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Partnerships
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Community
representatives gathered on the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Durban campus at HIVAN's Community
Symposium in January this year |
HIVAN and the BCP are partnering
to assist communities in their responses to HIV/AIDS
The Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN), based
at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Durban campus, facilitates
partnerships of all kinds between organisations
working in the HIV/AIDS field in KwaZulu-Natal.
HIVAN works to bring together communities, researchers,
policymakers and service-providers so that they
can work jointly on addressing the many problems
brought about by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
HIVAN's networking tools include: a database
of individuals and organisations, literature around
HIV/AIDS and regular workshops and seminars drawing
together many different stakeholders. HIVAN will
also foster Job Shadow programmes which will sponsor
visits by KZN-based NGO and CBO staff to similar
organisations elsewhere in Africa and vice versa,
to facilitate exchanges of experience and knowledge.
HIVAN also works closely with the Behaviour Change
Programme (BCP) Provincial Network that forms
part of the wider KZN Community-Based Organisations
(CBO) Network. The BCP is directed at implementing
a wide-sweeping programme on behaviour change
that, although focusing on HIV/AIDS, is broader
in its scope.
HIVAN, in partnership with the BCP and the KZN
CBO Network, held its first Community Symposium
on 28 and 29 January 2002. Community-elected delegates
gathered on the University's Durban campus to
share their collective experiences of the struggle
against HIV/AIDS. Representatives came from all
regions of KwaZulu-Natal as well as three communities
in which HIVAN is piloting its Community Engagement
programme: Embo, Cato Manor and Bergville/
Winterton.
The meeting enabled representatives from different
regions of the province to describe to each other
their HIV/AIDS activities, strengths and concerns,
prioritise their needs, identify stakeholders
and solutions, and plan a way forward for community-based
action against HIV/AIDS.
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For
more information on HIVAN's Community Engagement
programme, contact:
Moses Ndlovu or Cedric
Mhlongo by
Telephone:
031-260 2538
Fax:
031-260
3169
E-mail:
community@hivan.org.za
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Clearly, much good work in a wide range of fields
is being undertaken by community HIV/AIDS activists
and volunteers in the regions represented. Most
of the delegates requested help with training,
fundraising, communications and co-ordination
of activities and HIVAN is linking them with appropriate
service-providers for this purpose.
A HIVAN/BCP Task Team has been formed to liaise
with relevant roleplayers and to facilitate joint
regional meetings involving local government,
CBO and NGO representatives on key HIV/AIDS issues
in communities.
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