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RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS AMONG PRIMARY HOUSING COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES strategy, process, success challenges & action plan PRESENTATION BY:MARY MATHENGE THE CEO, NACHU “ The disease is all around us, within our community, our families, our houses and it will defeat our best efforts at peace and development unless we defeat it first” Koffi Annan, UN Secretary General A map of Kenya About NACHU National Cooperative Housing Union (NACHU) is the umbrella organization for all housing cooperatives in Kenya. It was established and registered as a housing union in 1979 and began its operations in 1987. NACHU is a member-based organization with about 230 affiliate primary housing cooperatives that have an estimated membership of approximately 200,000 people in Kenya. VISION To maintain a leading role in facilitating access to decent and affordable shelter through provision of technical assistance in housing development. MISSION To contribute to the improvement of shelter and quality of life to the lowincome communities through the provision of training, education, technical, and financial services on a sustainable basis 4.0 HOW DO THE AFRICAN COOPERATIVES ADDRESS THE POVERTY REDUCTIOSTRATEGIES? (ILO Coop Branch May 2003) COOPERATIVE AND POVERTY: A LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Halving poverty by 2015 Opportunity Create economic opportunities through cooperative self help Security Provide basic social protection through mutual assistace Empowerment Give people a voice through mocratic organisations -Economies of scale -Heath Insurance -Bargaining power -Economies of scope -Community care -Representation -Joint innovation -Primary education -Legal protection -Capital formation -Basic services Type title here -Dignity -Job creationType title here -Vertical integration -Democracy The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kenya Today, the number of people living with HIV in Kenya includes 1.1 million adults between 15 and 49 years, 60,000 of age 50 and above, and approximately 100,000 children. New infections in young women have significantly declined in the last 5 years.[1] There has been a decline in prevalence among pregnant women below 25 years. Prevalence in girls 15 to 19 years old is six times higher than in boys of the same age group. A significant portion of new infections in adults today takes place within the family. HIV/AIDS has had severe impact on all sectors within Kenyan economy. Households afflicted by HIV/AIDS are seriously impoverished. Increased deaths have resulted in deprivation of the agricultural sector of its required labor force resulting in reduced production of food either for them or for the country. [1] MOH, AIDS in Kenya, Trends, Interventions and Impact, 2005 (Cont’d ) The education sector has not been spared. Very skilled and experienced Teachers including University lecturers have succumbed to HIV related diseases. Large numbers of children have been kept out of school because they are needed at home to care for sick family members, do household work or work in fields to increase family income. The number of people seeking health services has increased due to this pandemic. This has exacted pressure on the government to employ more health care workers. Overall, the cost of running the health sector has risen significantly. (Cont’d ) The industrial sector has equally been affected. Projection of several Kenyan firms showed that HIV/AIDS would increase labor costs by up to 8% in five years.[1] In 2003, HIV/AIDS was expected to reduce Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 14% in the subsequent 10 years. The economy would lose its valuable workers and the resources have a risk of shrinking. [1] Kenya National development plan, 2002 2008 Institutional and Policy responses Immediately after the first case was identified in Kenya in 1984, a National AIDS Committee (NAC) was created by the Ministry of Health to lead in responding to the pandemic. The Committee later expanded when STDs control programme was included and a separate secretariat was set up referred to as National STIs Control Programme( NASCOP). Due to its increased impact, the then President in 1999 declared the pandemic a national disaster. The Head of State said: “AIDS is not just a serious threat to our social and economic development, but it is a real threat to our very existence. It has reduced many families to a status of beggars ….No family in Kenya remains untouched by the suffering and death caused by AIDS… and real solution of the spread of AIDS lies with each and every one of us”. [1] The current president, His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki, declared a ‘Total War on AIDS’ and brought together religious leaders to fight the scourge. [1] The Kenya National Disaster Management Policy Framework, 2000 HIV/AIDS AND THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENTS The impact of HIV/AIDS on cooperative movements is seen in: Many members succumbing to AIDS thus not achieving their goals Many becoming too ill to benefit from the cooperative benefits Some diverting their incomes to pay for medical bills instead of saving with the cooperatives Others diverting their incomes to take care of their relatives The affected not being able to pay back