RCZ Community Based AIDS Program s1

Annual Report: RCZ Community Based AIDS Program January- December 2007

RCZ CBAP C/O Henry Murray School for the Deaf Morgenster Mission Masvingo Zimbabwe

Cell 011 875 252 or 039-253849 E-mail rczchap@ mweb.co.zw

Contact person: Samuel Mhungu (Program Coordinator)

1 1. Table of Contents 1. Table of Contents...... 1 2. List of Acronyms...... 3 3. Introduction...... 5 Acknowledgements...... 6 4. Background...... 7 Organizational Structure...... 7 5. Activities...... 8 Baseline Research...... 8 Training...... 9 Workshop for Caregivers...... 9 Workshop for Church Leaders...... 10 Workshop for Area Supervisors...... 10 Home Based Care...... 11 Orphan Care and Relief...... 11 Activities in RCZ...... 11 The strategic planning process...... 12 Exchange visits...... 12 Staff Training...... 12 6. Monitoring and Evaluation...... 12 Highlights of the baseline research...... 12 7. Cooperation with others...... 14 8. Staff...... 14 9. Donations...... 14 10. Plans for January – December 2008...... 14 11. Appendix...... 14 Statistics...... 15 Area Map...... 15

2 2. List of Acronyms

AIDS ACQUIRED IMMUNO DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

CBAP COMMUNITY BASED AIDS PROGRAM

CADEC CATHOLIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

CHH CHILD HEADED HOUSEHOLDS

DACHICARE DANANAI CHILDREN’S CARE

EUR EURO

HBC HOME BASED CARE

HIV HUMAN IMMUNO DEFICIENCY VIRUS

HOSPAZ HOSPICE ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE

IGP INCOME GENERATING PROJECT

MASIYE PSS CAMP FROM SALVATION ARMY

MBA MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

MMH MORGENSTER MISSON HOSPITAL

MSU MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

NAC NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL

PMD PROVINCIAL MEDICAL DIRECTOR

PSS PSYCHO SOCIAL SUPPORT

OC ORPHAN CARE

OVC ORPHAN AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

RCZ REFORMED CHURCH IN ZIMBABWE

RUDO RURAL UNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION

SU SCRIPTURE UNION

3 ZAN ZIMBABWE AIDS NETWORK

ZCC ZIMBABWE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

ZWD ZIMBABWE DOLLAR

4 3. Introduction.

General Review of the reporting period.

The CBAP carried out its activities with the help of the funding from its Strategic Netherlands Partners namely; Oikonomos Foundation, the congregation of Oud- Beijerland, Prisma and from the town of Bleiswijk. The main focus of the programme during this period was on equipping some of the key stakeholders with knowledge on HIV and AIDS as well as palliative care through training and workshops. The programme also saw the implementation of the first year of the Four-Year Strategic Plan for the CBAP.

Three staff members; Samuel Mhungu, Gladmore Manemere and Tamari Zishamba were in charge of the day to day running of the organization’s activities with the help of a student on attachment from Midlands State University; Jerrimot Magaya in the first half of the year. Muchuva Machando guarded vigilantly the CBAP premises. Two officers joined the Programme in the second half of the year. These were Mrs. Maria Kujinga (Program Officer) and Mr. Samuel Mafa (Field Officer).

The Advisory Board members unwaveringly supported and contributed tremendously towards the realization of effectiveness and efficiency in the programme.

A new ward (ward 24) was opened up for CBAP activities and two Area supervisors were selected from the volunteer group. The services of the Area supervisors were complimented as they assisted greatly in the programme’s monitoring and evaluation exercises. The volunteers were doing their best in rendering services in HBC, OVC and awareness issues. The programme registered 3 drop outs from the volunteer group; 1passed away, the other one was excommunicated for indiscipline and the third one left to search for employment.

All orphans under the programme in primary and secondary schools were assisted with exercise books and continued to be exempted from paying the high fees other school children were paying due to the school development projects contracts entered into between the schools and the Programme. The school development project system continued to be received with delight by all schools in the wards under the programme, as the whole school benefited from it and not only the orphans or the vulnerable children. The stigma on orphans was by and large reduced through this system.

