NAPWA

NAPWA was involved in this project, now completed, from 2005 - 2008

Scope of the AHAPIAusAID HIV and AIDS Partnership Initiative. Project

Building community and counterpart participation, capacity and knowledge in priority countries within the Asia-Pacific region through formal collaborations and partnerships with like-minded organisations.

Partner organisations for the project were:

• IGAT HopeOrganisation representing people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea. ('Igat Hope' means 'There is hope' in Tok Pisin, the national language of PNG). based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Timor Aid based in Dili, East Timor
• Asian Pacific Network of Posivitive People (APN+Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. ) based in Bangkok

The project aimed. through collaborative partneships. to build the capacity and visibility of PLWHIV organisations and groups to develop and sustain HIV positive people for delivering and involvement within their country's HIV response.

Direct beneficiaries are people living with HIV who would have enhanced representation and suport to develop their own networking and governance structures. PlhivPerson (or people) Living with HIV. This term is now preferred over the older PLWHA. in country will be developing their own role in the national HIV response, and increase their capacity to liaise with other stakeholders.

In addition, there wil be country and regional benefits from the greater involvement of plhiv in the response to HIV and across communties nationally. Australia will benefit from an expanding and deepening partnership with these respective HIV responses.

Partnership with IGAT Hope

Activities

There have been several pieces of in country work carried out by NAPWA staff, peer volunteers and consultants to progress activities with IGAT Hope.

• A schedule of activities for partnership was agreed upon by the IGAT Hope Board.
• NAPWA assisted in preparing and facilitating the first annual general meeting and report to members by IGAT Hope
• NAPWA assisted in the preparation of an annual workplan for IGAT Hope and facilitated discussions about strategic direction for organisational activities
• NAPWA conducted a two day governance training workshop with the newly elected Board and prepared a governance kit describing the operation of the organisation, which was available to members and circulated amongst other NGOs.
• NAPWA and the ATPA conducted a two day workshop for twenty IGAT Hope members called 'HIV Healthy Living Peer Workshop'. This was co facilitaed by four IGAT Hope Board members and focused largely on diet and nutrition needs of PLWHA in Port Moresby.
• NAPWA has been in attendance for three IGAT Hope Board meetings and has assisted individual Board members to represent the interests of IGAT Hope in other forums.
• NAPWA supported nine IGAT Hope members to attend the NWAP annual conference in Adelaide in 2005 to enhance their skills development and understanding of the advocacy capacity of PLWHA organisations.

Outcomes

After one year the profile of IGAT Hope has been consolidated within the network of organisations responding to the needs of plhiv in PNGPapua New Guinea. Governance processes within the organisation have been enhanced and the notion of a cycle of annual planning for activities has taken shape. There has been progress in terms of individual skills development enabling the IGAT Hope Board to direct attention to advocacy work for PLHIV in PNG. IGAT Hope is a newly established group and the AHAPI project has provided support through organisational capacity building.

Partnership with Timor Aid

There have been three in-country visits. There is regular liaison with Timor Aid and other NGOs involved in the HIV/AIDS response in East Timor.

• A memorandum of understanding was negotiated with Timor Aid which described he partnership arrangements. A significant amount of the negotiation process was an awareness raising with the local NGO Timor Aid about HIV/AIDS.
• NAPWA's first scoping exercise in East Timor was carried out in conjunction with a HIV specialist from Australia. Contact was made with the local hospitals and clinic where the majority of plwha being treated attend. NAPWA addressed clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. staff at the Dili General Hospital on ways of working with plwha to reduce stigma and discrimination.
• NAPWA has facilitated the meeting of a small group of positive people who meet at what is called the Wednesday Luncheon Club.
• NAPWA assisted the group of positive people prepare a declaration for the first national congress on HIV/AIDS in East Timor. This was significant in an environment where still no positive person is prepared to publicly declare their status - reflective of the stigma and discrimination experienced to date.
• NAPWA contributed to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and ensured that the strategy reflected a role for plwha. NAPWA ensured the strategy included directions which would insist in developing an environment to foster positive response and peer support for isolated plwhas.
• NAPWA supported a delegate to travel from East Timor to the NAPWA Conference in 2005.
• NAPWA has facilitiated discussion amongst Australian organisations working in HIV/AIDS in East Timor with the aim of developing a coordinated approach across different areas of work.

Outcomes

Fostering positive responses and peer support in an environment where individuals are in fear of disclosing their HIV status was not going to be an easy task. Nevertheless some progress has been made in engaging with a group of HIV positive people in a 'safe' space. Through the AHAPI Project there has been a great deal of awareness raising about the dynamics of working with positive people amongst organisations in East Timor who wish to provide support for this marginalised group.

Partnership work with Asian Pacific Network of Positive People

Activities

Positive people from Australia have a long history of supporting this Network. The AHAPI project has provided a point of strategic intervention for NAPWA, as an organisation, to engage in a supportive way with this importatnt regional network. Links and communication processes have been consolidated across the NAPWA and APN+ Secretariats.

• An MOU was established between NAPWA and APN+ outlining areas of common work for the three year funding period.
• With the aim of eventually securing some financial independence through core funding for APN+ NAPWA prepared a document which described the history, activites and projects of the Network. The document will be part of a marketing strategy for APN+ and circulated to potential funders.
• NAPWA provided facilitation support for the APN+ annual general meeting and strategic planning days held in February in Bangkok.
• NAPWA designed and conducted a full day workshop on Positive Life Skills for Advocates which was an add on to the annual general meeting and attended by over 40 HIV positive advocates from across the region.
• NAPWA has provided consultant expertise to assist the APN+ Secretariat in meeting organisational reporting requirements.
• Discussions have commenced between NAPWA and APN+ about how best to support the visibility and accountability structures of the Network in a large region which is only receiving attention for the impact that HIV/AIDS is having.
• NAPWA has offered technical assistance to APN+ to enhance treatments preparedness in the region.

Outcomes

The capacity of the Network to market itself and undertake its own work is challenged due to the complexities of regional networking and lack of core secretariat funding to enhance communication amongst members. After the first year of the project there has been some progress toward the goal of boosting the governance structure and this has been underpinned by the development of an organisational strategic plan. A key signifier of improved povernance processes has been the engagement of the APN+ steering committee with NAPWA.

Challenges encountered

In work with IGAT Hope, one of the challenges has been in developing the skills of individuals to work in new ways at a Board organisational level. Additionally, local NGOs have their own ways of working with this group of people and the aim of involvong positive people in managing their own responses to living with HIV is not understood int he same ways as NAPWA understands the privnciple of GIPA (Greater involvement of People living with HV/AIDS).

In East Timor there is a fragmented approach to HIV and no operational National AIDS Council or government structure focusing solely on HIV/AIDS. The fact that people with HIV are terrified of declaring their status means that the process of finding those people and engaging with them to foster positive responses and peer support complicates the work of the AHAPI Project.

In all areas and especially within the work with APN+ the continuity of work due to health, illness and sometimes the death of advocates who do not have access to treatments (as are available in Australia) remains the greatest challenge./