(AVGA)

FIVE YEARS STRATEGIC PLAN. 2005-2010

INTRODUCTION

 Executive Summary

HIV/AIDS has become a global issue and for that matter, both governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations worldwide are coordinating efforts through programmes implementations and resource mobilizations to either reduce or stop the immense spread of HIV/AIDS or to support those already infected and affected by HIV and AIDS

The devastating nature of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected families and communities and the end results are indeed appalling. One of the most tragic ones is the effect it has on children. In 2001, according to the USAID’s Report on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS, more than 13 million children under age 15 had lost one or both parents to AIDS. That number will double by 2010. (Same report).

However, Ghana’s population is estimated at 18,412,529 with a growth rate of 2.5% according to preliminary results of the 2000 Population and Housing Census. In 1986, Ghana recorded 42 cases of HIV/AIDS in its first record and by the end of December 1999; a cumulative total of 37,298 cases had been recorded. Nearly 90% of the cumulative AIDS cases from 1986-1999 were between 15-49 year olds, with 63% of the reported HIV/AIDS cases being females. The female to male HIV/AIDS infection ratio is, however, gradually attaining parity, changing from 6:1 in 1987 to approximately 2:1 in 1998. The peak ages for infection are 25-29 years for females and 30-34 years for males. The latest data released by the Ministry of Health shows a cumulative total of 72,541 AIDS cases as at September 2004. Moreover, the orphanage rate is estimated at 170,000 making children more affected in the pandemic.

Further than the economic, educational, emotional and cultural harm HIV/AIDS have on AIDS-affected children the pandemic comes with the added burden of responsibilities that are far beyond capabilities of children. Millions of parents who are suppose to be raising funds to cater for their children’s needs are either dead or sick and dying; however, most of these children are burdened with responsibilities of caring for dying parent(s), raising younger siblings with some busily struggling for survival on the market places and the streets.

Along side the few ones who have the opportunity to go to school or benefit from the government, NGOs, individual are not able to concentrate or do well due to the numerous psychosocial problems they face.

It is however against this background that the AIDS Volunteers Ghana Association (AVGA) seeks to implement strategies that demonstrates the increasing commitment to meeting the wide variety of needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Background

The AIDS Volunteers Ghana Association (AVGA) is a grass root charitable Non Governmental Organization (NGO) registered with the registrar general’s department of Ghana as a non-partisan and a non-profit making company limited by guarantee.

AVGA’s areas of expertise include, HIV/AIDS education/campaign, counseling, support and care for parents and Children affected by HIV/AIDS and peer education.

AVGA is dedicated to promoting volunteering in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ghana at the community level.

AVGA’s day-to-day administration is in the hands of a full-time Executive Director, assisted by an administrative Secretary, one paid field officer and dedicated field volunteers who devote quality time within the week for fieldwork.   There are also 412 registered members who constitute the team of AVGA.

Mission Statement

AVGA was foundered to promote volunteering in the fight against HIV/AIDS and also to contribute to the restoration of hope to the parents and children affected by HIV/AIDS at the community level in Ghana.

Vision Statement

“Our vision is to see AVGA championing the course of providing quality care and support services to Orphans and vulnerable children as well as people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. We also wish to see professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Tailors, Hair Dressers etc) joining hands to fight HIV/AIDS at the community level to ensure an HIV free Ghana.”

REVIEW OF PAST PERFORMANCE  (2002-2004)

AVGA began work in Greater Accra Region by creating awareness on HIV/AIDS and STIs and its prevention. As a result of this, AVGA has quite a number of Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) who have found the need to come together as community-based clubs and acts as peer educators in their various communities. These clubs are known as AVGA Volunteers Clubs and it is made up of community-based professionals who have seen the need to join in the fight against HIV/AIDS in their communities.

Through the organization’s HIV/AIDS education campaign HIV/AIDS clubs known as AVGA Schools Anti-AIDS Clubs, have also been initiated and formed in some selected basic schools in the Atwima district. Currently AVGA has fourteen (14) of such clubs in fourteen schools in the District. The aim is to help school children have a better understanding of issues on HIV/AIDS and also to learn to delay sex. The club is also a strategy to identify and help needy and vulnerable children.

School children are also taught to adopt positive behaviors that promote the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Educational Trips are occasionally organized for school children to some interesting tourist sites as a form of recreation to the children. AVGA currently has over 389 children as club members, which constitutes children aged 7 to 17years. 