The HBC boxes were distributed to the wards under the programme on quarterly basis as per plan throughout the year. A baseline survey was carried out once in all the wards the programme was active in.

5 Acknowledgements.

The CBAP thanks the following organizations and individuals for their support to the CBAP during this period: Organisation/Individual Nature of Support Oikonomos Foundation, The Netherlands. Financial, moral and technical support through the invaluable advice from Mr. Evert-Jan Schuitemaker (Oikonomos Consultant). Bleiswijk town Stationery for schools PRISMA Funding Staff Capacity building programmes. Reformed Mission League Moral and technical support through Mr. Arie van der Poel’s visits. Congregation of Oud-Beijerland Provided funds to support OVC. Dr Ilsa Breugem (CBAP Founding Coordinator). Continuously fund raising for the program and technical support. CBAP Advisory Board Technical support and guidance Morgenster Mission Hospital Management Team Material and technical support. PMD Masvingo Networking especially on healthy issues. Ministry of Education Networking especially on issues relating to children in schools Masvingo Scripture Union Partnerships and excellent networking relations. ZAN Facilitating networks with other AIDS service organizations NAC Organizing training workshops for AIDS service organizations. DAC Organizing workshops and monitoring and evaluating Programme activities. Hospice Association of Zimbabwe Trainings on palliative care.

The list is endless. I also acknowledge the immense commitment of the CBAP staff, the student on attachment, Jerrimot Magaya and all the volunteers. All the other important networking partners unintentionally omitted on this list; you are special. May the Lord abundantly bless you all. The words on Zechariah 4:6 best describe how we reached this far. Truly, it has not been by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of the Lord.

February 2008

Samuel Mhungu.

4. Background

Organizational Structure

The CBAP is a department of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe. The RCZ manages the program via the CBAP Advisory Board. During this period, the CBAP was managed on a day to day basis by the program coordinator, Mr. Samuel Mhungu with the assistance of

6 the Program Officer and Field Officer recruited in the second half of the year. The financial administration was done by the accounts clerk Gladmore Manemere. Tamari Zishamba was the typist for the program. The orphan care program was run by the program coordinator with the assistance of student on attachment from MSU; Jerrimot Magaya. The two officers were later recruited in the second half of the year. Mrs. Huibke ten Hove also assisted as a volunteer on PSS skills training. Several nurses of Morgenster Mission Hospital assisted in the training of community volunteers on home based care.

Organogram

RCZ Synodical Administrative Board

Board of Advisors

Program Coordinator

Program Officer

Field Officer Accounts Clerk

Community Area Supervisors Typist Watchman Volunteers

7 5. Activities

Baseline Research

A baseline quality survey was once carried out in all the wards under the program. This was aimed at assessing the impact of the programme’s activities in the wards. It was also carried out in ward 24 which the programme intended to open up for its activities. The surveys generally determined the nature of the interventions by the programme in future.

See further under Monitoring and Evaluation.

Training

(a) Training of Volunteers in ward 24.

In the period under review, a total number of 21 volunteers in the new ward opened up for CBAP activities underwent HBC and OVC training for 8 days at Guwa Clinic. They were given certificates upon completion of the course.

(b) Training of Volunteers on Palliative care

Two separate trainings on Palliative care were held at Morgenster Mission for a total of 53 volunteers. The trainings were funded by Hospaz and the CBAP staff facilitated the trainings after attending a Trainer of Trainers course. Hospaz also funded a refresher course on palliative care for the first group of volunteers which had received training in the first half of the year. The main objectives of the course were:

 To input knowledge to Orphan Care facilitators and Home Based Care on palliative care for children and patients in order to improve quality care.  To train Orphan Care Facilitators in communication skills to improve care for children and patients.  To enhance understanding of children’s needs.  To integrate children’s care issues in Home Based Care.

The volunteers greatly appreciated the knowledge they acquired from the courses and declared that they should no longer be regarded as Home Based Caregivers but palliative caregivers.

