Member Associations

Established in 1957 as a grass-root movement, the Mauritius Family Planning & Welfare Association (MFPWA) was one of the earliest organizations in Africa focusing on family planning issues. As the nation struggled to find a way to address pressing population issues, a group of advocates formed MFPWA and started to provide contraceptive services directly to women. In 2018 the MFPWA is governed by an Act of Parliament 2018 as a body corporate.  Today, the organization caters for the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of the whole community. It also has particular strands of activity relating to specific groups including sexually abused children, elderly people, men and marginalized populations on Rodrigues and Agalega Islands.   MFPWA has 30 staff and 50 volunteers and offers services through 2 permanent facilities and several service points.  It also runs a day care centre for infants and children as a social enterprise initiative. The Association delivers services that include family planning, the prevention and management of HIV through voluntary counselling and testing, infertility management, antenatal and post-natal care, post-abortion care, the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and screening for cancers of the reproductive systems in particular breast, cervical and prostate.  The Association began its first rehabilitation of sexually abused children in 2003 and has built a solid reputation in the domain. Services for the rehabilitation of victims of gender based violence had been extended to Rodrigues Island on a pilot basis in 2019. The Member Association also operates peer-educator-led outreach programmes targeting work places, namely: hotels, manufacturing industries, call centres, male-dominated sectors such as transport, police, agriculture and fisheries.   MFPWA has played a critical role in promoting the integration of comprehensive sexuality education into the national school curriculum and its powerful, informed advocacy has been influential in shaping government’s agenda and policies on SRH and population issues. MFPWA partners with and advises government departments which address health, quality of life, women’s rights, child development, family welfare, social security and youth and sports.  MFPWA works with a large number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), para-statal and government institutions and international partners like UNFPA, Help Age International and the European Union.   

The Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) is a non-profit organization that complements the development efforts of the Government of The Gambia and other national partners through a holistic and integrated Social and Economic Empowerment Program geared towards improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women and girls, in targeted rural and urban communities. The overall goal of our program is to empower communities to take charge of their health and economic well-being, with emphasis on their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). BAFROW’s approach Our approach is holistic, multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral and based on the principle that sound health is closely linked with economic well-being, knowledge and skills, conducive physical and social environments, good personal and environmental hygiene, and the absence of all cultural practices that affect the health and well-being of women and girls, thereby bridging gaps and creating linkages between these issues. Projects BAFROW’s main projects are: 1) Health promotion and health service delivery 2) Combatting practices that are harmful to health including female genital mutilation/ cutting (FGM/C) 3) HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support 4) Obstetric fistula treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration, and 5) Women’s economic empowerment and the environment Service delivery Our hospital, BAFROW Medical Centre which is operated under our Health promotion and health service delivery project, is registered as a commercial entity. The service delivery points of our two functional health facilities are: Serrekunda, Kanifing Municipality for BAFROW Medical Centre; and Mandinaba Village, Brikama Local Government Area for BAFROW’s Well Woman and Family Clinic.  BAFROW provides clinical services under the following specialized areas: Family Medicine Internal Medicine Cardiology Infant and Child Welfare/ Paediatrics Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specifically on SRHR, BAFRWO provides: Maternity care and services Fertility treatment (for both men and women) Abortion-related services Contraceptives & emergency contraceptives Sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment HIV testing; referrals for HIV treatment Care services for rape including PEP Screening and treatment or referrals if necessary for other diseases of the reproductive system Obstetric fistula reparation surgery, and rehabilitation and reintegration services Information, education and counselling for all the above and on other SRH issues Email: [email protected]