Proposal for Meeting Needs of HIV/AIDS Victims

A sample process from Uganda

The churches are already involved in meeting many needs of HIV sufferers and their orphans.  How can this be better addressed, so that the church meets the community needs better

 Phase 1: Expanding the Base of Trained Pastors

Need for training: Apostle Paul Lubwago writes, “Our pastors lack basic training.  Eventually, we want to start a Bible Training Center(s). We have already started Harvesters Renewal Library.   Viv Grigg has been training slum pastors in many cities around the world for some years and while in Africa in June is able to facilitate a one weeks introductory story-telling training consultation.  This is the beginning of developing a training process for us. It will help us to get a process of training developed.”

 Practical and Theological

 The weeks training includes practical and urban theological issues such as:

 Expanding and Reproducible

In other cities such training has resulted in a learning cluster coming back together each three months and doing dramas about how they have been applying the training then the group listen to experts in the next topic they wish to learn together from 40 topics linked to the list above (such as microfinance or AIDS/HIV), and go out and apply the lessons again in practical projects.  In this context, because of the extent of HIV/AIDS, responding to this need is the first priority, and needs to be developed beyond basic ideas within the churches into an effective structure of penetration by the churches of the communities.

 This church-planting training has been delivered in numerous cities to clusters of slum pastors, usually resulting in 25-50 new churches, expansion of existing churches by half, half of the participants starting a new holistic project etc. 

 Success in this area of healthy holistic churches is foundational to being able to deliver assistance to HIV sufferers.

Phase 2: Training for Ministering to HIV/AIDS Victims and their Children

 Needs Assessment Process (Jun-Aug)

In each of 5 pilot communities with more developed churches, evaluate the (present and possible future) relationship of the church and the community in the areas of:

·         Monitoring the Impact of HIV/AIDS in the communities for policy and programme development so as to identify the most effective approaches.

·         Assessing the cost of activities to maximize efficiency.

·         Assessing the quality of care and support provided to affected communities.

Training Consultation (Aug or Sept)

·         To set up a training seminar for 60 appointed deacons/deaconess from 30 churches that:

1.      Presents the results of such evaluation

2.      Develops the Biblical foundations for caring for HIV/AIDS and orphans

3.      Presents models of care from 10 churches within the network and other appropriate expertise from NGO’s

4.      Trains these leaders in methods of teaching prevention and control of HIV, the facts of HIV vs. the myths

5.      Trains the pastors and deacons/deaconesses in counselling issues for HIV infected persons and relatives.

6.      Develops the consensus on plans for microfinance or skills training for some pilot communities where there is already people with management or business skills.

 Phase 3: Extensive Community Engagement (Oct – April)

Following this, each of 30 churches will:

·         Be encouraged to engage and participate in campaigns contributory to the prevention and control of HIV infection

·         Teach their congregation (50 people) and at least 150 other people in each community, the facts about the epidemic such that the myths they have about HIV are totally eroded away (Total 6,000).

·         Encourage and offer voluntary counselling and testing services to those with no easy possibility for treatment and services (Total 1,000 = 30 per church).

·         Offer counselling services to HIV infected persons and their immediate relatives and friends (total 1,000 = 30 per church).

·         Offer psychological support to infected persons and their relatives as may be appropriate (Total 300 = 10 per church).

·         5 churches with some managerial expertise will explore microfinance or the offering of vocational skills which in turn will improve the financial standing of those with AIDS.  If these are successful, they will provide the basis of further training in Biblical economics, micro-finances, and credit cooperatives in a subsequent year.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Evaluations will occur at the end of each phase of the project, as a prerequisite for moving to the next phase of the project.  Monthly reports in addition to field trips will help to determine the progress of the project.

Phase 1

 1. a. Evaluation by participants of training in final oral session (documented) and written response forms. 

     b. Evaluation 1 year later as to expansion of churches as a result of program, based on numbers of new churches planted, and expansion of existing churches holistically and numerically.  This will include a story from each church. 

2. Leadership group and written evaluation/revision of HIV/AIDS training plan, evaluation of response by pastors to the plan, evaluation of leadership credibility, financial systems etc as a basis for proceeding to phase 2.

Phase 2

1.      Needs assessment on 5 communities.  External evaluation of process, the report and personell performance in this phase.

2.      Evaluation of Training Conference through a summary of conferees evaluation forms.

3.      Evaluation of revised HIV program plan: effectiveness of setup of structure, leadership effectiveness, accountability processes as a basis for moving to next step.

Phase 3

1.      Monthly integration of reports on number of seminars and number of participants, numbers counselled

2.      End of project report on these numbers, including anecdotal evidence, 3 pictures

3.      Analysis of attempts to provide economic models of microfinance, credit cooperatives, or skills training from the 5 pilot churches.

Workplan

 Budget

How would you go about funding such a plan? Go through the above and work out the costs for each phase.

© Viv Grigg & Urban Leadership Foundationand other materials © by various contributors & Urban Leadership Foundation,  for The Encarnacao Training Commission.  Last modified: July 2010