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Opportunities Industrialization Centers International  |
Ghana: Hope Program
Providing economic and nutritional enhancement to HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and to People Living with HIV/AIDS
SITUATIONGhana's HIV/AIDS rate is rising, and those who have already been affected by the epidemic require greater support services and improved economic opportunities
Today in Ghana, there are more than 400,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. There are also an estimated 204,000 children who have been orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. The national prevalence rate is 3.4% and is expected to increase to 6.9% by 2009. Due to budgetary constraints, Ghana’s national HIV/AIDS response has focused more on strategies to reduce HIV transmission rather than on treatment, care and support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) or HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). This strategy has left a significant gap in supporting those who are currently being affected by the pandemic.
When driving through the urban centers of Accra, Takoradi or Kumasi during the day or at night, one sees vulnerable girls and boys between the ages of 10-18 in tattered clothes selling ice water or a diverse range of low-cost items, or simply loitering in the streets because of a lack of shelter, education and family; most are simply searching for money to buy food for the day. Many of these children have been forced onto the streets because their family support systems have broken down due to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) often travel from rural areas to urban areas in search of non-existent jobs. Many end up living on the streets, joining gangs, or falling prey to promoters of sex work.
In a similar manner, stigmatization, discrimination and a lack of economic support has forced People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) on the street with no stable dwelling place, or the disease has caused them to return to their villages where there are no trained persons to provide proper care or counseling. Existing PLWHA associations report a lack of funding to: develop training and capacity development opportunities at individual and association levels; acquire adequate management and administrative skills to run the associations; develop capacity to formulate advocacy policies. PLWHAs can live “positively” and make meaningful contributions to their families and communities if they have appropriate support.
OICI’s own studies show that institutional care and support for OVCs are inadequate, weak and economically handicapped. Demand for food and nutritional assistance is exceptionally high. Many of the food distribution programs that operate rely on irregular donations, and thus the feeding rations are erratic. There is often no nutritional enhancement, nutrition education or counseling component.
RESPONSEEnhance the national support structures for HIV/AIDS Orphans and People Living with HIV/AIDS, improve nutrition for those living with HIV/AIDS so that they stay healthy, and provide counselling and marketable job skills training
With funding from USAID, OICI is enhancing the capacity of individuals, associations and communities to provide support to PLWHAs and OVCs.
Improving Support Services - OICI is strengthening existing care and support providers by:
- Identifying and training community health workers, home care providers, PLWHA associate members, community orphan care providers, traditional healers and OIC Ghana counselors in basic care and psychosocial counseling for PLWHAs and OVCs
- Providing training on HIV/AIDS modes of transmission, prevention methods, identification and care of opportunistic infections, psychosocial counseling, nutrition and dietary requirements for PLWHAs.
- Developing and disseminating basic care and support guides, including pictoral descriptions (for those who are illiterate or semi-literate) for community health workers, home care providers, PLWHA association executives, and community orphan care providers
- Developing and distributing home-based care kits
- Providing training in bread/pastry and basketry making skills, snail farming and the development of community farms for income generation activities
Improving Nutrition - OICI recognizes the strong role that food security plays in helping PLWHAs and OVCs stay healthy. In order to increase the nutritional intake of PLWHAs and OVCs, OICI is currently:
- Distributing monthly iron and vitamin fortified food rations to PLWHAs through a number of local community organizations and associations
- Providing monthly household food rations to OVCs through OIC Ghana vocational skills training centers in order to supplement their household’s monthly nutritional intake
- Providing a daily nutritious lunch to OVCs who are participating in OIC Ghana’s vocational skills training program
- Educating PLWHAs and OVCs on nutritional counseling at food distribution sites
Enhancing Economic Opportunities - OICI is also working to enhance economic opportunities to PLWHAs and OVCs in the urban centers of Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. For OVCs, the business acumen and vocational skills they learn will greatly assist in ensuring that they do not end up on the streets, and for PLWHAs, the program ensures that they will be able to access a steady income that will allow them to stay in good mental and physical health. OICI is providing vocational, entrepreneurship and business training to OVCs and PLWHAs through our local independent affiliate, OIC Ghana. Specific areas that have been developed for training include:
- Providing psychosocial, vocational and motivational counseling to participants
- Testing participants to determine aptitude and career/skills interest for skills training placement
- Providing basic literacy, numeracy and life skills courses for illiterate and semi-literate participants
- Training participants in 1 of 14 skills areas provided at OIC Ghana training centers
- Providing weekly group counseling and individual counseling sessions to participants as needed
- Assisting participant find a 6-month industrial attachment and/or internship so that they can gain on-the-job training
- Assisting in providing job placements after graduation from the program
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OIC International
1500 Walnut Street
Suite 1304
Philadelphia, PA 19102
MAP
info@oici.org
PH. 215.842.0220
FX. 215.842.2276
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