Report: WAD 2011 – SOWING THE SEED

MDACS (Mumbai District AIDS Control Society) and MAVIM (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal) came together to conduct HITGUJ AROGYACHE, an advocacy workshop targeting women from the lower strata of society.

The objective of the 2-day workshop 

• To empower women with knowledge on HIV/AIDS – prevention, treatment, care, support, STI management, safer sex practice and MDACS services that are available for all these.
• The women were also made aware of the stigma and discrimination that could possibly occur in society.

The Target Group

• This consisted of 9 Sahayoginis; 2 staff members; representatives from 26 pockets; representatives of Basti Level Committee; LoksanchalitSadhan Kendra and NGOs.
• 35 women participated in the workshop conducted on April 26 & 27, 2011.

The plan for 2011-12 

• To reach out to 7000 women beneficiaries of 500 SHGs (Self-Help Groups) that are found all around Mumbai. They will give correct and consistent knowledge to their family members. This means that MDACS will actually reach out to 21,000 people (SC, Minority and others from slum areas & BPL category) of Mumbai.

The Mission

• Special IEC material was printed and distributed to AROGYA SAKHIs and the people they had planned to reach out to. These were in Marathi and Hindi.
• 123 peer educators (Arogyasakhis) were trained through 4 more workshops that were organised to ensure that they reach out to the target.
• These 123 Arogyasakhis were to reach out to 7000 women beneficiaries of 500 SHGs (Self-Help Groups) that are found all around Mumbai. They will give correct and consistent knowledge to their family members.

Achievements

• Publicity was made in advance at all the locations where the World AIDS Day programme was to be conducted.
• The political leaders who were in charge locally were all invited to be involved in the activities, taking the awareness to a different level altogether.
• Through the 75 street-plays that were performed, a crowd of 13,359 people were reached as against the target of 7000.
• In all, MDACS reached out to 40,077 people belonging to SC, Minority and others from slum areas and BPL category of Mumbai City.
• The major breakthrough was that the 123 Arogyasakhis could reach out to the kind of women who used to hesitate even to talk about sex to their own husbands.

Result:

• The workshops helped the slum women come into their own. They were so well trained that they could spread the word on HIV / AIDS prevention to the other women in their own areas, with confidence.
• This resulted in their acquiring their own identity in society and respect among their peers.
• More than all that, these women gained a lot of respect at home, where generally they were treated like doormats before.

IMPACT

The success story of the Arogyasakhis gave birth to the concept of WORLD AIDS DAY 2011.

THE PLAN

A meeting was set up to plan the concept to be adopted during the World AIDS Day campaign this year. It was planned over five days at five different venues across Mumbai City.

The objective was to mobilize women from across Mumbai city in these 5 zones and use Entertainment Education as a format to bring about awareness on HIV.

Games were played with these women where the following messages were given out through entertainment:

• HIV, modes of transmission
• Myths and Misconceptions
• Prevention
• Services of MDACS
               1. Testing
               2. STI
               3. ART
               4. Helpline

A celebrity was to be invited on each day who would give these messages. Advocacy through these celebrities definitely would result in an impact.

Report: HITGUJ AROGYACHE – 2-day Advocacy Workshop

HITGUJ AROGYACHE

What is mainstreaming HIV?:

Mainstreaming HIV is a process that enables development sector to address the causes and effects of HIV in an effective and sustained manner, both through their usual work and within their workplace.

The strategy is to engage different sectors in HIV and AIDS response. It is initiated and sustained by commitment at various levels, particularly among decision makers.

MDACS have conducted mainstreaming activities in the following sectors:

·         The Public Sector projects include MCGM, BEST, Mumbai Police, CBWE, MBPT

·         The Private Sector projects include Crompton Greaves, Tata Power, Ambuja Cement , Cine Jr. & Sr. Artists and Directors, Media (Print & Electronic), Construction Industry, Micro biologists & Pathologists Association.

