Double Eradication of Poverty and HIV/AIDS in Zambia

Advocating for promotion, protection and respect for women’s rights especially in hard-to-reach areas of Western Province where women are killed and their private parts used for ritual cleansing and for boosting businesses. We are working with the law enforcement agencies in particular Zambia Police Service to sensitize and mobilise community action against these ritual practices, develop community systems and structures that help to sensitise and refer cases to the Police for the maintenance of law and order. So far, three community mobilisation and sensitisation meetings have been held in all our 12 operational villages in Kaoma on the same by our organisation in collaboration with the Police.

The organisation has been providing palliative care and support in form of basic necessities (blanket, second-hand cloths, cooking oil and other food supplements) to vulnerable women and children living with HIV/AIDS, aged women, Orphans and vulnerable children. PLWA and those on Anti-retro-viral therapy are referred to the nearest health centres for diagnosis and medication. Mobile Voluntary, Counselling and Testing for HIV has been done on a regular basis throughout the villages in partnership with the Health Clinic Staff. The Kaoma District Health Management Team is our partner in our efforts to establish community referral networks for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses using interactive Community-based Educational methodologies and approaches developed by the Ministry of Health. We have also held one sensitisation meeting in each village with the villagers on the transmission and prevention of HIV infection in order to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and stem the rising HIV infection rates in rural Zambia.

Conducted three Capacity building activities in form of training seminars and workshops for project beneficiaries to enhance their active participation and full ownership of project activities and strategies to transform the domestic and regional developmental policies and practices pinned on poverty reduction and sustainable development. These capacity building activities build community systems and structures and also serve to build sustainability preparedness in the community in the event of our organisation or other funders pulling out of the community.