LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME & CHRISTIAN HIV & AIDS NETWORK OF LIBERIA

1. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIAHIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME&CHRISTIAN HIV & AIDS NETWORK OF LIBERIA PRESENTED BY REV. MOSES B. GOBAH PROGRAMME COORDINATOR & BOARD CHAIRPERSON OF CHANOL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

3. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

4. PURPOSES • Provide a thorough background information on the establishment and development of the Program. • Reflect on the implementation dynamics of the Lutheran Church HIV and AIDS Program and the Christian HIV and AIDS Network of Liberia (CHANOL) • Share lesson learnt, best practices, innovative approaches and challenges. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

5. BACKGROUND • Begin in May 2001 fifteen years after the first case was discovered at Curran Lutheran hospital at our National Church Convention. • Fifteen years of silence due to stigma and discrimination associated with HIV & AIDS. • 5-days AIDS awareness workshop conducted. • Follow by a need assessment to prioritize our response. • A 5 year Voluntary Counseling and Testing project was introduced as the entry point to HIV prevention in February of 2003. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

6. PREVALENCE The HIV epidemic in Liberia is a major public health threat. In 1986 first case reported at Current Lutheran Hospital • In 2003: 8.2% (NACP, 2003) • In 2007: 5.7% (2006 ANC Sentinel surveillance Report, NACP, 2007) • In 2007: 1.5% - 2.5%(Urban) and 0.8%(Rural): LISGIS,2007 LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

7. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

8. GOAL • To contribute to the National AIDS Control Program´s goal, which aims to promote a positive change of behavior and reduce the psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS on the individual and the society. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

9. OBJECTIVES • To mobilize and sensitize our local congregations and grass root community for a community-based response to the AIDS crisis. • The establishment of HIV and AIDS voluntary counseling and testing centers as entry point for care and support. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

10. OBJECTIVES CONT`D • To Prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS especially among the young people. • To improve the quality of life of people living with HIV and AIDS through empowerment and creating an environment of care and support for those infected.

11. MAIN ACTIVITIES • TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS • Counselor Training – is one of the corner of our activities which last between eight to ten months. From 2001-2007 we have trained 227 counselors. • On site Voluntary Counseling and Testing (stand alone and integrated) we have a total of 8 VCT Centers. • We run Mobile Counseling and Testing service in order to reach more people especially the hard to reach group. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

12. MAIN ACTIVITIES CONT`D • 4,361 females and 4,016 males have been counseled and tested. • 13.5% of females tested HIV positive while 8.9% males also tested HIV positive. • Clients were categorized as blood donors, volunteers walk in, out and in patients ranging between the ages 29-39. • A total of 17,778 pre-test counseling was conducted so far.

13. MAIN ACTIVITIES cont’d • Community Awareness • Home Visits to PLWHAs and their families • Support to PLWHAs through relief assistance (i.e. food, micro-finance and vocational/skill training, farm supplements, treatment for opportunistic infections • Formation of Support Groups LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

16. MAIN ACTIVITIES cont’d (pictorial) Training of counselors in the HIV testing procedure LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

17. Counselor giving awareness during a public session A support group member doing giving awareness during an outreach in the IDP Camps MAIN ACTIVITIES cont’d (pictorial) PUBLIC AWARENESS IN THE IDP CAMPS Female Zoes and a Teacher giving awareness in Maimu IDP Camp as Counselor looks on Attendants at one indoor awareness session LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

18. Zoes & TBAs in a group session Zoe making a presentation at a workshop Zoes, TTMs, &TBAs participating in World AIDS Day TRAINING Youth in Life Skills LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

19. Office dedication in Lofa Religious Leaders and Teachers TRAINING/Admin. Health and SociaI workers during one training session Islamic Teacher/Translator making a presentation during a training session LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

20. Curran Lutheran Hospital, Zorzor in ruin (Home of the IDP Project) Renovated Curran Lutheran Hospital The Highway between Kolahun and Foya in Lofa LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

22. THE FORMATION OF A NETWORK BEGIN IN 2003 • Founding members were the Catholic and Lutheran churches and ELWA Hospital. • At present the membership stand at 27 comprising of denominations and para-church organizations. • Purpose of the Network called (CHANOL) is to consolidate a Christian response to HIV and AIDS in Liberia, providing and implementing Christian HIV and AIDS promotion, treating, care-giving, training, advocacy and education as well as partnership.

23. CHANOL NETWORK • MAIN ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED • Between 2003-2005 CHANOL received grant from UNDP, USAID Catholic Relief Service, ELCA and World Food Program to sent 23 Liberian counselors to Botswana for advance training of trainers in HIV and AIDS counseling. • In 2006 in partnership with the Pan African Christian HIV and AIDS Network conducted a “Call To Action Conference for the Christian community.

24. NETWORK CONT`D • In 2007 CHANOL hosted the Bishops and Senior Church Leaders Conference to solicit the support of the national Church leadership in the fight against HV and AIDS. • In 2007 CHNOL conducted two training workshops on Stigma and Discrimination and Change Agents for church leaders and influential leaders. • At the close of 2007 CHANOL hosted a “Consensus Building Conference to widen the scope of the Network and its leadership. • At the close the following persons were elected by the CHANOL membership.

26. LESSONS LEARNT AND EXPERIENCES • Combining Mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing with stand alone as well as integrated VCT centers to do counseling and testing; • The program works through the local leaders and healers and religious leaders, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Trained Traditional Midwives (TTMs), Evangelists; they are respected and are influential; LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

27. LESSONS LEARNT AND EXPERIENCES cont’d • Building and supporting the skills for young people through life skills concepts for responsible adulthood and effective decision making; • Involvement and participation of Muslim and Christian clergy people within the church, i.e. utilizing the comparative advantages of the church network which serves to integrate into many communities; LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

28. BEST PRACTICES • The process of building awareness in the congregation promotes knowledge and skills in HIV and AIDS prevention, care and support; • After HIV and AIDS interventions in the camps the project followed IDPs out of the camps to their new settlement and continued with project activities; LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

29. BEST PRACTICES cont’d • Establishment of AIDS Care Support Groups, as an exit strategy to ensure community driven sustained program in the future in churches and communities; • Voluntary counseling and testing is the best entry point for care and support as well as behavior change; • Deliberate efforts in involving people living with HIV and AIDS in the program; LUTHERAN CHURCH IN LIBERIA HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME

30. Best practices cont`d • Networking with other AIDS organizations, mainly church based where members learn from each others; • Using drama and cultural performances for social mobilization of Voluntary Counseling and Testing and for HIV awareness.

31. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES • Using the office of the Bishop for advocacy, i.e. speaking on behalf of people who rights are denied; • Direct involvement and participate of clergy people within the church; i.e. utilizing the comparative advantages of the church network which permeates many communities; • Combining Mobile Voluntary Counseling with stand alone as well as integrated VCT centers to do counseling and testing; • The process of building awareness in the congregations promotes knowledge and skills in prevention, care and support.

32. CHALLENGES • Counselors were overburdened with the possibility of burning out; • Difficulties in letting the client help himself or herself i.e. cutting the cord between the client and counselor; • Self-stigmatizing by people living with HIV and AIDS; • Shortages of Test Kits which gave rise to uncertainty for the counselors and clients; • Clients requiring comprehensive care, which make them dependant on the Program as the sole provider; • Counselors and staff needs short and long term training.