Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service

Southern AfricaHIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service

HIV/AIDS INFORMATION : the power to make a differenceSAfAIDS - P O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.safaids.org.zw Southern Africa

HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service

SAfAIDS - P O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.safaids.org.zw

Website: http://www.safaids.net Email: [email protected]

SAfAIDS

Regional NGO serving 10

Southern African countries in the

SRH and HIV Response


HIV/AIDS INFORMATION : the power to make a differenceSAfAIDS - P O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.safaids.org.zw

SAfAIDS applies multiple mediums and

methodologies to reduce SRH & HIV risks and

vulnerabilities , through Social Mobilization :

- By scaling-up access to information (production and dissemination) & expediting multiple channels of SRH, HIV and gender information flow to target audiences (PLHIV, CS, leadership, media, key populations, adolescents etc )

– By informing and influencing policy makers, and service providers and community groups

towards increased service access; through strategic advocacy and campaigns

– By strengthening capacities of CS, policy makers, key populations and service providers through

knowledge and skills building; and scaling-up cross-sharing and learning on ‘working models’



We…..• Roll out SRHR, HIV and gender programmes – through a rights-

based lens) in 10 southern African countries, and extend to the remaining SADC Region for special programmes

• Create bi-directional bridge between policy level – service delivery level and community level

• Offer technical advisory services: best practice documentation & digital story telling; mass and multi-media; capacity strengthening & mentoring; material development; strategy development; policy analysis; e-forum/e-learning and related ICT moderation, Organisational development for minority CBOs/NGOs etc, also to regions beyond southern Africa, eg Caribbean, Europe, Asia etc

• Can be reached on [email protected] and on www.safaids.net



Thank you…..





“Engaging Traditional Leadership :

Fresh frontiers in Accelerating HIV & GBV Prevention through Cultural

Transformation” SAfAIDSWebsite: http://www.safaids.net Emails: [email protected] and [email protected]



By the end of this Session we will ……• Explore and appreciate an interactive and comprehensive

package on engaging traditional leadership in HIV & GBV prevention responses

• Be equipped with innovative skills and tools to engage traditional leadership in African communities to harness their role in promoting integrated HIV & GBV prevention

• Become familiar with • The SAfAIDS Culture Dialogue Model of community driven

mapping of cultural practices that promote protective & reduce harmful ones - related to HIV & GBV and strategic engagement of custodians of culture in reducing vulnerabilities

• Other effective methodologies in cultural transformation



……and• Be inspired to effectively utilise and cascade the Rock

Package of tools – adapted to country specific contexts – through strategic advocacy and mobilisation activities that engage traditional leadership structures in reducing HIV & GBV in the communities they lead and support

• Network and build a broader network of partners committed to engaging traditional leadership and tackling harmful cultural practices towards reducing vulnerability to HIV and GBV in communities being served



This Session Comprises….• Welcome & Overview of session objectives and structure

• The Process : Build-up to the SAfAIDS “Rock” HIV Prevention Programme Engaging Traditional Leaders – fresh frontiers being pushed forward as we revolutionalise “Getting to Zero”!

• Exciting Explorations: The “ROCK - Traditional Leaders as Prevention Champions” Package

• Translating Tools into Creative Application: Activities in Groups

• Sharing our Rich Experiences

• Keeping the Fire Burning & The Wheels Turning : Paving the Way Forward – what next





General Justification• Prevailing high statistics & structural imbalance of power and

inequality factors fuelling GBV and vulnerability to HIV. Majority of current interventions are timidly addressing ‘root’ => CULTURE

• Risk and vulnerability factors of the twin epidemics often perpetuated by traditional structures established and practiced

• Traditional leaders highly influential, yet omitted from mainstream responses, unless for tokenistic purposes. Many have desire to “move with the times”, but need knowledge and skills

• ‘Getting to Zero’ demands pulling out the plug in all corners of society. It is time to engage TLs. Evidence of pockets of similar interventions show success! Undoubtedly this angle to prevention will contribute to meeting national MDGs 4, 5 & 6



The Process….. Needs identification

The need to actively engage traditional leadership structures and tackle harmful cultural practices, while bringing protective cultural practices to the fore, was identified by SAfAIDS following:

– Multiple community-based HIV and GBV interventions and operational research related through programme documentation

– Research conducted in Namibia and Mozambique around the links between women’s rights, HIV and gender inequalities

– Concerns raised by service providers and community groups, that traditional structures continued to be excluded from mainstream HIV & GBV responses, and this has countered progress in behaviour change

– Evidence gathered during policy dialogues revealed exclusion of traditional mechanisms from mainstream responses was impeding change



Design of Pilot Intervention• SAfAIDS (2005) then begun a culture, HIV and women’s rights

programme in a small Zimbabwean Community (Seke) in partnership with a local CBO, and piloted it through– Development of Training manual on HIV, gender, women’s rights and

culture and conducting cascade training– Culture dialogue series– Campaigns– Other participatory activities

• This proved effective, open dialogue took place by women/men, practices were changed and behaviour change evidence, and a best practice was documented in the area



Scaled-up Programme

• SAfAIDS rolled out a fully fledge Changing the Rivers Flow (CTRF) programme in 8 southern African countries (Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe). As a result 10 best practices were documented, evidencing working models of cultural transformative change in SAfAIDS Turning the Tide Book/DVD

• A spin off of the CTRF programme is the “Rock” programme that offers specific attention to working directly and intricately with Traditional Leaders as “Prevention Champions” ! – Generated over 100 Champion Leaders in HIV and GBV prevention, and SRH

promotion for LGBTI, in the region; and – Reached over 500 female and male traditional leaders…



