The Rain Workers

The Rain Workers, formerly known as Aktion Regen, is an Austrian non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights. It was founded in 1989 by the gynaecologist Maria Hengstberger and adopted its current name in 2024, positioning itself as a network for sexual and reproductive health. The organization's mission is to advance equality and equal rights for women in the Global South, starting with self-determination over their own bodies. The organization's core programme, 'Knowledge as a Chance', trains staff of partner organizations and institutions in East, West and Southern Africa to become multipliers known as 'Rain Workers'. These Rain Workers pass on holistic knowledge at a low threshold within their communities in local languages. The aim is to enable women to choose their family size responsibly according to their economic means. Topics covered include family planning, sexual and reproductive health, individual life planning, human, women's and children's rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Rain Workers' guiding principle is the transfer of knowledge. The organization wants to contribute to all girls and women being informed and equal, able to decide over their own bodies and lead self-determined lives. Women have the right to decide the number of their pregnancies and the spacing of births; family planning and education are the key. Its goals include de-tabooing education about family planning and sexual/reproductive health and rights, spreading women's, human and children's rights, reducing teenage pregnancies, ending harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and child marriage, empowering girls and women by involving boys and men, promoting healthy motherhood, educating about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and increasing the use of modern contraceptives. The training programme 'Knowledge as a Chance' targets organizations, institutions and individuals already active in health, social work or schools. Training is delivered by local and international trainers familiar with local socio-cultural conditions, lasts on average six months, and comprises two five-day workshops with a three-to-six-month probation period in between, followed by an examination and certification. Rain Workers work with schools, youth groups, community meetings, health facilities, religious institutions, women's and men's groups, street children, teenage mothers and HIV groups. They send monthly reports to Aktion Regen, which evaluates the data to adapt the training curriculum to socio-cultural conditions. As didactic teaching aids, Rain Workers use the 'Big 5 Teaching Tools' developed by Hengstberger. The Rain Workers cooperate with organizations and institutions in East, West and Southern Africa, including in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Niger. Since 2009, over 800 Rain Workers have been trained by local organizations and institutions in a total of 10 African countries, who in turn have educated more than half a million people. Aktion Regen offers North and South NGOs the opportunity to have their staff trained as Rain Workers and conducts regular further training. Financing comes from membership fees, private donations, foundation grants and public funding, as well as cooperation with private companies. The City of Vienna, the provinces of Lower Austria, Vorarlberg and Tyrol are among the funders. Sponsorships cover allowances for Rain Workers. Since 2011 the organization has held the Austrian donation seal of quality (Spendengütesiegel) and donation deductibility.

The Rain Workers was founded in 1989 by the Austrian gynaecologist Maria Hengstberger under the name Aktion Regen. For decades it operated as an Austrian non-governmental organization focused on family planning and sexual and reproductive health in Africa. In 2024 the organization adopted the new name The Rain Workers and repositioned itself as a network for sexual and reproductive health. The name change reflects its core method: training local multipliers, called 'Rain Workers', who let knowledge rain down so that women can grow. The organization has been active in East, West and Southern Africa, cooperating with local organizations and institutions in countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Niger. Since 2009, over 800 Rain Workers have been trained in a total of 10 African countries, reaching more than half a million people. Since 2011 it has held the Austrian donation seal of quality and donation deductibility. Its programme 'Knowledge as a Chance' and the 'Big 5 Teaching Tools' developed by Hengstberger remain central to its work.

• 2024

  Renamed from Aktion Regen to The Rain Workers, repositioned as a network for sexual and reproductive health.

• 2011

  Awarded the Austrian donation seal of quality (Spendengütesiegel) and donation deductibility.

• 2009

  Start of systematic training of Rain Workers; over 800 trained since then in 10 African countries.

• 1989

  Founded by gynaecologist Maria Hengstberger as Aktion Regen.

Non-profit NGO network for family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights, empowering women and girls in the Global South through education.

• Knowledge as a Chance

  Training programme for staff of organizations and institutions in Africa to become Rain Workers.

• Big 5 Teaching Tools

  Didactic teaching aids developed by Maria Hengstberger for family planning and sexual/reproductive health education.

1. 1Home | THE RAIN WORKERStherainworkers.org
2. 2Über uns | THE RAIN WORKERStherainworkers.org
3. 3Aktion Regen - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4The Rain Workers - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org