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In April, New Zealand will provide US$2 million to implement a US$3.3 million project for kindergarten children in the central province of Binh Dinh, Viet Nam.
The project, which targets 157 communes in the province’s poor, ethnic minority areas, includes a communication campaign on education for pre-schoolers, the building of 69 classrooms and supplying teaching and study equipment.
Early childhood education is recognised as an important learning opportunity for children. This is a particular issue in Viet Nam where many ethnic minority children miss out on going to kindergarten because they do not speak the taught language, Vietnamese - putting them at a disadvantage even before they start school.
NZAID is committed to helping these children receive the same level of education as their urban counterparts by funding projects such as this kindergarten programme.
NZAID, 30 New Zealand development agencies and 10 organisations from developing countries joined forces at a recent conference to ensure that New Zealand spends its aid dollars effectively.
Funded by NZAID and organised by the Council for International Development (CID), the three-day conference was an opportunity to share the principles of monitoring and evaluating aid to ensure that it is well-targeted and effective.
"Monitoring and evaluation systems need to be robust and able to accurately assess the real impact of the work we do. They also need to be manageable and relevant to the communities where the work is happening," says CID's deputy Chair Barry Coates.
"That's why it’s important that we talk to and understand the needs of our partner organisations who are working on the ground in the Pacific, Asia and Africa."
Through NZAID, New Zealand spends more than $333 million a year in official government aid. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) raise another NZ$100 million through private donations.
By working collaboratively, NZAID and the NGO community are able to ensure that New Zealand’s aid donations make a tangible difference to combat poverty and improve people's lives.
"Good development relies on good relationships" said NZAID's Debbie Player. "It was a great opportunity to take stock of what is working and explore new ways of gathering and sharing information. We are all committed to clarity, consistency and regular communication."
At the end of February, the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) opened an office in Suva, Fiji. Established as a regional organisation in 2003, the PDF unites disability organisations in promoting the rights and dignity of disabled people in the Pacific. As both a cause and consequence of poverty, disabilities can limit access to education, employment and other basic social services, often leading to economic and social exclusion, discrimination and rejection.
NZAID provided over NZ$170,000 of assistance to the PDF in 2006. This funding has helped the organisation recruit a CEO, assisted with developing a governance structure and a consultation/communication framework, and contributed to awareness activities aimed at raising the profile of disabilities in the Pacific.
A primary focus of NZAID's support in the Pacific is supporting local organisations such as the PDF, to assist them in providing quality services.
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NewZAID updates you in brief on key issues and events on the NZAID agenda. Please click on the useful links included in this newsletter to explore issues in greater depth.
 - Located next to a squatter settlement, the Popua dump is a major health hazard.
With the assistance of NZAID, the Popua dump in Tonga will be closed at the end of March and rehabilitated to create a public reserve. Located next to a squatter village between the sea and the lagoon, the 60 year old dump is filled with families of pigs foraging in the muck, people scavenging in the rubbish, and an assortment of car wreaks, household and chemical waste, steel and plastic bottles. All this flows into the lagoon and the nearby village. When the wind picks up the rubbish blows across the road and into the sea. It's a grim picture and is a major health hazard.
After much design and construction planning, the first visible stage of the project was completed in early March. This first phase, which is a temporary fence, is designed to encourage people not to use the dump and to stop rubbish blowing out to sea.
After the dump's closure, its contents will be investigated fully. Ground water will be tested and the site will be surveyed to gage how thick the waste is. The rubbish will be sorted and things like steel will be recycled. The remaining rubbish will then be compacted and covered with clay, while careful planning will ensure that gas emissions will be minimized.
Once the dump is closed, people will use the new AusAid-funded Tapuhia solid waste facility, which opened in December. This modern facility has the ability to manage waste in a sustainable manner and has already made a great difference to Nuku'alofa.
How can countries of the Pacific and beyond meet the economic aspirations of their people, particularly women and growing numbers of youth?
During 2006 NZAID developed a draft 'Growth and Livelihoods' policy paper. This sets out the Agency's proposed approach to promoting economic development and livelihoods in developing countries.
Following an internal consultation process the draft policy is now available for public consultation. It is being circulated to a wide range of NZAID's partners, including developing country partner governments, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, civil society organisations, private sector organisations and other New Zealand government departments.
To have your say, check out the draft policy posted on the NZAID website (www.nzaid.govt.nz/what-we-do/consultation.html). Written comments on the draft policy will be accepted up until Tuesday 15 May. These should be addressed to Paula Suckling in the Strategy, Advisory and Evaluation Group of NZAID (e-mail paula.suckling@nzaid.govt.nz).
 - New Zealand's Ambassador to Viet Nam, Dr James Kember, recently visited An Nhon District Hospital and saw at first hand the efficiencies that hospital staff experience from a functioning management information system.
For the first time ever, Binh Dinh province has successfully rolled-out a hospital-based health management information system (HMIS). Earlier attempts to install computer-based systems failed due to incompatibility of systems across hospitals, lack of training for users and lack of equipment.
NZAID's Maternal and Child Health project has funded training for users, the cost of each server and a number of computer/printer sets, while the Binh Dinh Department of Health provided the additional equipment and cabling for An Nhon, Bong Son and Quy Nhon City Hospitals.
HMIS brings savings in time for health professionals and patients alike. For the first time ever, the director of each hospital has real-time knowledge of services being provided to patients, doctors have immediate access to patients' medical histories and don't have to wait for paper files to be sourced and patients know that billing errors, including double-ups in charging for medicines will be avoided.
The HMIS will be installed in a further three district hospitals during 2007 and gradually rolled out across the province in future years.
NZAID recently demonstrated its support for democratic governance programmes in Timor-Leste by signing two cost sharing agreements with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The first agreement is a contribution of NZ$100,000 for a project focusing on building the human rights capacity of the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice. The Provedoria, established in 2004, is Timor-Leste's national human rights institution, as well as serving as the Ombudsman and the country's anti-corruption commission.
In the aftermath of the 2006 crisis, New Zealand provided funding to the Provedoria to monitor the human rights situation of people who left their homes because of the crisis.
The Provedoria is seen as the key in upholding the constitutional system of checks and balances and providing the public with a channel through which their complaints can be heard and remedied.
The second agreement is a contribution of NZ$80,000 to a project which supports Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in promoting citizen participation. Four CSOs will deliver civic and voter education, making sure that citizens are informed about the upcoming national elections, including the voting process, and will follow up in the post election period to ensure that citizens are exercising their rights and engaging with their elected Government.
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