Models of Intervention Applied



SAfAIDS “Culture Dialogue Series Model”



Other Methodologies …• Knowledge and skills building – materials and training • Speak-out sessions – during traditional events, against harmful

practices, mobilizing access and uptake• Pledges – statements, plaques, safe space commitments etc• Role modelling - accessing HTC, VMMC, reduction in # wives• Demand Creation Leadership Dialogues (DCLDs) – mobilise

access to services (HTC, VMMC, PMTCT, ART, FP etc) • Traditional court hearings - paralegal community cadres • Community bashes and galas - reaching young men• Indabas – cross-sharing experiences and successes, inspiration,

consultative trouble-shooting challenges • Men as Protectors (MasP) clubs - a man reaching a man



SAfAIDS Cascade Model for Capacity Strengthening

National Trainers

District Trainers

Volunteers

Door to door with familiesChurch meetingsCommunity meetingsSchools etc



The Rock Programme: – Package developed and piloted during a Regional

Indaba on HIV for Traditional Leaders (TLs) in 2011, and updated in 2013.

– Confirmed that when TLs are engaged - by civil society and other partners responding to HIV & GBV - they are more likely to take the lead and mobilise their communities towards intended behaviour change

– Evidence gathered during programming that when TLs are engaged – culture is transformed – risks and vulnerabilities reduced e.g. replace offering of a girl child bride with a cow; promote condoms; key populations protected; PMTCT and HTC access increase and share +ve HIV status to reduce stigma and increase open dialogue around HIV; engendered traditional court systems to protect women from violence etc



Thank you…..





Exciting Explorations “ Traditional

Leaders Championing HIV

and GBV Prevention in Communities”

Complementing National Efforts

SAfAIDSWebsite: http://www.safaids.netEmail: [email protected]

[email protected]



Primary: • Traditional Leaders and elders within cultural settings who

directly influence cultural practices

• Community organisations and groups working with traditional leaders & other community leaders

• CBOs and other bodies working in HIV and Gender-based Violence (GBV)

Secondary • Other community leaders e.g. religious & political leaders • Service providers such as health care workers, social

workers, counsellors, GBV and HIV focused institutions

Who is this Package for?



How can the Package be Used?• Building knowledge and skills that encourage engagement

of traditional leaders in an effective & sustained manner – community talks, workplace &, social discussions, media platforms, religious platforms, club activities, trainings, campaigns

• Empowering traditional leaders with the necessary basic knowledge and skills to take the lead in HIV & GBV prevention & stimulate transformative cultural practices

• Raising awareness around facts & dispelling myths relating to both epidemics, through a cultural lens

• Advocating for cultural transformation in programming/ policy/ support structures/traditional courts etc



What Tools does it Contain? (1)

• Flipchart for– Triggering dialogue – around linkages between HIV, GBV and

Culture norms and practices, exploring “Getting to Zero” by tackling harmful cultural practices, and the benefits of engaging traditional leaders (TL) in mainstream responses

– Building knowledge & skills – on the specific risk and vulnerability factors related to both epidemics and women’s rights, and the role that TLs need to adopt and champion

– Scaling-up capacity to translate knowledge into action – community mapping to determine current status, risk and vulnerability practices, support systems & identifying transformative solutions

*Use by both TLs and during CBO capacity strengthening sessions



• HIV & GBV Referral Booklet – For traditional leaders to appreciate the unique role they can play

in referring community members to relevant services– To enable TLs to keep a list of addresses and contacts for HIV &

GBV services in their community

• Referral Slip-pad– Enables TLs to keep a record of who they referred, when, to

where and for what service– One sheet is shared with the community member, for actioning,

the other remains with the TL for record (and tracking)– To be used with the contact list completed in the Referral Booklet

What Tools does it Contain? (2)



What Tools does it contain? (3)• Facilitators (trainers) Guide

– For civil society and other partners, to building knowledge and skills around engaging TLs and empowering the latter to take the lead in HIV & GBV prevention responses in their communities

– Will contribute to cascaded capacity strengthening among CBOs, NGOs, ASOs, FBOs and other bodies

• Resource Booklet – Sharing basic facts and knowledge on HIV & GBV, with direct

links to culture and the role of traditional leaders– To be used during capacity building sessions, as well as as a

reading resource for traditional leaders – ideal for translation into vernacular languages



The different tools can be used together or separately and in diverse methods and

within multiple scenarios…..

……we will explore ways in which they can be applied within

different community settings towards creating cultural transformation !!



Group 1: Adolescent GirlsIn the past year there has been a significant increase in your community in the number of teenage unplanned pregnancies, and some leading to early marriages. Many girls are dropping out of school, and their families are willing to accept bride prices for them

- What are the HIV & GBV related issues? - How could culture be influencing these? - Which tools would you use and how – to address these?



Group 2: Domestic Violence

You have begun to take note of increased domestic violence, reported and unreported, occurring in the region you have supported over the past 6 months. Many of the wives you approach to report and seek support for the violence they endure, are reluctant to do so and cite that it will be a cultural taboo to ‘expose their home-affairs, and embarrass their husband’

- What are the cultural factors influencing this scenario?- What positive cultural dynamics can be engaged and how?- Which tools would you use to respond, with your organisation,

to this scenario?



Group 3: High Prevalence of HIVExplore the Culture Dialogue Model and the Flipchart. How would you engage your community to tackle high HIV prevalence among women, men & youth?

Group 4: HIV PreventionAccess to PMTCT in your community has remained low, as stigma related to the service remains high. What could the cultural influences be preventing access and for promoting access? Which tools in the package would you use, with who, and how – to respond to this situation?



Thank you….

Documents

Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service