of the KNOV

MDG 5 The fifth Millennium Development Goal: reducing maternal mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015

MACAT Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool

MMR Maternal Mortality Ratio, the number of maternal deaths per 100.000 live births

NMR Neonatal Mortality Rate, the number of babies who die within seven days after birth per 1000 live births

SLMA Sierra Leone Midwives Association, twin organisation of the KNOV, 2009-2012

SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely

Stillbirth rate The number of stillborn babies per 1000 births

TFR Total Fertility Rate, the average number of children per woman

Twin Professional who builds a personal, empowering relationship with a professional from another country or organisation

t2t Abbreviation of twin2twin

All the quotations of twins in this guide are either taken during personal interviews or from the final t2t evaluation of the Royal Tropical Institute: Assessment of the KNOV-SLMA twin2twin program: perceptions and experiences of twinned midwives and lessons learned, written by Kathy Herschderfer and Hilde Perdok.

All maternal health statistics in this guide are taken from: Countdown to 2015, Maternal, Newborn & Child Survival. Building a Future for Women and Children: The 2012 Report, WHO and Unicef.

twin2win Guide75

END QUESTIONNAIRE FOR KNOV AND SLMA TWINS

1. Communication

1.a. The frequency of contact with my twin sister in the past year was: Never/ Once in 3 months/ Once in 2 months/ Once every month/ Weekly/ Other (please note frequency below). Com-ments:

1.b. My twin and I had contact on a professional level. Abso-lutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Description of contact:

1.c. My twin and I had contact on a personal level. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Description of contact:

1.d. How did you communicate with your twin sister? (multiple answers allowed) Sms/ Skype/Phone/ E-mail/ Post/ Other. If other, please describe it here:

2. Time spent on the project

2.a. How many hours (on average) did you spend on this project during the past year? None/ Less than 4 hours per month/ Between 4-8 hours per month/ Between 8-12 hours per month/ More than 12 hours per month. Other:

2.b. What was your time spent on? Short description:

3. Satisfaction with twin2twin project

3.a. Looking back, I am … that I joined the project in 2010. Please give the reason(s) why you are happy/not happy about joining the project:

3.b. Having a twin sister makes me: Very unhappy/ Unhappy/ Happy /Very happy. Please give the reasons that you are happy/not happy about having a twin:

3.c. I plan to keep in touch with my twin sister after the project ends. Absolutely not/ No /Yes /Definitely

3.d. My twin will want to keep in touch with me after the project ends. Yes/ No/ Not sure/Do not know.

3.e. This project gives me energy. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Defi-nitely. Reason:

3.f. The twin2twin project was eve-rything I expected it would be. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Defi-nitely. Please describe briefly what your expectations were:

4. Organisation

4.a. The twin2twin meetings are: Do not know (never been to one)/ Not worthwhile/ Worth-while/Very worthwhile. Short description of why the meetings are/are not worthwhile:

4.b. In the past year, I attended … of the twin2twin meetings that took place. None/ 25%/ 50%/75%/ All

4.c. The way things are communi-cated to us by the coordinators is: Very poor/ Poor/ Good/ Very good. Please describe the rea-sons for your answer below:

5. ICM congress in Durban 2011

5.a. The twin2twin workshops in Durban were good. Abso-lutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitively. Reason:

5.b. What was positive about Durban? Description:

5.c. What was negative about Durban? Description:

5.d. What was the absolute high point of Durban for you? Description:

5.e. What was the absolute low point of Durban for you? Description:

76Appendix

6. Results

6.a. This project contributes to the reduction of maternal mortality. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Please describe in what way(s):

6.b. This project contributes to the awareness of MDG 5. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Please describe in what way(s) and for whom:

6.c. Our product has succeeded [by product, we mean the pro-ject you worked on together with your twin partner(s)]. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Please describe why or why not:

6.d. Concerning the product; it was clear what was expected of us. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Please describe why or why not/ possible improvements:

6.e. Please describe what you learned from the twin2twin project:

7. Possible improvements

7.a. The length of the project: Is too short/ Is fine/ Is too long. Please give the reasons for your answer:

7.b. What is important when match-ing twins: Matching according to expertise: Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Matching accord-ing to age: Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Other criteria for matching:

7.c. In this project 25 twins were matched: 25 KNOV and 25 SLMA. The number of twins who should be matched in a future project is: 15/ 20/ 25/ Number of twins was good/ 30/ No opinion.

