Soon after the Paris summit of 1994, a pilot project to enhance the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic was developed. Malawi and Zambia were the two countries selected to pilot GIPA using the NUNV modality.

In the pilot phase of the programme, 23 Persons Living with HIV/AIDS were recruited, trained and placed as NUNVS in selected partner organisations. The first cohort of 10 volunteers served between 1997 and 1999. The second cohort of 13 NUNVs served between 1999 and 2001. The primary role of these has been to give HIV/AIDS a “face and a voice” by sharing their experience of Living with HIV/AIDS and raising issues about HIV/AIDS prevention and care for the affected in the workplace. In addition, they also provide basic HIV/AIDS information, distribute condoms, participate in community mobilization and provided basic counseling services.

What did the pilot GIPA project achieve?

    A number of persons living with HIV volunteered to participate in the project

    Ten HIs offered to participate in the project by hosting NUNVs to participate in the activities of the HIs and also bring a human face and voice of HIV/AIDS

    Stakeholders – government, networks, associations and support groups of PLWHA, HIs, the United Nations system – collaborated to conceptualize, promote, implement and monitor and evaluate the pilot project

    NUNVs participated in the formulation of the Malawi National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS for 2000 – 2004

    NUNVs helped to strengthen the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS and helped establishment of new support groups of PLWHA

    NUNVs helped in mobilizing individuals, communities and organizations to recognize the need and value of voluntary counseling and testing for HIV

    NUNVs helped break the silence on HIV/AIDS by promoting dialogue, that resulted in increased understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic

    NUNVs helped individuals families and communities better understand HIV/AIDS, reduce misconceptions, stigma and discrimination

    NUNVs participated in advocating for the Human Rights and Freedoms of people living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS

    The GIPA project has helped organizations to internalize HIV/AIDS and include it in their strategic plans.

The pilot phase of the programme which ended in 2001 demonstrated that persons living with HIV/AIDS can be recruited, trained and placed at different levels in organisations, and that they can contribute tremendously in breaking the silence on HIV/AIDS, breaking barriers, reducing stigma and discrimination, reinforcing HIV/AIDS programme and increasing awareness.

Evaluation - Major Findings

    The strategic approaches of placing PLWHAs as NUNVs in host institutions, and supporting PLWHAs Support Groups in Income Generating Activities are unique and have great potential in sensitising the public about HIV/AIDS, as well as in the management and fight against HIV/AIDS.

    The efforts of GIPA to influence and/or initiate policies that are positive for PLWHAs at the work place, are commendable and urgently needed everywhere.

    The project offered PLWHAs the unique opportunity of contributing visibly and directly to the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

    The Project put employers particularly in the private sector, in a position to directly face the issues surrounding the employment of PLWHAs.

Issues and challenges

    The project only involved those infected with HIV but not those affected by HIV/AIDS.

    A large majority of NUNVs had low levels of academic qualification but they happened to be already involved in HIV/AIDS work and open about their HIV status. It would be interesting to understand why more affluent PLWHAs tend not to get involved.

    The key players in the management did not seem clear about their different roles in the administration of the project

    The office of the Country Project Coordinator did not offer adequate supportive supervision and monitoring of the activities of the NUNVs.

    The Micro-Finance Facility was an important strategy for implementing GIPA, but it did not get due emphasis

    The documentation and publicity of the project was very poor.

    There was a lot of uncertainly about the duration of the project, as well as anxiety about the short period of the project.

Recommendations

    It is vital that GIPA reverts to its original vision of including those affected by HIV/AIDS as NUNVs because they have a complementary role to play in the reduction of stigma, the effective management of the disease, and the fight against the pandemic.

    There is a need to explore better ways to attract highly qualified and well-exposed PLWHAs because these are likely to be employed in management positions and hence stand a better chance of influencing policy.

    Given the diversity of stakeholders to the project, there is a need to define roles and responsibilities in a way that does not hinder the smooth running of the project

    In addition to having personnel that can offer some technical support to the NUNVs, the office of the Country Project Coordinator should also have supportive supervision and basic facilities as well as facilitation for their work.

    The Micro Finance Facility to support IGAs for the infected and affected should be strengthened. It is a vital strategy in the management of HIV/AIDS in communities given the clear and very strong association of “Poverty and HIV/AIDS” that has emerged worldwide.

    The project should bring the Host Institutions together and cultivate them into a strong advocacy group to help sensitise government, non-government and other private institutions about the implementation of the GIPA principle.

    The project administrators should insist on proper and adequate documentation of all processes and activities of the project, and should produce some brochures on key activities and issues of GIPA for public distribution and sensitization.

    The community aspect of the project should be implemented more purposefully in an effort to maximize the impact of the project in as short a period of time as possible

    The NUNV modality of achieving GIPA is very effective and still vital as a means of creating a critical mass of local volunteers in the communities who would in turn ensure that the GIPA principles are mainstreamed and entrenched into society.