HIVAN/BCP Community Symposium - January 2002

HIVAN, in partnership with the BCP and the KZN CBO Network, held its first Community Symposium on 28 and 29 January 2002. Community-elected delegates gathered on the University's Durban campus to share their collective experiences of the struggle against HIV/AIDS. Representatives came from all regions of KwaZulu-Natal, namely Igugu, Senzokuhle, Midlands, Ogwini, uThukela, Simdlangentsha, Maputaland, Qophumlando, as well as three communities in which HIVAN is piloting its Community Engagement programme: Embo, Cato Manor and Bergville/Winterton.

The Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN), based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Durban campus, facilitates multisectoral exchanges and coalitions of all kinds around HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal. Its primary purpose is to bring together researchers, policymakers, interventionists, service-providers and communities into alliances aimed at addressing the many problems brought about by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

HIVAN also works closely with the Behaviour Change Programme (BCP) Provincial Network that forms part of the wider KZN Community-Based Organisations Network. The BCP is directed at implementing a wide-sweeping programme on behaviour change that, although focusing on HIV/AIDS, is holistic and broader in its scope.

HIVAN serves as a mechanism for linking communities and CBOs across all regions of KwaZulu-Natal with other organisations and individuals active in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. The Centre's networking tools include: a comprehensive database of individuals, organisations, projects and literature around HIV/AIDS, regular workshops, seminars and symposia drawing together many different stakeholders. HIVAN will also foster Job Shadow programmes through sponsoring visits by KZN-based NGO and CBO staff to similar organisations elsewhere in Africa and vice versa, to facilitate exchanges of experience and knowledge.

The primary aim of the meeting was to enable representatives from different regions of the province to meet each other, describe their HIV/AIDS activities, strengths and concerns, prioritise their needs, identify stakeholders and solutions, and plan a way forward for community-based action against HIV/AIDS.

It was clear that much good work in a wide range of fields is being undertaken by community HIV/AIDS activists and volunteers in the regions represented. Most of the delegates requested assistance with training, communications, co-ordination of activities and fundraising, and HIVAN has undertaken to help communities in this effort by linking them with appropriate service-providers.

A HIVAN/BCP Task Team has been formed to liaise with relevant roleplayers as well as to facilitate joint regional meetings involving local government, CBO and NGO representatives on key HIV/AIDS issues in communities.

For more information regarding HIVAN's Community Engagement programme, contact Moses Ndlovu:
Tel: 031-260 2538
Fax: 031-260 3169
E-mail: [email protected]