Who might want help from AFFIRM?
Any person
or organisation aiming to strengthen their work with HIV and AIDS or other critical
issues:
AFFIRM has long experience of working with communities. Potential clients
are those with programmatic aims such as
§
the provision of services
§
strengthening health care infrastructure
§
bringing different groups together
§
encouraging change in society
§
the promotion of sustainable development
and could
include international, national and local NGOs, other international bodies, religious groups, government departments etc. AFFIRM
has a particular interest in working with faith organisations and interfaith initiatives
and AFFIRM facilitators are especially experienced in working with responses to
HIV and AIDS.
Why would an organisation want AFFIRM to work with
them?
AFFIRM facilitators
have significant experience of facilitating a human capacity for response approach
(HCR) in relation to HIV and other issues critical to communities. Many organisations
understand the importance of community leadership and want to work actively with
the communities they serve, but this can be daunting. Communities may seem hard
to reach, or it may seem impossible to get beyond barriers such as stigma or fear
which seem to block the way to working together.
Developing human capacity for response creates an environment in which the community
and the organisation can learn together to make change happen and to sustain and
build on existing community strengths. Experience
of this process has shown that it is more sustainable and effective than straightforward
community consultation, or community participation in a pre-determined strategy
and programme.
What does AFFIRM do?
A team of AFFIRM facilitators works closely with the organisation/person to plan
an appropriate HCR approach. The AFFIRM team facilitates a process over time to
enable the organisation and the community to work together to sustain action and
change. The exact process depends on the specific situation but includes:
·
The planning and facilitation of an initial ‘human
capacity for response' workshop
·
The stimulation and mentoring of interconnected facilitation teams, locally and
in a wider sphere, which will be the core of a continued response
·
Local community visits through which the local teams will be accompanied and mentored
and learn how to work together with communities to achieve their mutual aims
·
Learning how to engage communities in conversations through which community strengths
and potential joint action are identified
·
Developing an understanding of tools and processes through the analysis and documentation
of the local experiences and process.
·
Facilitating participatory processes including outcome evaluation and self-assessment
·
Expanding experience within the local teams by including them in other AFFIRM facilitation
teams, with the object of learning from the experience of other communities, and
gaining confidence in facilitation
and HCR methodology
·
Facilitating the formation of HCR partnerships and donor linkages in the context
of HCR, for those involved who want to expand their understanding, their influence
and their financial resources.
How long would it take?
AFFIRM would
normally expect to be involved over some time: building a community partnership
and facilitation teams involves more than a one-off meeting. A period of around
two years would be planned, which would include a workshop and several visits during
which the AFFIRM team would accompany local team members as they develop their own
responses and actions. After this initial period, AFFIRM facilitators would be available
for follow-up support visits. A sustained and supported process means that learning
is accumulated and absorbed by both individuals and organisations.
What effect would this have?
When an organisation
rediscovers the strength and potential capacity of the communities it serves or
works with, this realisation can transform the way in which the organisation works.
By engaging actively in a shared learning experience, the organisation triggers
a sustained process of learning and renewal. People who come to this kind of work
often find a renewed enthusiasm; and they discover the advantages of working within
teams and being accountable to close team mates. The positive approach of facilitators
reinforces a sense of joint achievement with participants from organisations and
communities.
AFFIRM facilitators
working with HIV have identified some specific effects:
§
Stigma becomes
a manageable issue and no longer dominates activities
§
The process
leads to a hugely increased demand for testing for HIV, so that the potential for
the uptake of measures for the prevention of mother to child transmission and for
antiretroviral therapy (ART) is greatly increased
§
Hopelessness
and apathy in a community are addressed (this has been demonstrated both in communities
affected by HIV and also in those affected by the Asian
tsunami of December 2004)
§
The process
of care and change engages with the spiritual life of the community
§
When the community
manages drug distribution in partnership with local clinics, ART has been found
to reach more people
§
Duplication
and unproductive competition are reduced when different actors are brought together,
resulting in a change for the better in working practices and therefore effectiveness
and efficiency.
Some of these
effects are clearly applicable to other critical issues in communities, such as
endemic drug and alcohol abuse, natural disasters and conflict.
What would it entail for the organisation or person
requesting AFFIRM’s involvement?
§
A commitment
to a process over a period of time
§
Funds to cover the costs of visits and workshops
§
Openness to
a new approach, possibly within the context of familiar ways of working
§
Willingness
to commit to and learn from sustained application with an accompanying team.
What would it cost?