7.d. Fundraising activities by twins was a good thing. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely.

7.e. Strengths of the project, which should be kept the same in the next twin2twin project in another country, are:

7.f. Recommendations for future twin2twin projects:

8. Future

8.a. I would like to attend a twin-2twin meeting every year after the project ends. Absolutely not/ No/ Yes/ Definitely. Please describe why you want or do not want to con-tinue attending twin2twin meetings:

8.b. I am interested in joining an “ambassadors’ group” for the pro-ject’s foundation. No/ Yes.

8.c. I would like to be involved in other activities of the midwives-4mothers foundation. No/ Yes.

8.d. My advice to the foundation is:

twin2win Guide77

LOG FRAME twin2twin KNOV AND SLMA 2009–2012

KNOVSLMA KNOV/SLMA

Benefits for society

Activities

Project goals

Sources

Indicators + Targets

Sources

Benefits for target group

Sources

Indicators + Targets

Achievements of KNOV and SLMA

Making a contribution to Millenium Development Goals 4 & 5: •MDG4:Reducingunder5mortalitybytwo-thirds(1990–2015)

•MDG5:Reducingmaternalmortalityby75%(1990–2015)

SMART activities

In 2012, SLMA is an independent association acknowledged by

the Ministry of Health

In 2012, KNOV midwives partner with other stakeholders to maximise

the use of their expertise

In 2012 twin2twin is incorporated in the KNOV Annual Plan

• 2012:SLMAhasamembershipregistration

• 2012:SLMAisfinanciallyindependent

• From2012andonwards,theSLMAwill be consulted by the Ministry of Health for formulating new policies concerning maternal, newborn and child health.

• From2012andonwards,theSLMA will independently organise meetings, workshops and education to improve the self-reliancy of their members.

• 2009:SLMAhasavision,missionand a plan of action for the following 3 years

• 2012:50KNOVmidwivescollaborate in the KNOV’s International Platform

• From2012andonwards,theKNOVwillbe structurally involved in international midwifery projects due to its expertise in strengthening professional midwifery organisations

• 2012:Internationalcooperationisconsid-ered part of the business of KNOV members

• 2011:Atleast25Dutchmidwiveswillattendthe triennial ICM congress

• From2010andonwards,50KNOV members offer free consultancy services to the twin2twin project

SLMA annual report; twin2twin report; e-mail messages; Report of Cordaid;

Ministry of Health Sierra Leone; SLMA financial annual report; amount of raised funds; ICM congress registrations

List of membership International Platform; twin2twin project report

KNOV Annual Plan; KNOV Strategic Plan

• In2012,SierraLeonewillhaveanassociationwithatleast100payingmembers that is acknowledged and registered by the government.

• In2012,atleast50%ofallDutchmidwiferypracticeswillhave participated in the twin2twin project.

Annual report SLMA 2009 & 2012 KNOV questionnaires/polls in midwifery practices in 2009 and 2013

Midwives in Sierra Leone will unite in the battle against maternal mortality

Midwives in the Netherlands will participate in the global battle against maternal mortality

KNOV financial administration Member administration twin2twin project; International Platform; KNOV Annual Plan

KNOV monthly magazine; quarterly reports; twin2twin project report

• Funds: €165,000 • NumberofmembersInternationalPlatform,number of twins, involvement board members and management team of KNOV

• ArticlesinDutchmidwiferymagazine, twin2twin annual report

The joint KNOV and SLMA fund-raising team raises funds for the attendance of the ICM congress

Dutch midwives are actively involved by the KNOV in

international developments and research in the field of MDG 5

Support of twin2twin project by KNOV board, KNOV office

and members

This guide was realised due to the financial support of: BuZa, Cordaid, SLMA, Midwives4mothers, KNOV

By supporting midwives4mothers you can play your part in supporting midwives in their fight to reduce maternal and child mortality. Please donate to : midwives4mothers, account number 60.66.03.123

Utrecht the Netherlands. IBAN: NL88ABNA0.60.66.03.123 BIC: ABNANL2AE.

E-mail:[email protected] or [email protected]

We are thankful to the following organisations for their valuable contribution: ICM, KIT

ISBN 978 – 90 – 810510 – 5 – 7