South Sudan programme office opening soon
31 January 2007
The Alliance is on its way to establishing a programme office in the South Sudan capital of Juba, with funding from USAID.
A country presence would build on our small-scale programme activities carried out since 2005 with the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) in Rumbek and the Institute of Promotion of Civil Society (IPCS) in Yei.
The programme will focus on supporting and expanding the community HIV response in the border areas of Western and Central Equatoria – states that have the highest HIV prevalence rates in South Sudan. It will prioritise HIV prevention, alongside care and support and impact mitigation.
Decades of war have meant that civil society is underdeveloped in South Sudan. Communities have been inadequately mobilised to establish community-based structures able to respond effectively to HIV and AIDS. And existing community-based organisations, groups of people living with HIV and faith-based organisations have been inadequately supported with funding and capacity-strengthening activities.
The programme will prioritise mobilising and supporting technically and financially the emerging and existing organisations working on HIV and AIDS at community level in Juba, Yei and Yambio. It will provide small grants to these groups so they can scale up HIV and AIDS activities at community level. And it will continue to support capacity development activities for the Yei County AIDS Commission so that it can co-ordinate efforts at county level.
The Alliance registered as an international organisation in November 2006 and plans to have staff in place in Juba in the next few weeks.
The programme will provide technical support in organisational development, assisting the development of emerging community-based, faith-based and local non-governmental organisations to become strong organisations that respond to HIV and AIDS effectively. Support will include leadership and management, HIV prevention including development of information education and communication/behaviour change communication materials with both illiterate and semi-illiterate populations, development of networks for people with HIV, care and support, and impact mitigation activities.