·         The Informal Sector includes Non HIV NGOs, Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations (Sikh Community), Barber Association, Hotel Boys & Employees, Contractual Labors of Solid Waste Dept, Naka workers, HRG (Truckers, Migrants, TG),Nirman Mazdoor Sanghatan, Central Railway Mazdoor Sanghatan.

Dr. Sunita Shanbhag, Professor, PSM Department, KEM Hospital 

HITGUJ AROGYACHE:

This report is all about the Advocacy Workshop called HITGUJ AROGYACHE for the key persons of MAVIM (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal undertaken by GOM).

The objective of this two-day workshop was to empower women with the correct knowledge as they are the ones who are best suited for spreading the word amongst their own; they are the ones who have the capacity to educate their families and it is the women around whom the families revolve.

Women are considered the weaker sex and hence more vulnerable in our society. At the same time, they are the ones who take care of the health of their family members. This was the main reason to educate women on all these issues that affect the health of people.

Objectives:

1.      To empower women with all the knowledge on HIV/AIDS – prevention, treatment, care, support, STI management, safer sex practice and MDACS services that are available for all this.

2.      To make women aware of the stigma and discrimination that could occur in the society and sometimes even at home.

3.      To get them to participate even at the planning stage on how to spread HIV/AIDS information to as many people as possible.

4.      To encourage women to share the knowledge that they have gained and impart the information to the community.

5.      To impart correct and consistent flow of knowledge to Self-help Groups (SHGs) as they reach out to a very large section of the society on a daily basis.

The Venue & Date:

According to MAVIM, Chembur is central to all the women participants and hence it was decided to conduct the workshop at Hotel Tara Punjab, Sion-Trombay Road, Chembur, on April 26 & 27, 2011 from 10 am to 6 pm on both days.

The Target Group:

The target group included 9 Sahayoginis; 2 staff members; representatives from 26 pockets; representatives of Basti Level Committee (VLC), Loksanchalit Sadhan Kendra (CMRC) and NGOs. There were a total of 35 participants including all the above.

Methods used to impart knowledge:

There were power-point presentations; songs & spots, lectures, question & answer sessions, group discussions, group work and presentations by participants to ensure that no stone was unturned to empower the women present at the workshop.

Dr. Shanbhag conducted the workshop on Day One

DAY ONE:

·         The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Dilip Kadam, Joint Director, Basic Services, MDACS; Dr. Sunita Shanbhag, Professor, PSM Department, KEM Hospital; Ms. Sangita Bhongade, District Coordinating Officer Mumbai, MAVIM; one of the Self-Help Group member and Ms. Dnyaneshwari Sonawane, Consultant (CSM), MDACS.

·         Pre-Questionnaire was filled by the participants.

·         An introductory session was conducted for the participants.

·         Dr. Sunita Shanbhag, Professor, PSM Department, KEM Hospital, conducted a session on Basic Facts on HIV/AIDS.

·         Mrs. Meena Maraskole spoke about Stigma & Discrimination while she cited examples from her own life experiences. The song ‘Tod Do Deeware’ was played on video at this point to underline its importance in society.

·         Dr. Rajashree Sankhe, DD, STI, MDACS conducted a session on Sex & Sexuality; STI Management.

·         The last session was on Effective Communication that was conducted by Mr. Siddharth More, Regional Director, CBWE (Central Board of Workers Education).

The audience is totally attentive during the workshop conducted by Dr. Shanbhag

DAY TWO:

·         There was a Question and Answer session on the MDACS Services that was conducted by Mr. Satyam Palaspagar. Prizes were distributed for the same.

·         Mr. Nitin Dhule and Mr. Kunal Endait from the Lawyers’ Collective conducted a session on the Legal Aspects & National Policy on HIV / AIDS.