THE HOPE ASSOCIATION (A GROUP OF PARENTS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS)(PLWHA)

An association known as Hope Association has been initiated and formed by a group of Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and AVGA facilitated its establishment as its PLWHA specific pilot project aimed at contributing to the restoration of hope to the persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.  Meetings are aimed at reducing trauma and learning from each other’s experiences. As part of the activities supported by the GARfund, 50 PLWHAs were given initial capital to start micro capital activity to generate income to support themselves and their dependants.

SOCIAL SUPPORT

As part of the organization’s social support programmes, three children have been selected and supported through apprenticeship and academic training. These children were picked from the streets and sent back to school with AVGA paying their school fees, buying them school uniforms, school bags, as well as catering for their daily feeding fees etc. one of the children who was above school going age was sent for apprenticeship training. Frank Agyapong, Faustina Adoma and Akwasi Appiah are three of the beneficiaries of the AVGA’s social support programme.

Rationale

AVGA believe that, for any organization to be rated as successful it has a responsibility of assessing both past and present experiences and situations within and outside itself then develop the best plan possible to improve on the quality of its services.

This strategic plan therefore replicates AVGA’s mission, vision and prioritized strategies on HIV prevention as well as care and support for persons and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS at the community level.

 Methodology for the Five-year Strategic Plan (August 2005-August 2010).

Consultative meetings were held with expects with experience in the field of HIV/AIDS work and Strategic Planning to develop this document.

 A comprehensive study on relevant documents such as the national HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework, 2003 HIV/AIDS Sentinel Survey, APDIME Toolkit and other documents were also done for gathering of information and data.

AVGA’s mission statements and Vision were revisited to ensure that the plan expressed clearly where AVGA desires to be and wants to go.

Analyses of AVGA’s environment, both internal and external as well as its stakeholders were undertaken, and Key Issues that would need to be tackled within the plan period were derived from these analysis.

Priorities were however set to help AVGA to find the optimal and most practical fit between our available resources, comparative institutional strengths, and opportunities. This will help AVGA to answer the question: "What makes the most sense?"

Forecasts and guesses were made for each year of the plan period to set up goals that reflect the proposed long-team collective benefits and impacts of the combined set of activities that will be carried out during the life of the strategic plan. 

Objectives which reflect AVGA’s balance between her ambitions and accountability to the achievements of result were set through the anticipated outcomes, or benefits, that are the expected results of implementation of AVGA’s strategy.  The set objective is to guide AVGA and her partners to effect and accomplish the wider goal set for the strategic plan. This then represents AVGA’s best assessment of what can realistically be achieved and help AVGA to monitor progress towards the achievement of the goal within a specific period of time during which this purpose will be achieved.Reasonable and achievable strategies that will lead AVGA to the achievement of its objectives within the specified time frame of the strategic plan were identified.  Interventions that would be required to achieve each of the identified strategies were set.  These are the activities that represent the broadly defined set of programs or inputs required to achieve the planned strategy. Here, activities are translated or broken down into more specific programme intervention that are integral to achieving the strategic goal, objectives and targets. Implementation plans were then prepared to ensure the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan. In addition to assigning responsibilities and setting the time frame for the intended actions, the resources required to carry out the actions have been estimated for each Key Issue and presented for each year of the plan period.

Guiding Principles

• Local needs as defined by the stage of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the priorities of stakeholders;
• The degree (coverage and quality) to which Intermediate Results are being covered by other agencies and organizations; to avoid duplication of efforts
• Resources and comparative strengths of AVGA and her partners;
• Opportunities for expanded geographic coverage and access for vulnerable populations and high-risk groups;
• Acceptability of the objectives to the beneficiary population;
• Technical soundness, feasibility and affordability of attaining the set objectives;
• Degree to which the attainment of the objectives promotes PLWHA involvement, the welfare of Orphans and Vulnerable children, community involvement (mobilization and ownership), and appropriate integration of prevention/care/support/socioeconomic mitigation of the problems associated with HIV/AIDS;
• Potential for coordination and leveraging other inputs such as public, donor and private resources.

Activities to be reinforced in the strategy

In carrying out the strategy, AVGA would have to reinforce the following core activities to be able to achieve its objectives within the plan period.  These interventions include the following:

• Training and Capacity building

•  Care and Support
• Counseling
• Institutional and Organizational capacity building
• Monitoring and Evaluation

INTERNAL SITUATION ANALYSIS

Internal analyses on AVGA’s current situation (available resources) were   made to identify its strength and weaknesses.

  However, the Strengths of each internal factor were identified as those that would contribute significantly to an improvement in performance during the plan period. These therefore would lead to the achievement of objectives set for the plan period if properly connected.

On the other hand, the weaknesses were classified as those factors that might hinder the achievement of AVGA’s set goals and objectives and therefore, needs to be overcome or eliminated altogether by management during the plan period.

The summaries are presented on the table below.