Title of the Project:

Battling against HIV/AIDS through capacity building programs for local health federations among young adolescents mainly MSM & children of Female Sex Workers in Madurai & Tirunelveli districts, Tamilnadu state, India.

Project. Ref.:  PACHE TRUST – MPT Application 2021 (Spring) – Results:

Background Information of the Project:

Having felt it imperative from several years of active involvement by PACHE TRUST in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among High risk behavior groups mainly Truckers, Female sex workers, MSM, Transgenders etc. who are generally ostracized, discriminated, isolated, neglected and who have long been subjected to exploitation, inhuman treatment, serious violations of fundamental human rights, constant oppressions the need for taking them from the state of powerless to the state of powerful by way of helping them to enrich & enhance knowledge, skill & talents, experiences, develop, promote &  strengthen their capacities & capabilities in preparing them to work for their own development mainly focusing on prevention, control, correction, welfare, reformation & rehabilitations aspects with much stress on asserting their fundamental human rights related to HIV/AIDS issue has been a serious concern for PACHE TRUST. As there was vital need for promoting & strengthening local health federations involving active & potential members & leaders from people living with HIV/AIDS, socially committed persons from different walks of life members from service clubs etc., which would concentrate on effectively addressing to the HIV/AIDS related issues, linking them towards having better access to the benefits of various resources, we designed a holistic project -proposal with community based approach and forwarded it to your esteemed organization solely committed for this purpose for possible funding. The mercury phoenix Trust was so kind enough to come forward to be a meaningful partner in our developmental efforts.

Now we are happy to present to you the details of progress that the project has made in a more brief manner and the details of process involved, adoption of need based strategies, techniques & approaches, hurdles which we encountered and the manner by which we were able to successfully overcome, the further needs spontaneously evolve during execution of project which would of course further enable to strengthen our developmental efforts towards bringing deeper insight into the focus of attention to be paid in the years to come with long-term perspective of Local Health Federations, State & District Health units working together with renewed spirit will be highlighted in the upcoming Annual report which will reach your hands in a few months.

Intensive & Extensive Trainings for Peer Educators on effective methods of HIV/AIDS Prevention and control:

The role of peer educators from the targeted most at-risk population ie., active and socially committed potential members & leaders from MSM, TG, FSW adolescent young boys & girls of FSW families cannot be underestimated and they have greater responsibilities and it is well proven factor involved in the practice of HIV prevention.

The roles & responsibilities of peer educators are well explained to them. To be specific, mapping peer sexual contact networks, establishing good rapport & periodically interacting with peer groups and conveying messages related to protected safe sex methods, capacities to promote & distribute  condoms, undertaking required follow up service (STI & HIV testing referrals), need for monitoring evaluation by way of maintaining records of their contacts with their own group members, so as to assess the progress & analyze the areas where the need for further concentration for further improvements. During intensive & extensive trainings they are facilitated to improve their skill, capacities & capabilities in specific aspects such as self-dignity, self-worth, self-esteem development, methods by which they can promote facilitating, bargaining, facilitation skills.

The outreach efforts of peer educators are being assessed on the basis of increased numbers of condom usage and MSM & FSW using STD clinical services.

Orientation to Personnel from Police, Legal, welfare department:

 It is found based on our experiences that while addressing to the key issues of HIV/AIDS prevention and control among FSW, TG, MSM and motivating them to co-shoulder our developmental efforts with greater social responsibilities, preparing them to involve in effective designing and execution of need based Programme, there is need for creating conducive atmosphere which would help to boost the levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, sense of successful accomplishment of task and self-satisfaction in the tasks assigned to them, the personnel from the above said departments need to be oriented with sensitivity training  with right type of educational inputs and positive approaches towards contributing their mite in waging war against the widespread prevalence of killer virus. This would very much be helpful to counter harassment, atrocities, inhuman treatment (degradation) or violence and help to accelerate the process of practicing safer sex and reach out to several hundreds of risks at target population through care and support services. The training yields fruitful results and there is tremendous positive response in promoting positive changes in attitudes, values and behaviors and foster community ownership.

Capacity building trainings for Local Health Federation Members mainly from MSM, FSW, TG and young adolescent groups:

Following aspects are given adequate and significant attention.

