CASP PSU Project, Ahmedabad

Annual Report for the Year 2006-07



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* Henceforth this unit will be called as Technical Support Unit (TSU).

Project Support Unit :
Project Support Unit (PSU) is a management unit established in 1998 to manage and support the Partnership for Sexual Health (PSH) – Targeted Intervention (TI) program of Gujarat State AIDS Control Society. PSU is managed by Community Aid and Sponsorship Programme (CASP), Pune.

PSU aims to ensure better sexual health for vulnerable people in Gujarat , measured by averted cases of HIV and a lowering of the incidence of other sexually transmitted infections.

PSU and Targeted Intervention :
The role of PSU in TI is to bring the NGOs, CBOs, local government institutions, private sector, public sector and parastatal bodies together who implements sexual health interventions of the State AIDS Control Society in managed network of service providers.

Activities -
•  Develop new interventions.
•  Technical support to the existing partners.
•  Scale up and expand current program.
•  Ensure smooth flow of project functioning.
•  Ensure that activities relating to a particular group or population are coordinated in a synergistic manner.
•  Capacity building of state as whole and implementing partners in particular.

During the year following typologies were covered by NGOs for implementation of programmatic activities :

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School Adolescent Education Programme (SAEP) 2005-06 :
During Year 2005 -06 Project Support Unit has implemented SAEP programme under the supervision of Gujarat State AIDS control Society. Total 88 NGOs were involved to implement with School Adolescent Education Programme. Currently it is being implemented by Gujarat Council of Education Research & Training (GCERT).

Objective :
The main objective of the SAEP Programme is to provide the 100 percent quality coverage for all the schools in the state so that students in classess 9 th and 11 th have adequate knowledge about HIV in the context of life-skills.

The SAEP aims to support Young Peoples Right :
- Know about themselves, their adolescence and their sexuality.
- Basic facts on HIV and other sexually transmitted infection.
- Develop and reinforce life skills that enable them to protect themselves.
- Dispel myths and clarify misconception.
- Find ways where they can help fight the HIV epidemic and encourage positive attitudes towards people living with HIV.

Major Activities of SAEP Programme :

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Intensive Rural AIDS Awareness Programme (IRAAP) :

Need for the Programme :
•  Half of the Indian as well as Gujarat 's population live in the villages. According to GIDR mapping it is found that there is immediate need to initiate HIV/AIDS program in rural/tribal areas. To deal with the need of the span related to HIV/AIDS epidemic in villages, "Intensive Rural AIDS Awareness Programme” – IRAAP was implemented during the year 2005-06.
•  Intensive HIV/AIDS Awareness programme has focused on village people, especially women & Youth.

Goal of the Programme :
•  It was planned to cover 4200 villages from 42 Talukas of 15 districts of Gujarat with major goal of bringing Gujarat State into low prevalence rate from exiting middle prevalence rate.
•  To Sensitize and build the capacity of the village level institutions like Panchayat, SHG, Dairy cooperatives and agriculture cooperatives for HIV/AIDS awareness.
•  Development of the peer/volunteers from the Village institute for the extension of the activities at village level.
•  Creation of local folk groups for local awareness.
•  Mass awareness activities through folk media, Exhibitions, Wall paintings, wall writing, print media etc.
•  Developing Linkages with existing Health/Medical Services especially for RTI/STI, Condom Promotion & Counselling & Testing.

Strategy for Implementing the Program :

•  Sarpanch meeting
•  Taluka Panchayat Meetings
•  Meetings with SHGs
•  Anganwadi worker meeting
•  Village level cooperatives
•  Awareness activities

Exhibitions/video shows/Folk shows in the feeder villages during market/Hat (40 villages in three Talukas)

B. At Village level Strategy
•  100 villages will be covered in each taluka. Each taluka will be covered for intensive awareness program through series of two days activities., where village institutes like Arogya Samitee of Panchayati Raj Institute, SHG, Dairy Mandalis, Agriculture cooperatives as well as other stakeholders will be involved

Activities : (Mass awareness & minimum two events)
Events (minimum Two) :

•  Conducting open forum (free wheeling)
•  Sensitization meetings
•  Big/Small meetings

Mass awareness -

•  Wall painting, Wall writing, video show, Pamphlets, Stickers, Local Channel Advertisements with community participation.

Duration of the IRAAP Programme :

Activities and Achievements of the IRAAP Programme :

Coverage -
The population covered through this programme is approximately 65 lakhs. The Small meetings, Big meetings, Video shows, Folk Shows, Exhibitions, Wall Paintings, Wall writings, Sensitization Meetings etc. were conducted for maximum coverage. Around 14,866 people participated during the 250 sensitization meetings held for implementation of the programme. More than 2 lakh population was covered through Small Meetings, Big Meetings & Video Shows. Also 2.5 lakh condoms were distributed through 3929 non traditional condom depots. To create awareness 8.15 lakh IEC material was distributed.

The below figure shows the activities conducted during the IRAAP Programme.

Trafficking and HIV/AIDS (TAHA) :
NACO & UNDP jointly launched a prevention of HIV & Trafficking project in 11 states of India . Gujarat was one of them. PSU facilitated the process of identifications of NGOs in 6 districts of Gujarat viz. Surat , Vadodara, Kutchh, Porbandar, Dahod & Ahmedabad. For implementation of programmatic activities 6 NGOs were selected for 6 districts.