their loans so that the whole system is destabilized. Indeed, the battle of HIV/AIDS would easily be won if the society was economically empowered, the noble course of cooperative societies. (Cont’d ) This is because: Cooperative societies provide existing structural networks that can be used to disseminate information on HIV/AIDS to stop its spread and to reduce stigma in the society. The cooperative societies have systems for educating their members, which can be used to reach them with information on HIV/AIDS. The Training of Trainers (TOT) approach can work well with a multiplier effect that would result into greater coverage. Cooperative societies presents opportunities for empowering the members economically thus reducing poverty that fuels the spread of HIV. Cooperative societies are virtually in every sector of the economy, presenting a structure for intervention to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on the economy. (Cont’d ) Cooperative societies present networks that can be used for resource mobilization to establish such facilities like VCT centers, recreational, educational and health care facilities in the community. The strength of social systems formed through the cooperatives can be tapped to address cultural issues that have facilitated the spread of HIV in some communities. The social groups and interaction of members within the cooperatives present opportunities for behavior change communication through peer education approach. The networks established provides framework for monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programmes. Feedback can easily be relayed back to facilitators for review and action to achieve greater impact. Current response – Majority of members in these cooperatives have little or no information about HIV/AIDS. – Many have had to endure the stigma in their community – Some cooperative unions have made attempts to offer education on HIV/Aids albeit on an adhoc manner – Collaboration and networking is rapidly growing among the cooperative stakeholders NACHU HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME – BUILD & LIVE History of the Programme The History NACHU’s HIV/AIDS programme goes back to year 2003. In a training workshop that would follow later, participants were asked to report their experience on the impact of HIV/AIDS in their cooperative societies. A summary of their feedback revealed that: At least one member in 10 cooperative societies had died due to AIDS 3 societies out of 10 had at least 1 member suffering from AIDS 3 out 10 had at least one HIV/AIDS orphan (Cont’d ) The participants also reported the following challenges in the wake of HIV/AIDS: Little or no information about the disease Increased stigma and discrimination of those affected/infected Lack of information on how to take care of the sick Inadequate resources to support the families where a bread winner got ill or died of HIV/AIDS Lack of resources to take care of orphans bereaved by HIV/AIDS Lack of drugs Lack of cooperation in efforts to join hands and fight HIV/AIDS Lack of community based approaches Highlights on activities covered Sensitization session for the board and staff members of NACHU Development of an action plan Workplace Policy developed Baseline KAP survey TOT Workshops Development of an HIV/AIDS trainers’ manual Follow-up sessions for feedback Summary of achievements Integration of HIV/AIDS within NACHU activities Training activities within the cooperative network Empowering individuals members Empowering primary housing cooperatives to respond to the pandemic Enhanced image of NACHU among the members Setting leadership in response to HIV/AIDS among cooperative unions Partnership in the fight of HIV/AIDS Developing community based approaches. Collaboration and networking is the way forward: A partners workshop organized by NACHU while starting off the HIV/AIDS programme A members raising an issue during a HIV/AIDS training of trainers workshop in Central part of Kenya Youth participating effectively : A graduate of the HIV/AIDS training of trainers programme providing progress on implementation since training The pandemic is ageless: the old have a voice and a role in combating HIV/AIDS Games are integrated into the HIV/AIDS workshops to facilitate understanding of the issues discussed Information is power: A trainer explaining about the HIV/AIDS testing kit after training The strength of a condom: confidence building during the training sessions Graduates display their HIV/AIDS training of trainers certificates : a tool of empowerment Challenges encountered - Shortage of funds to train, produce IEC materials etc – Lack of resource materials for use by trained trainers – Cultural barriers – Programme strength and sustainability The way forward In line with this, NACHU intends to undertake the following: Fundraising Policies at the primary housing cooperatives Train Peer educators Production of IEC materials Establish VCT centers Support programmes for Orphans Facilitate access to treatment and care Special programmes for the youth and women Partnerships CONCLUSION The greatest lesson from this is that a strong will and determination can bring incredible change in spite of the challenges presented. Let us support our brothers and sisters living with HIV/AIDS, those affected and orphans. With the motto to “build and live”, we shall together sustain life.