·         The third session was a group work & presentation on ‘Working with HIV/AIDS’. This session was led by Dr. Sunita Shanbhag, Ms. Sangita Bhongade and Ms. Dnyaneshwari Sonawane. The participants were divided into 5 groups that were a mix of Sahayoginis; Selp-Help Group members, MAVIM staff and VLC members. Each group had to choose a Team Leader and also a name for their group.

1.      Sakhi

2.      Maitreen

3.      Disha

4.      Jagruti

5.      Roshni

·         Each group was told to work on the following areas and make their presentations accordingly – Current situation; difficulties faced and action plan.

·         It was agreed that AROGYA SAKHI will reach to community by observing Haldi-Kumkum on the birth anniversaries of Savitribhai Phule and Dr. Ambedkar. Haldi-Kumkum is a typical Indian tradition and women keenly relate to this. An invitation for this occasion is very rarely refused and this will ensure a large number of women audience to whom the subject may be introduced comfortably. In the meanwhile, they will also follow the action plan provided by MDACS.

·         They all shared their difficulties regards space and money that were required to implement the program.

·         The Post Questionnaire was filled by the participants after the presentations were completed.

·         Oral feedback was taken by DCO and MAVIM.

·         This was followed by the Valedictory function.

·         Finally, the workshop ended with a Vote of Thanks.

The women formed into groups to create presentations

Impact of the workshop:

·         In the beginning the women were rather reluctant to hear anything related to HIV/AIDS and were not very open to watch the spots related to this.

·         Many misconceptions associated with HIV and some common questions that arise within people’s minds were answered by resource persons. Some of them were:

1.      Is it safe to attend the funeral of a person who has died of AIDS? Will it create social stigma?

2.      Why are dead bodies of AIDS patients wrapped in plastic?

3.      Questions on menstruation cycle – duration, problems, whether sex is okay during MC? How is it related to HIV? Menopause, white discharge and more.

·         The greatest achievement was that more women were invited by the participants to attend the workshop on Day Two as they had found Day One very informative and necessary for life. The program was an unmitigated success.

What is being attempted is to reach out to more and more women who in turn will spread the knowledge to their relatives, friends and counterparts in the various associations. This way, the movement is expected to spread virally, creating a tremendous impact on society.

This presentation is all about plans of action on how the groups will target the public with information on HIV/AIDS

Follow-Up Plan:

MDACS plans to continue Mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS issue among ‘WOMEN’. The plan for 2011-12 is to reach out to 7000 women beneficiaries of 500 SHGs (Self-Help Groups) that are found all around Mumbai. They will give correct and consistent knowledge to their family members. This means that MDACS will actually reach out to 21,000 people (SC, Minority and others from slum areas & BPL category) of Mumbai.

MDACS & MAVIM will work together for the cause of HIV/AIDS in 26pockets of MAVIM.

·         Central: 10 pockets in Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Sion, Worli, Byculla&Mazgaon.

·         Harbour: 6 pockets in Sewree, Wadala, Chembur, Chunabhatti, Govandi&Mankhurd.

·         Western: 10 pockets in Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon, Jogeshwari, Andheri, Vile Parle, Santacruz, Khar&Bandra.

Group photo of the participants along with Dr. Shanbhag, Facilitator & Ms. Dnyaneshwari Sonawane, Consultant, CSM

Strategy ahead:

·         A campaign called HITGUJ AROGYACHE has been introduced for easier entry in the community as everyone is keen to have good health.

·         The 35 master trainers who have been educated in this workshop have been given the special identity of AROGYA SAKHI (your friend in health) for effective implementation of the program.

·         Special IEC material will be printed and distributed for AROGYA SAKHI and the people they plan to reach out to. These will be in Marathi, Hindi and Urdu.

·         About 160 peer educators will be trained through 4 more workshops that will be coming up soon to ensure that they reach out to the target.

·         SANGATI is a quarterly magazine that is published by MAVIM. It reaches out to all their beneficiaries as well as partners. One issue will be dedicated to HIV/AIDS.

·         Quarterly meetings will be conducted for reviewing the progress.