AFRO-NETS> Community REACH Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Grantees

[Polly Mott - Reachgrants <reachgrants@pacthq.org>]

Community REACH Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Grantees
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Press Release
 
Pact and USAID Announce HIV/AIDS Grant Winners
 
Today Pact and USAID announced the Community REACH winners for its 
latest grants competition, which will make US$ 750,000 dollars in 
HIV/AIDS awards for programs that will reduce stigma and discrimina-
tion at the community level. The seven recommended recipients were 
selected among 102 applicants working in 20 countries.
 
"Stigma and discrimination remain key barriers to accessing HIV/AIDS 
prevention, care, and support services. The innovative community-
based programs that were awarded funding today will reduce the stigma 
and discrimination felt by HIV infected and affected individuals, al-
lowing them to access these much-needed services," said Dr. Anne Pe-
terson, USAID's Assistant Administrator for Global Health.
 
The grant winners are all organizations that have the potential to 
reach many thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs), tradi-
tional leaders, caregivers, health care providers, and families af-
fected by HIV/AIDS. Each selected winner has embodied the principles 
of "Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS" (GIPA) in 
their program designs. International NGO winners were required to 
have local NGO sub-grant partners and will provide capacity building 
to their partners which include community-based organizations (CBOs) 
and local institutions such as organizations and networks of people 
living with AIDS.
 
 
The seven Community REACH grant winners are:
 
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in partnership with 
Rural Association for the Development of the Economy (RADE), Cambodia 
Organization for Human Rights and Development (COHRD) - Cambodia
 
ADRA and its local partners will empower and mobilize stakeholders, 
such as trained Buddhist leaders, local authorities and PLWHA to help 
reduce internal and external stigma and discrimination and facilitate 
widespread and enduring changes in social attitudes in Sampov Meas 
District. These stakeholders will be mobilized to disseminate accu-
rate information about and dispel myths surrounding HIV/AIDS and 
PLWHA, promote a compassionate community and individual response to 
PLWHA, and inform people about locally-available voluntary counseling 
and testing (VCT) and support services.
 
 
Les Promoteurs de l'Objectif Zerosida (POZ) - Haiti
 
POZ will create and strengthen self-help support groups in four geo-
graphical areas of Haiti: the west, north-east and south-east and the 
north districts. The self-help groups will learn to identify initia-
tives that contribute to improving conditions of sero-positive indi-
viduals, their families, and their communities. The project also pro-
poses to increase PLWHA groups' advocacy skills and empower them to 
take a more active role in reducing the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS 
and stigma and discrimination.
 
 
Mildmay International - Kenya
 
This program will address the need to sensitize the wider community 
and address the need for regular psycho-social activities to support 
those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Mildmay will utilize exist-
ing relationships with selected health professionals in eight dis-
tricts in Nyanza province to scale up 16 community-based initiatives 
in partnership with the Kenya Ministry of Health.
 
 
Journalists against AIDS (JAAIDS) - Nigeria
 
JAAIDS will work to equip gatekeepers in the media with accurate, up-
to-date information in order to ensure reliable reporting on issues, 
challenges and solutions around HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. 
The project will provide platforms for informed public discussion and 
debate on stigma and discrimination and build capacity among leaders 
of the Nigerian media in Lagos, Abuja, Ekiti, Enugu and Kano so that 
they will, on their own, become advocates for change-in terms of com-
municating behavior change to reduce stigma and mobilizing policy 
change.
 
 
Medical Care Development International (MCDI) in partnership with Na-
tional Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) - South Af-
rica
 
This two-year project will build NAPWA's capacity to utilize multiple 
approaches for community mobilization and to improve legal protection 
for PLWHA in Ndwedwe District. The project is based on the principles 
of a rights-based approach (e.g., universality, gender equality, ac-
countability of duty-holders, participation) and principles of GIPA 
to effectively address internal and external stigma and discrimina-
tion.
 
 
Kimara Peer Educators and Health Promoters Trust Fund - Tanzania
 
This project will ensure that all Kimara staff, volunteers, and an 
initial core of ten-cell leaders have the skills necessary to recog-
nize, challenge, and carry out a program to reduce stigma and dis-
crimination in Kinondoni District. It will further empower PLWHA and 
their families to overcome internal (felt) stigma, challenge stigma 
and discrimination, and be actively involved in reducing stigma and 
discrimination in their community.
 
 
GOAL in partnership with Bugiri Network of AIDS Service Organizations 
(BUNASO), National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA) 
- Uganda
 
The project will address stigma and discrimination at individual, 
community and institutional levels in the Bugiri District, integrat-
ing information-based approaches, coping skills acquisition. and ad-
vocacy and policy dialogue in order to maximize impact. This inte-
grated strategy will enable PLWHA to develop their coping abilities 
and play a leading role in addressing the causes of stigma and dis-
crimination, creating an enabling environment in which PLWHA can ad-
vocate for greater respect for their rights and achieve a reduction 
in institutionalized stigma and discrimination.
 
 
The Community REACH Leader with Associate Award is a centrally funded 
global USAID program designed to facilitate the efficient flow of 
grant funds to organizations working in HIV/AIDS. Community REACH 
currently has fifteen on-going NGO grants in thirteen countries. Pact 
is leading this dynamic funding mechanism with Futures Group provid-
ing expertise in the area of monitoring and evaluation. Under the 
Leader Award, legally established NGOs and CBOs, including universi-
ties and faith-based organizations, may apply for grants if working 
on a local, regional or worldwide basis in USAID-priority countries. 
 
For more information contact: 
mailto:reachgrants@pacthq.org 
or consult the website at:
http://www.pactworld.org/reach
 
--
Polly Mott
Tel.: +1-202-466-5666
mailto:reachgrants@pacthq.org>
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