Disseminating Ideas

An experience shared becomes an asset to everyone. When people share what they are doing and learning, new possibilities emerge. At Raising Voices, nothing is proprietary or private. From our successes to our vulnerabilities, from our answers to our questions—the strength of our ideas is in how far they can travel and in the conversations they start. The following initiatives include ways we are sharing with others:



Understanding SASA! Adaptations

Since the dissemination of SASA! RCT results, the number of organizations using SASA! in their programming has steadily increased. Currently, SASA! is being used in every region around the world, in various contexts—such as in humanitarian settings, in rural and urban areas, and in diverse political, social, and cultural landscapes. The organizations using SASA! are also diverse from small community-based organizations, national feminist organizations, faith-based institutions and large international organizations and agencies in both development and humanitarian settings.

We are curious to understand and document how SASA! is being used in these diverse settings in order to better understand how Raising Voices could support the organic and intentional scale up of SASA!.

One major effort is the Learning from SASA! Adaptations research. This work, supported by UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego, Beyond Borders in Haiti, Women’s Protection Center in Tanzania and International Rescue Committee in Kenya seeks to better understand what it takes to adapt and implement SASA! in diverse settings.

This 3-year project included primary data collection in all three countries and extensive interviews and engagement with staff. Through a case comparison approach, our core objectives were to explore: (1) SASA! adaptation processes in diverse settings; (2) context-specific implementation strategies; (3) organizational structures necessary for effective SASA! programming; and (4) SASA!’s progress against expected outcomes in each site.

The Adaptations Study generated rich data that can help the VAW prevention field learn more about long-term social norm change programming and the adaptation of community mobilization efforts. The following reports are available for download.

Case Studies: Summary Reports

  1. Learning from SASA! Adaptations in Diverse Contexts: A Summary Brief
  2. Dadaab, Kenya Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Humanitarian Context
  3. Jacmel, Haiti Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Caribbean Setting
  4. Kigoma, Tanzania Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Rural Setting
  5. SASA! Technical Assistance Hub in Haiti

Case Studies: Full Reports

  1. Dadaab, Kenya Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Humanitarian Context
  2. Jacmel, Haiti Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Caribbean Setting
  3. Kigoma, Tanzania Case Study: Learning from SASA! Adaptations in a Rural Setting
  4. SASA! Technical Assistance Hub in Haiti

For Raising Voices, applying the lessons learned to improve programming is essential. Based on the experience gained from this work, the following Program Briefs are available:

Interested in learning more about SASA! adaptation? Contact us at info@raisingvoices.org


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Collaborations with Research Institutions

As an activist organization, we enrich our work by collaborating with research institutions that bring a unique set of technical skills and avenues for diffusion of ideas.

Key Collaborations

We collaborate with a variety of research institutions to strengthen and expand the scope of our learning efforts. We currently are currently working on the below collaborations:

  • Rigorous assessment of SASA! and the Good School Toolkit with London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Makerere University. Proved the effectiveness of both methodologies in preventing violence.
  • Study on Resilience, Violence & Gender with Columbia University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Explores characteristics of adolescents who maintain high levels of resilience, despite difficult experiences including violence from their teachers, caregivers, and peers.
  • Exploring the Intersections of Violence against Women and Children in the Family with Columbia University. Aims to help us to better understand shared perceptions and experiences of violence against women and violence against children in the family – as well as potential entry points for integrated prevention programming.
  • Adaptations Research with University of California, San Diego is an effort funded by the United Nations Trust Fund to learn more about how SASA! is being adapted and implemented in diverse contexts, including a rural setting (Tanzania); a humanitarian setting (Kenya); and a Caribbean setting (Haiti). Click here  and go to the SASA! Study tab for more information on this study.

In addition, Raising Voices partners with research institutions on other key learning projects, including:

Raising Voices also partners with research institutions to find opportunities for young professionals (MA and PhD students) to come to Uganda to gain practical experience in preventing violence against women and children.

Are you interested in collaborating with us? Contact us!

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The Learning Paper series is a new initiative designed to document and share experiences and lessons learned through our practice. They are intended for activist organizations and others interested in understanding the how and why behind Raising Voices programs and processes.

Organizational Perspectives – learning from the journey of Raising Voices

Research Perspectives – learning from evaluation findings and operations research

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