Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and

PLWHAs in a Community weakened by the

death of young IDUs/PLWHAs

Presentation made by Brigitte MICHEL

Republic of Mauritius
 SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND GENDER JUSTICE
SUMMIT AND AWARDS
28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER VIOLENCE:
HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”
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Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the deaths of Young
IDUs/PLWHAs
 IDENTIFYING THIS PROBLEM
• Mangalkhan encountered 8 deaths due to drugs and HIV
as from Nov 2009 – Nov 2010
• The female relatives and their children are suffering from
great distress
•
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The Association AILES (Aide Info, Liberte, Espoir et

Solidarite) was created to fill in the gap in providing
psychological and psychosocial support to IDUs,
PLWHAs, as well as their relatives
• The main NGO providing these services is found in the
Capital City and provides 1 Psychologist for 5000
PLWHAs
• It is time consuming, expensive in terms of transport fees
and not motivational

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs/PLWHAs in a

Community weakened by the deaths of young IDUs
and PLWHAs
SUPPORT Overview of the situation in Mauritius
 THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT!

• These women are often the main bread winner in

the family
• sisters and mothers MUST acquire assertiveness
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and high self esteem

• Some of them are encouraged and accompanied
to PMCT to prevent HIV infection to their babies
• They can take corrective measures in case of high
risks taken and counsel others(PEP)

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the deaths of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
 GOING ABOUT ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM

• Individual and family Psychological follow up

• Support Group
• Address gender violence, reinforce their
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knowledge on PMTCT, STI, HIV and AIDS, IT

training We showing how and why to use male
and female condoms to reduce their vulnerablity
to STI and HIV and Aids
• Various activities (outings, organizing activities
with families)
• VCT
• Involvement and volunteering for events

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs/PLWHAs
 THE TIME-FRAME FOR THE PROJECT

• November 2010 – November 2011

• We are trying to implement the project on a
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permanent basis

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
SUPPORT Our beneficiaries

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
 PARTNERSHIPS FORMED THROUGH THE PROJECT

• PILS
• Aids Unit
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• Ministry of Gender Equality , Child development

and Family Welfare
• Municipality of Curepipe
• Local groups from other regions
• Local shops and enterprises
• National Women Council

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
 FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESSOURCES
MOBILISED

Financial Resource Human Resources

Ministry of Gender and A Psychologist
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Equality, Child A Social Worker

Development, and Family Volunteers
Affairs Resources persons from
Local shops diffferent sectors

Membership Fees
Fundraising
Municipality of Curepipe

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs /PLWHAs
 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Monitoring Solutions
We make it a point to the regular If absent, we make home visits
attendance of our beneficiaries and phone calls
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Each beneficiary has a personal Objectives are set up for each

and confidential file where follow up individual person with a time frame
and continued progress is updated etc.
and evaluated

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs/PLWHAs
 RESULTS ACHIEVED
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Marie Lourdes
Marie Line
Cindy
Jelovena
Sandrine
Priscilla

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
 IMPACT (BASED ON THE SADC PROTOCOL
TARGETS)
• Women must be able to tackle and be able to
have sexual choice
• They must decide together with their husbands
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when to have sexual intercourse and when to

have babies
• They should know about PMTCT whenever HIV+
women are pregnant so that they do not infect
their babies

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

weakened by the death of young IDUs and PLWHAs
 EFFECTIVENESS
• There is an increased level of self esteem and
assertiveness
• Knowledge of Drugs and HIV and Aids on the
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tips of their hands and can handle now

situations arising
• They have their word to say concerning stigma
and discrimination
• The 12 of them have their Driver’s Learners and
are practising with the NWC and they can type
letters etc

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs and PLWHAs
 SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION

We make our project sustainable by:

 doing regular fundraisings ,
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 Soliciting help from Corporate Social

Responsibilities

It can be replicated with the help of local group and

trainings in other areas of Mauritius.

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of IDUs and
PLWHAs
 LESSONS LEARNED

• With a minimum of funds, this project can be

substained
• Women are STRONG …and resilient
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• The fact of giving a little support and direction

can change over positively women’s lives for
ever

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of IDUs and
PLWHAs
 MERSI POU ZOT
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LATANSYON

Thank you for your attention

Supporting Women’s relatives of IDUs and PLWHAs

in a Community weakened by the death of young
IDUs /PLWHAs