Workshop for Caregivers

8 A workshop with caregivers was held in each ward. A total number of 342 participants attended the workshops. The topics covered included: Children’s Rights, Child Abuse and communicating with Children. The objectives of the workshops were:  To identify forms of child abuse.  To identify factors that put children at risk of being abused.  To identify the signs and indicators of abuse.  To understand the importance of different ways of communicating with children.  To identify children’s needs and rights.

The caregivers were fascinated by the workshop and confessed that they at times abused and disregarded children’s rights unknowingly.

Workshop for Church Leaders.

A workshop for church leaders was held in each of the six wards under the programme. A total number of 164 participants was recorded from all the wards. The main objectives of the workshop were:  To influence churches to change their attitude positively towards the infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.  To demystify the church myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.  To provoke the church leaders to come up with HIV and AIDS programs in their churches.

The workshop was an eye opener to most of the church leaders. Most of them due to ignorance on how HIV/AIDS is transmitted were discriminating those who came to their churches when they were ill. Most confessed that they were discriminating people infected with HIV/AIDS, but after the workshop, they promised to teach others on transmission so as to avoid unnecessary discriminatory behaviour. They appreciated the workshop and appealed for more workshops of a similar nature.

The church leaders got a new insight into how the church could develop a positive response towards the HIV/AIDS infected and affected so that churches become channels of hope rather than centers of discrimination and stigmatization.

Workshop for Area Supervisors.

The bi-monthly 2 day workshops with area supervisors were held at Morgenster. The workshops were part of the programme’s Monitoring and Evaluation system. The main objectives of the workshop with the area supervisors were:  To get updates on orphan and patient registers.  To ensure on going monitoring and evaluation of volunteers activities in their respective wards.  To continue to equip them with leadership and counseling skills.

9  To update them on best practices in HBC, OC and PSS so that they could impart the knowledge to other volunteers as the programme could not meet all the volunteers regularly on monthly basis.  To equip them with community mobilization skills.  To examine together the performance of the programme as an on-going process on all our meetings.  To outline how best the CBAP could work together with the SU in future for greater impact.

Home Based Care

Each quarter, HBC boxes were placed at clinics and strategic schools (in cases where the clinic is too far away). The programme’s main funding partner, Oikonomos, the Netherlands, assisted in the procurement of drugs through the Morgenster Mission Hospital. This greatly relieved the programme since some of the drugs are difficult to get in Zimbabwe. The HBC kits were used effectively and efficiently to the benefit of the patients under the programme’s HBC.

Orphan Care and Relief

During this period all children in schools under the programme received educational support in the form of school fees and stationery. Most schools used the fees paid to purchase text books. The school heads were grateful, since most textbooks have gone beyond the reach of many schools.

A total number of 474 needy orphans received a 5kg maize seed each. The children and their caregivers appreciated this kind gesture, given that maize seed was in short supply in the year under the report. They commented the programme for empowering them so that they do not become too dependent on others as they could produce for themselves.

Activities in RCZ.

The Program Coordinator was among the 3 representatives from the Reformed church in Zimbabwe to represent the Theological College on the NetAct Conference Justo Mwale Theological College in Zambia. He presented a topic on the impact of HIV and AIDS on Sub-Saharan Africa: stewardship implications. The encounter opened up a lot of networking opportunities and important sharing. An opportunity to visit churches in Zambia which had HIV and AIDS programmes was presented. This contributed greatly on designing similar arrangements in Zimbabwe.

10 The Programme Coordinator and Officers were on three incidences invited to give presentations on church gatherings such as men’s league meetings. Most of the presentations mainly aimed at:  Changing positively the attitude of men towards children and orphans in particular as well as HBC patients.  Provoking church to come up with Orphan Care and HBC programmes in their communities. The programme plans to hold a national workshop for RCZ church ministers and their spouses every year beginning in 2008. The dates set for this workshop in 2008 are 8-10 April and have been put on the RCZ year plan.

The strategic planning process.

The MMH and CBAP strategic planning process was carried out with all the relevant stakeholders invited attending. These included HIV positive people. Upon its approval, the strategic plan would see the rolling out of ARV drugs to the communities under CBAP as part of the extension of the services of Morgenster Mission Hospital. This would tremendously assist these communities as they are far away from any other hospital.