Public Private Partnership :

(a) Commitment from Religious Organizations -

-  Gayatri Parivar regularly organizes programs on HIV/AIDS.
-  Brahma kumari Parivar regularly participates in all World AIDS Day programs
-  Swaminarayan Parivar regularly organizes exhibition and publishes literature on HIV/AIDS.
-  Blood donation programs during religious and family functions are a regular practice in Gujarat .(b) Commitment from Commercial Organizations -
-  Kandla Port Trust officials contacted PSU and shown interest for undertaking various activities related to HIV/AIDS. Due to this, the Kandla Port Trust Hospital , Gandhidham involved for conducting various programmes which included seminar, establishment of laboratory, and presentation of documentary film and distribution of IEC materials.
-  Apolo Tyers Ltd., Baroda requested PSU for providing the support for the awareness programme to be conducted at 8 villages of Baroda as well distribution of IEC materials and condoms.
-  At Adani Port Ltd., HIV/AIDS awareness and sensitization workshop was done with the middle management and lower management in which the presentation was held on general awareness of HIV/AIDS.
-  One day seminar was organized at Surat where number of participants from commercial organizations represented and shown keen interest about the activities as well as willingness to join hands with the NGOs for further activities.

Workshop on HIV/AIDS & Livelihood :
S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai and Project Support Unit (GSACS) had organized one-day workshop for NGOs working in field of HIV and Livelihood. The main objective of workshop was to share experiences of the HIV positive persons who were successful in their ventures and the manner in which they managed with all constraints and faced the challenges. In this workshop PSU invited 33 organizations & People living with HIV/AIDS from GSNP+ (Gujarat State Network People Living with HIV/AIDS). In this workshop 64 participants from different NGOs were participated.

Promoting positive lives in the positive people program (GSNP+) :
GSNP+ is a network of, for & by people living with HIV/AIDS with a vision of improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS in Gujarat . It is based in Surat and members drawn from all classes, castes, creeds and religions. Women have significant representation in the network and they take part in the decision making of the organization.

GSNP+ is a body part of Indian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) based in Chennai & the General Secretary of GSNP+, Mrs. Daxa Patel is a Board Member of INP+. The primary mission of GSNP+ is to improve the quality of life for PLWHA in Gujarat . The fundamental principle guiding the work of GSNP+ is the centrality of PLWHA in decision making process that effect their lives.

To achieve the mission of GSNP+ Project Support Unit played important role in facilitate and conceptualizing the network activity. PSU enhance the capacity of the network member through the series of capacity building program and sharing meeting. PSU is mainly responsible for liasioning with the State Government and it is coordinating point between the GSNP+ and State Department. During the following program was organized under the banner of GSNP+.

Participation in Bhadarvi Poonam Mela :
Organizations of North Gujarat region working under PSU/GSACS had made a joint effort of bringing awareness amongst the pilgrims going to Ambaji on “Bhadarvi Poonam”. The organizations implementing TI in Mehsana, Visnagar, Palanpur, Idar, Modasa, Ambaji, Patan and Siddhpur had set up information stalls on both sides of the road towards Ambaji. Awareness activities like Video Show, Poster Exhibitions, quiz, mass meeting, counseling were conducted. The organizations had also provided a team of volunteers to support the state government services to the pilgrims. District Administration of North Gujarat district helped the organizations by providing them space for the stalls and health services. The survey of 10000 people was conducted during the period regarding awareness level of HIV/AIDS among general population.

Publications during the year :

1. July 2006 : A book on " Management Capacity Building for GSNP+"

2. August 2006 : A document on Ahmedabad Central Jail "The World Behind Bars"

3. September 2006 : A document on Gramya Vikas Trust "Response to HIV/AIDS"

4. November 2006 : A book on NAIL – "Needs Assessment Information Learning"

5. January 2007 : A Calendar for the year 2007

6. February 2007 : "Community Participation in AIDS Control Program"

Research initiatives :

During the year various research projects were undertaken / initiated by PSU.

Training / capacity building :
Training / capacity building progammes for NGOs staff were organized in PSU during the year. In all 38 training programmes were organized and attended by 1145 staff members of NGOs. Similarly, at Surat , PCO organized training programmes which were attended by 551 staff members. Thus, in all 1696 staff members of NGOs were trained during the year.

The training programmes were conducted on following subjects :

(1)   Targeted Intervention (TI) training.
(2)   Refresher Training on STD care.
(3)   Capsule Training on Behaviour Change Communication (BCC)
(4)   Organization Training on IRAAP
(5)   Training for DIC & Tele counseling staff.
(6)   MIS & IEC Training
(7)   Focused Group Discussion (FGD) Training.
(8)   IEC material pre-testing
(9)   Street Play Training
(10) Training for GSNP+ staff.

Exposure Visits :

PSU Coordinated for exposure visits of NGO staff :

•  Exposure visits within Gujarat state – 66 staff members of 11 NGOs.

•  Exposure visits of NGOs to other states – 38 staff members of 5 NGOs. Visits include Sangram Sanstha, Sangli ( Maharashtra State ), Asha Mahila Sanstha ( Maharashtra
State ), NAZ Foundation, Darbar Mahila Samanvay Committee etc.

In-House Training programmes by NGOs :
In addition to training programmes organized by PSU, the NGOs were encouraged to organize in-house training programmes for their staff members. During the year, 48 NGOs had organized training programmes which were attended by 568 staff members.

PSU Staff Training :

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