About
Tilla
Tilla Association of Women Living with HIV
Tilla Association of Women Living with HIV was established
by women living with HIV/AIDS on April 2002 with the main objectives
of reducing and mitigating the all rounded impact of HIV/AIDS
on women. The Association is a local NGO operating in the Southern
Region mainly in Wolaita, Sidama, Gedio and Kembata-Timbaro
Zones and Alaba Special Woreda. "Tilla" meaning umbrella/shelter
promotes awareness and change of attitudes towards HIV/AIDS
by integrating education and advocacy works and promotion of
positive living. The association has more than 100 members who
are committed to educate the public by disclosing their sero-status
to the community and using their real life testimonies. The
education and advocacy works include mobilization of women to
protect themselves from unsafe sex practices, advance gender
based HIV/AIDS interventions, outreach rural women with HIV/AIDS
information. Tilla primarily focuses on women as they are exposed
to different harmful traditional practices (such as circumcisions,
early marriage, abduction, abortions, etc). In addition, due
to different social and biological reasons women are more vulnerable
to HIV/AIDS than men.
Mission
Tilla's mission is to promote awareness and change of attitudes
towards HIV/AIDS by integrating education and advocacy works
while contributing its parts in the prevention and control activities
of HIV/AIDS. Tilla also advocate for the respect of human rights
and promotion of positive living.
Objectives
- To reduce the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS.
- To mitigate the adverse socio-economic situation of the
spread of HIV/AIDS.
- To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS thru information dissemination.
- To increase the involvement of women in the prevention
and control activities of HIV/AIDS.
- To significantly contribute to the eradication of stigma
and discrimination towards PLWHAs.
- To advocate for the human rights of PLWHAs.
- To expand the association services to other areas of the
country (opening branch offices).
Main Activities
- Advocacy and provision of legal support for members
- Sensitizing the community
- Capacity Building of Tilla members and other PLWHAs
- Production of IEC materials
- Conduct workshops/seminars and panel discussion focusing
on women and HIV/AIDS
- Networking of NGOs, GOs and parent association
- Skill training for WLWHs (sewing and embroidering)
- Care and support (social support and medical support)
- Home Based Care services
- Counseling services
Target groups
- Women Living with HIV
- In school and out of school youths
- Housewives
- House servants
- Religious leaders
- Commercial sex workers
- Community Based Organizations (CBOs) such as Iddirs and
religious institutions.
- Influential community leaders, and
- Other vulnerable groups
Achievements
- Capacity Building: A 5-year strategic plan has been developed
in collaboration with Action Aid Ethiopia and consultant.
Strong support obtained from various agencies such as: Action
Aid Ethiopia, Pathfinder International-Ethiopia and Regional
HAPCO. Partnership is also being developed with CHF International-America,
Goal Ethiopia and others. Trainings were provided to members
on topics such as: existing situation of HIV/AIDS, positive
living, gender theories and practice, gender and sexuality,
gender and HIV/AIDS, stigma, discrimination and human right,
etc.
- Strong networking with other organization working on HIV/AIDS.
- Material Production posters, brochures, stickers and monthly
newsletter.
- Community panel/focus group discussions conducted on various
topics.
Challenges and problems
Members of the association had faced stigma and discrimination
because of their sero status. Women are less likely to disclose
their status to their partners because for fear of being abandoned.
Moreover, they lack adequate counseling and support for drug
adherence and protected sex. The delay of delivery and expense
of the drugs are few of the major problems for members who
are under treatment and taking ARV drugs. The Association
has faced problems to provide support for orphans. Due to
low capacity to provide care and support services for PLWHAs
there is a fear when members are going to AIDS stages. Moreover,
the health conditions of members create problems in community
sensitization activities. The association has also faces financial
constraints to achieve its long-term objective.
Economic
Widespread poverty situation specially manifested by unemployment
is discouraging efforts made by HIV/AIDS interventions. Due
to poor economy, women living with HIV have no access to ARV
and other medicines and nutritional support.
Social
Still there is widespread stigma and discrimination among
community groups; denial remains to be one of the challenges
on the part of HIV positive persons to bring about behavioral
change. Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into social sectors is lacking
and many of the social sectors are missing their workforces
through ignorance and lack of effective leadership.
Legal
Most of the legal support activities concerning HIV/AIDS and
human rights do not yet reach the grassroot level; only few
people in the towns have a slight knowledge about the rights
of PLWHAs. In this regards, much work should be done in order
to bring changes in the community.
Facilities
The absence of VCT centers in the rural areas of the region
limits the number of people accessing VCT services.
Lesson Learnt
The community awareness-raising program should be continued
in a more coordinated way. It has been considered that the educational
level of most of the association members is low and this has
created some problem in conducting community sensitization program.
Hence, efforts should be made to improve the capacity of Tilla
members and assess educated positive people to be member of
the association. Most of the members are very poor and they
are members of the association mainly because of some of the
material benefits. Hence, it needs to change this habit by amending
the membership requirement. The association faced financial
constraint to implement some activities and administrative costs.
It was noted that NGOs and GOs are very cooperative and interested
to work with the association. Tilla is currently implementing
its entire project with the financial support from funding agencies.
However, this has a negative effective on the sustainability
of the association. In this regard, the association should mobilize
the community for the sustainability of the project.
Capacity Gap of Tilla
Requests are received from various part of the region to open
branch offices. However, due to low capacity of the Association
it has been unable to extend its services. The association has
no capacity to provide care and support services when members
are going to AIDS stage; which is one of the main challenges
of Tilla. Most Tilla members’ educational level is low.
This has affected Tilla's efforts towards stopping the. Hence,
efforts should make better-educated people for HIV test and
for membership of the association. Problems in provision of
medical care, accessing additional funding source to fill the
association needs and gaps.
Future Plan
Tilla wants to see itself as a nation-wide developmental NGO
(not just an NGO focusing on HIV/AIDS) dealing with issues of
sustainable community development and as a catalyst for the
growth and well being of the nation. Tilla plans to create networking
with similar organizations and open branch association in Southern
Region and other areas in the country. Tilla aims to actively
participate in women focused HIV/AIDS and other development
programs thus increase its contributions towards the country
and regional efforts of fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Contact Address
Tilla Association of Women Living With HIV
P.O.Box 1041
Sidama Zone, SNNPR,
Awassa, Ethiopia
Telephone: +251-46-220-6732 or +251-46-220-5974
Fax: +251-46-220-9760
Hotline: 906
E-mail: tilawlwh@ethionet.et
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