AIDS Awareness

The topic on AIDS Awareness was included on every workshop of CBAP.

Exchange visits

Two exchange visits were done to St Peters Community Care Programme (under the Roman Catholic Church) and Betseranai (under the Lutheran Church).The team that visited these programmes consisted of 5 area supervisors on each visit, Board of Advisory members and all CBAP staff. The visits provided opportunities to share experiences and learn from each other.

Staff Training

See under staff

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

11 The following strategies contributed towards effective and efficient monitoring of the programme actives:  Baseline survey.  Meetings with area supervisors.  The sport visits at schools and in the communities.  Stakeholders’ evaluation of the programme at the end of each workshop.  The MMH and CBAP strategic planning process provided a platform for continuously assessing the performance of the programme.

Highlights of the baseline research

The research overally reflected that there was improvement on the attitude of the community members towards orphans and HBC patients. The patients and orphans reported improved care and support from the caregivers and community members. The highlights of the results thus focus on the research results from ward 24 where the programme had not been active in.

Community members

 Most respondents were between 36-50 years.  Most of the respondents were males, an unlikely set up in the past as males used to be away from home on employment.  Level of education is low; most respondents only completed primary education.  80% of the respondents are caring for HBC patients and 85% care for orphans.  The willingness to of the community to care for patients/orphans is high about 85%; the reason for this could be due to the impact of the programme in the surrounding wards where it is active in.

Patients

 About 60% of the patients are widowed; this could be due to the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS.  80% of the patients rely on other people for existence.  62% of the households also care for orphans.  30% of the respondents indicated that they are not well cared for. This could be due to the fact that there were no active AIDS service organizations in the ward.

Orphans

 The two main caregivers are: grandparents, aunt or uncle.  All children interviewed reported no support from the church.  57% of the respondents reported positive attitude from the community.

Churches

12 According to the church leaders they are some activities taking place on prevention and support for HBC patients. There are more of prayers than practical support to the HBC patients.

Secondary school children: sexual behaviour.

Majority of pupils reported that they abstain from sex. They also reported that very few young people of their age were sexually active.

Activities which were not carried out as per year work plan are outlined in the 2008 workplan and the reasons for not accomplishing all the planned work. The main reasons were manpower shortages and the difficult economic conditions in the country.

7. Cooperation with others

During this period, the CBAP experienced splendid and beneficial cooperation with both local and international organisations. CBAP regularly networked with other organizations in the field such as CADEC, RUDO, Care International, Dachicare, NAC, Island Hospaz, ZAN, St Peters Community Care Programme in Cheche, Betseranai and many other regional and international organisations during workshops and trainings. This has greatly enriched the programme’s knowledge and experience base.

8. Staff

The Program Coordinator set for his first year second semester exams in Master of Business Administration studies. He passed all the subjects in the first semester. The Coordinator also attended an annual conference on Capacity building with Prisma partners in South Africa.

The Accounts Clerk and the Typist attended a one year course in Systemic Counselling. They wait for the results from the exams which they wrote. The Accounts Clerk also pursued part-time studies in Accounting at the Masvingo Polytechnic College. She awaits results from the exams she set for.

9. Donations See also in the appendix.

From Oikonomos Foundation, the Netherlands: ZWD 47,090,676,032.00 From Oud-Beijerland Congregation: 3,000US$

13 From Hospaz: ZWD 43,965,000.00

10. Plans for January – December 2008

The plans for the year 2008 are contained in the Workplan for 2008. These would be implemented upon approval by the programme’s strategic funding partners. The document details all the activities to be carried out for the whole year. 11. Appendix

Statistics for 2007

Ward 16 Ward 22 Ward 23 Ward 24 Ward 25 Ward 31 Total No. of OVC Females 178 160 60 62 79 85 624 Males 196 122 98 70 119 64 669 Total 374 282 158 132 198 149 1293

No. of volunteer Females 20 13 14 10 15 13 85 Males 1 10 6 10 5 5 37 Total 21 23 20 20 20 18 122

No. of HBC patients Females 35 53 23 9 33 31 184 Males 16 46 23 4 38 21 148 Total 51 99 46 13 71 52 332

Area Map