Healthlink Worldwide

Overview

Like many African states, Nigeria is a closed society when it comes to issues such as HIV and AIDS. Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV is common, with communities perpetuating a culture of silence. However, work is being done to change this situation.

Three-year funding
The Nigerian organisation Mothers Welfare Group (MWG) is working with Healthlink Worldwide, with funding from Comic Relief on a three-year programme. Healthlink Worldwide will support MWG in its work with HIV and AIDS orphans and vulnerable children and their families, starting in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Supporting mothers
The Mother's Welfare Group was founded over a decade ago. Based in Kaduna, it is an independent organisation working in integrated rural development in northern Nigeria. Currently it supports 30 community schools, runs 12 health posts and three in-patient clinics.

As a community-based organisation MWG is ideally based to take on the challenges of supporting this project. Its dedicated staff team, always open to new ideas, has a strong reputation amongst health and development workers. They already actively support people living with HIV and AIDS and their children.

Developing capacity
By working with Healthlink Worldwide, MWG will be able to develop its capacity to manage and share health information. This will work is being done through:

• Increasing peer support, establishing youth groups, and using initiatives such as drama and theatre productions to raise awareness and reduce the exclusion children face from their communities.
• Helping parents and families affected by HIV/AIDS to care for orphans and vulnerable children, providing the knowledge and skills to support children, discuss their situation and make plans for their future.
• Helping the economic situation of children affected by HIV/AIDS by developing income generating opportunities, such as apprenticeships, vocational training, or life-skills to help children care for their younger siblings.
• Supporting MWG to develop a strategy to measure the impact of the project and find the best ways to document and disseminate learning to expand the project in the future.