The AKSYON program is a five-year initiative aimed at reducing the number of women and children under the age of five suffering from malnutrition in rural Haiti. The program is implemented by Fonkoze, the largest microfinance institution in Haiti, through its existing infrastructure, network, and health program. AKSYON addresses malnutrition by leveraging Fonkoze’s network of 70,000 clients, who are organized into “Solidarity Groups” of up to five women, and “Credit Centers” led by an elected “Center Chief.”
Fonkoze Foundation is utilizing this network to address the lack of reliable and affordable health products and services in rural Haiti through the Boutik Sante program, a self-sustaining social franchising initiative. The program trains representatives from each Credit Center, known as “Community Health Entrepreneurs” (CHEs), to administer basic health screenings, deliver community health education sessions, and sell over-the-counter health products. CHEs will conduct community screening campaigns to identify cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and provide appropriate care, referral, and/or follow-up, as dictated by Ministry of Health protocol.
The program will also focus on improving livelihoods opportunities for families affected by food and nutritional insecurity through sustainable home gardening, livestock rearing, and access to financial services. By 2021, AKSYON aims to reach full-scale, with 1,800 entrepreneurs serving over two million Haitians. The program’s sustainability is ensured by its market-driven approach, which will allow it to become self-sufficient after initial start-up costs.
The program’s geographic coverage includes the departments of South, Southeast, Grande Anse, Nippes, West, Center, Artibonite, North, Northeast, and will be implemented from August 24, 2016 to August 23, 2021. The total estimated agreement amount is $18,000,000.00, with a current obligation of $6,000,000.00. The program has received $1,985,625.40 in cash disbursements and estimates an expenditure of $988,000.00 for the next quarter.
The AKSYON program is a collaborative effort between Fonkoze, Dimagi, Inc., Healthy Entrepreneurs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institut de Technologie et d’Animation (ITECA), and Sèvis Finansye Fonkoze (SFF). Researchers from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are monitoring the program’s roll-out to assess its sustainability and impacts on health outcomes.
The program’s implementation progress is being closely monitored, with a focus on addressing implementation challenges and updating the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan. The program’s management and administrative issues are also being addressed, with a focus on ensuring effective financial management. The program’s lessons learned will be documented and shared to inform future program development and implementation.