Participants listen during a learning exchange session.
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) recently hosted a second Learning Exchange in Senegal, one of six countries supported by TCI’s Francophone West Africa hub. The first exchange was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2024. Like the one held in Kenya, Senegal’s exchange brought together participants from all six TCI hubs (East Africa, Francophone West Africa, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines) to share knowledge, learnings, and insights from TCI’s efforts to support local governments in scaling up family planning programs.
Both exchanges are part of a broader effort to strengthen family planning strategies and improve programming across TCI’s 213 supported local governments, Beyond the technical discussions, the exchange also provided an opportunity for participants to form lasting relationships that will serve as a foundation for future collaboration and continued learning between hubs.
Forging Connections and Planning for the Future
The Senegal learning exchange included TCI city managers and technical leads who had candid discussions about their challenges and possible solutions to strengthen city programs and improve family planning outcomes. Participants shared their experience scaling up high-impact practices and other interventions such as universal referral (ISBC), supporting local government leadership, and mobilizing resources for family planning programs. These insights will help address complex program issues and enhance sustainability.
Dr, Mamadou Kandji, Chief of Party for TCI’s Francophone West Africa hub, noted:
This learning exchange is a transformative experience that has once again proven the value of collaboration and shared learning in strengthening family planning programs. The knowledge gained and the connections forged will undoubtedly influence TCI’s work across the six hubs, leading to improved FP outcomes for the regions involved. As all TCI hubs continue to learn from one another, we will certainly remain at the forefront of innovative and impactful FP strategies, benefiting communities for years to come.
A TCI city manager from India, Vivek Malviya, shared:
For me, this exchange has set a foundation of greater collaboration between city managers from different countries. By working together and learning hands-on from each other’s experience, we are able to make a lasting impact on FP outcomes”.
Meaningful Learning Through Clear Objectives
The exchanges are carefully structured with specific learning goals, ensuring participants gain relevant insights. By exploring city-level FP programs and technical topics – like monitoring learning and evaluation (MLE) – hubs acquire concrete knowledge to enhance their strategies. These objectives help participants address overlooked issues and inspire new ways of thinking about their work.
Khalid Ahmad, a city manager from Pakistan, said:
The unique feature of these learning exchanges is the emphasis on the peer-to-peer technical learnings and assistance. This approach ensures that the visiting hubs not only learn from the hosting hub’s experience but also bring their own insights and perspectives.”
Field Visits Offer Practical Insights in Action
A group of exchange participants during a facility site visit.
An integral part of the exchange were field visits to three TCI sites – two in Dakar and one in Mbour – where participants engaged with local government implementers. This real-world exposure allowed the visiting teams to observe firsthand how strategies are being implemented in Francophone West Africa. Conversations with city stakeholders, TCI city managers and technical officers offered invaluable insights into the day-to-day realities of implementing FP programs.
Peter Kagwe, a TCI city manager from Nairobi-Kenya, shared the following:
Very impressive to see how leadership both at the municipality and health system level have taken up the TCI model, by understanding very well program implementation at all levels. To extend this, it was also impressive to see the cascade of the universal referral approach in all the different facility entries.”
Rokhayatou Gueye, Senegal’s city manager, reflected on the overall exchange:
These exchanges catalyze improvements in specific areas identified as priorities by both hosting and visiting hubs. This reciprocal learning model ensures that both parties benefit, leaving with fresh ideas and actionable takeaways to integrate into our line of work on a daily basis.”
Dedicated time was also set aside to plan next steps, ensuring that the knowledge gained during the exchange is put into action. The collective commitment to continuous improvement was evident, and participants left with a clear vision of how they will apply their new learnings to enhance long-term impact.