• Promotion of various skills to get them positioned with greater responsibilities.
• Periodical visits and interactions with contacting groups and stressing them on the need to practice safe sex practices.
• Train the federation members to maintain diaries / documents, charts etc., closely monitor healthcare treatment and usage of clinical services, and condoms, prepare the health Federations to workout tools and techniques, identification of sex hotspots.
• Stressing on nutritional support to address to the problems of poor nutritional status which is a vital component in ART Programme.
• Promoting Kitchen Garden activities – growing of spinaches, Vegetables, fruits plants and trees, which have good source of required minerals and vitamins which would help to combat the problems of malnourished / undernourishment and also help to boost immune system.
• Under home-based nutritional care support for PLWHA, motivating these patients to achieve better health nutrition status by wag of consuming a balanced diet.
• Maintaining close monitoring, supervision and follow-up system towards helping to improving response to treatment, periodical health checkup (health care system)
• Equipping skills, knowledge, talents and capacities in planning and organizing need-based trainings, campaigns, workshops meetings etc., and reviewing, assessing the impacts of events.

Formation of Result oriented HIV/AIDS Positive Support Groups: its involvement in Advocacy, Lobbying and Networking Activities :<

Because of right type of education, motivation and positive approaches, we find a strong HIV/AIDS positive support groups are in the offing. It comprises of socially committed people from different walks of life who wants to focus on Preventions and control of HIV/AIDS related issues, safeguards, protect, promote and strengthen the rights of PLWHA, involve in advocacy and lobbying and networking activities especially with regard to issues concerning lack of easy access to various resources such as social, health, nutrition, treatment, education, training, employment and laws with utmost care, attention, priority. The members from NGO’s, Service Clubs are also members of this supportive group which extend helping hands for the initiatives of local health federations.

• Atrocities against HIV/AIDS patients (physical, mental, sexual abuse, eve teasing, harassment, exploitation.
• Linkages with Health care institutions and other welfare departments towards facilitating the PLWHA to avail the various benefits of schemes implemented by them.
• Strict enforcement of HIV/AIDS prevention and control ACT, 2017.
• Housing, Insurance and Public facilities including pension health care and treatment.
• Promoting community responsibility towards caring and supporting the cause of PLWHA.
• Advocacy, Lobbying and Networking activities towards addressing to gross violations of fundamental human rights towards PLWHA. (Signature campaign, rallies, processions, peaceful demonstrations.)
• Documentation of case studies (Preparing &Presenting reports).

It is just in the initial stage and PACHE TRUST is motivating them in the right direction – helping to evolve concept, policies, and procedures, nature and levels of activities, appropriate strategies, techniques, and approaches.  PACHE TRUST wants the forum to get it duty registered so that it can earn District, State National Level attraction recognition and the implications of its sincere and sustained developmental efforts will be reflected. PACHE TRUST wants to take every step more carefully with systematic planning and approaches. With a view to prepare the forum to act vigorously with renewed spirit, PACHE TRUST together with the active involvement of local health Federations is very much involved in hectic consultations.

Conclusion :

The project has begun to enter into a new phase of sustainable development in the creation of HIV/AIDS free society and focus on strengthening the development effects in securing various kinds of government concessions, benefits of various welfare schemes, strengthening the policies related to HIV/AIDS issues mainly due to the timely Support of the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Your generous understanding and sincere concern towards the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS is NOTEWORTHY. Needless to say, it will serve as an eye opener for government, NGOs, Service clubs, local community to concentrate enough on this issue by way of according top priority in the services. But for your help, support, cooperation, PACHE TRUST would not have initiated these positive changes and PLWHA would not have come forward to united by act together with spirit of oneness.

In the long run the project will help them to reintegrate themselves into mainstream of development and the strong association (legally registered) will try to strive hard for the upliftment of these deprived groups. Their voices will be heard in the appropriate platforms and we strongly hope that the government concerned departments will take into account their views, ideas, suggestions before evolving programmes, policies and procedures. To this end only PACHE TRUST is preparing the groups at most risk to equip their knowledge, skills, capacities and capabilities. PACHE TRUST is of the strong view that prevention and control of HIV/AIDS is possible only with the increased and active participation of high-risk behavior groups at every stage of project planning, execution, supervision, monitoring and evaluation. Be assured of our all sorts of cooperation, support and help for the developmental efforts of Mercury Phoenix Trust.

We very much value your comments and feedback which would help to streamline activities for producing better results.

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