MS-Zimbabwe Annual Meeting 2004 on HIV/Aids

By Beatrice Ndlovu, MS-Zimbabwe & Nyaradzo Makombe

02. November 2004

The theme for the 2004 annual meeting was “Fighting HIV and AIDS Together”. This theme was chosen due to the fact that the aids pandemic is a challenge affecting all of us, as it continues to play havoc with lives of people in Zimbabwe and southern Africa in general.

The Zimbabwe Human Development report (ZDHR 2003) states that southern Africa is the epicenter of the epidemic with HIV/AIDS deaths accounting for 22.6% of the total deaths in the 2002 (WHO report).

HIV/AIDS are also the leading causes of disease burden at a percentage rate of 20.6%. In terms of infection, Zimbabwe is rated second highest after Botswana at 36%(WHO 2002) .The epidemic has and continues to cause untold suffering in Zimbabwe with many children becoming orphaned, with a health system that is failing to cope and the overburdened rural based people who now have to care for those infected.

In light of this situation MS seeks to empower its partners to mainstream HIV /AIDS into their programs. To further explore the subject of HIV/AIDS, the annual meeting program also included sharing on living positively with HIV/AIDS, group discussions on HIV/AIDS, poverty and development, mainstreaming HIV/aids into partnership activities and treatment literacy. The aim of the four HIV /Aids sub themes was to enhance awareness and understanding of HIV/aids issues by participants at the annual meeting.

There were two guest speakers at the conference that shared their experiences as they both are living positively with HIV and AIDS. Angeline Chiwetani and Tonderai Chiduku shared on how they managed to deal with stigmatization and discrimination that came with the knowledge of their status. it was a good experience especially for those people living with HIV/AIDS as this helped them overcome fears, prejudices and influences change of perception and attitudes by providing a bases for partnership, mutual respect and understanding. In this kind of a set PLWHA’s (People Living with HIV/Aids) make contributions as experts. This helps to build their self-esteem and motivation because like everyone else they need to feel valued for what they can offer.

MS HIV/Aids guidebook

Ms has a policy on HIV and AIDS adopted in 2002 and has come up with a number of program and projects towards the fight against HIV and aids. Among them is a guidebook that provides inspirational guidelines to partners and country offices so that the policy is translated into action. The guidebook was developed through extensive consultations with all MS country program and policy advisory boards. Its target group is mainly those partners whose core business are not HIV and AIDS.

The guidebook deals with firstly HIV/AIDS at the workplace, which includes creating an open environment in relation to HIV/AIDS, staff issues and prevention care and support.

Secondly building the organizations capacity by mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into program, networking, building up knowledge, required skills and a step by step process for capacity building for HIV /aids.
Thirdly it deals with advocacy and lobbying, how to go about and working together with the media, religious groups, young people, orphans, women and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mainstreaming HIV/Aids

Mainstreaming simply means that HIV/AIDS has to be considered when we look at our program and planning of activities. When we plan future programs we have to ask: Does this activity have a positive, negative or neutral effect on the HIV/situation?
Does it limit or increase the risk of spreading of HIV?

Networking
Ms and partner organizations can benefit from networking with partners who specifically work with HIV/AIDS. Often locally produced brochures /leaflets have detailed information on HIV/AIDS. Liaise with a staff member from an AIDS organization to assisting mapping out what is available in terms of training and HIV/AIDS information. Ask for updates at least every six months as new information is vital for people directly affected by HIV/AIDS.

Ask the same organization to assist you in mapping out what exists in terms of aids service organizations offering counseling and testing as well as other facilities that can be accessed for staff and partners. establish contacts you can use on a continuous basis as well as contacts you can use for occasional inspiration, advice and help.

Building up knowledge
MS staff and partners including DWs should possess adequate knowledge to enable them to take them to take concrete action in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Required skills
Experience with entering communities, mobilizing people and skills related to training adults are needed in most development work. However as HIV/AIDS deals with delicate issues it require respect for sensitivity towards other people’s limits as well as ability to speak freely about sex and other taboo in public. This includes being able to communicate with words used by ordinary people and could also include sharing of more personal experience. it has often proved useful and powerful to use testimonies given by PLWHA. Interactive drama where the spectators participate is also a good way of giving the participants an understanding of dilemma people are facing in a time with HIV/AIDS.

Counseling and general communication skills
It takes a lot to counsel others and maintain an appropriate dialogue about e.g sexuality, safer sex, fear of dying, grief and bereavement. It is also necessary that the counselor is aware of his or her own feelings towards the same issues.

Lobby and advocacy
Because of the great fears of AIDS and the many misconceptions about the disease and people infected and many rights for PLWHA are violated and therefore lobby and advocacy skills are needed.

Step by step process for capacity building
Includes the assessment phase, developing a strategy and task force /focal person. The implementation process entails holding seminars and workshops, sharing experiences and exchanging visits. the monitoring process involves asking each other questions on how effective you have been in addressing the HIV/AIDS issue.