Healthlink Worldwide

Partners

We are working with five partners. All have a common interest in HIV prevention, care, support and treatment through work with schools, churches, youth clubs, community groups, and support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA).

The five partners are:

Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), Malawi
YONECO is a local non-governmental organisation, which is committed to combating the spread of HIV infection, mitigating the impact of AIDS and promoting democracy and human rights. It was established to address the social injustice and reproductive health issues affecting young people, women and children.

YONECO started as a small group in 1997 and has grown to become one of the leading youth organisations in Malawi with a range of services on HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and human rights YONECO has developed innovative programmes working with young mothers, commercial sex workers, PLHA, and young people.

YONECO has been awarded Oxfam's Susie Smith Memorial Prize in 2008 for its contribution to research on the experience of young Malawians on the interaction between mental health and HIV and AIDS.

National Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA), Uganda
Founded in 1992, the National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA) promotes positive living for women with HIV and AIDS in Uganda. Using trainers to provide psychological support, economic empowerment and advocacy for essential services, the organisation has 26 branches and 40,000 members across the country.

NACWOLA’s philosophy is to work closely with their communities and ensure members feel a sense of ownership of the programme. Trainers and their follow-up teams, often HIV-positive themselves, run workshops and training sessions where parents and children learn to communicate about HIV issues in a supportive environment. The process is based on sharing experiences; by sharing their own stories the trainers encourage participants to discuss their fears and help prepare families for a more secure future. This approach results in a programme that reaches out to individuals, families and whole communities.

NACWOLA are also working with us on the International Memory Project.

More on the International Memory Project

Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), Zimbabwe
FACT is a Christian-based organisation working with various communities in Manicaland and throughout Zimbabwe, to provide HIV prevention programmes, training and care for the whole person. FACT aims to become a renowned organisation working towards the elimination and mitigation of the impact of HIV and AIDS. To achieve this vision, FACT facilitates the formation and builds the capacity of community based organisations in Zimbabwe and in the Southern African region.

FACT has approximately 1000 volunteers, built up since 1987 when the organisation started. Its large volunteer base and emphasis on developing community ownership of programmes ensures the sustainability and continuity of its work.

FACT are also working with us on the International Memory Project.

More on the International Memory Project

Tilla Association of women living with HIV (TILLA), Ethiopia
Tilla is a community based association which aims to reduce and mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on women, strengthening their coping mechanisms to HIV and AIDS.  Tilla’s programmes include prevention and community awareness, home based care and income generation.

Although a relatively new organisation (formed in 2002) Tilla has gained a good reputation at a national level in Ethiopia and internationally, and now has 120 members. Tilla’s work to raise community awareness on HIV, including regular testimonials from members, has led to an increase in the number of people seeking voluntary counselling and testing, and a reduction in stigma and discrimination in the Awassa area where Tilla is based. Tilla has introduced memory work in Ethiopia, training up to 40 members in 2005.

Tilla are also working with us on the International Memory Project.

More on the International Memory Project

Kibera Community Self-Help Programme (KICOSHEP), Kenya
Started in 1991, KICOSHEP initially provided support for women living in Kibera, one of Africa’s biggest slums areas. Gradually it has developed offering care and support to all community members in Kibera, and the programme has also expanded to two other districts Machakos and Nyando/Kisumu areas.

KICOSHEP has won awards for its unique approach to tackling the HIV epidemic. Notably it has consistently developed holistic interventions that provide medical, psychological, social and economic empowerment for the residents of Kibera. In particular it has developed programmes for home-based care, orphans’ education and support, and more recently an antiretroviral therapy programme with over 500 clients.