UWAMKI general meeting for fund raising 2012.
Women Economic Empowerment Program (WEEP)
Many women in Tanzania living below the poverty level are widows who previously depended on their husbands for income, many of these women are also living with HIV/AIDS. This program is aimed at equipping women with skills on Income Generating Activities, business management and entrepreneurship to enable them to generate a sustainable income for themselves and their families.
Women working on income generating projects
- Peer education: This program is run by youth to educate and empower other youth about how to overcome current social issues they may be faced with such as HIV/AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution, alcoholism. This is being implemented through direct engagement with the community, focus group discussions and peer education.
UWAMKI has been conducting several community education meetings aimed at educating and empowering communty members to combat various problems/crisis facing them.
Activities/tasks implemented by UWAMKI
Currently UWAMKI is implementing the following activities:
• Community mobilization/sensitization
o Conduct meetings and community gatherings in which TB, TB/HIV and HIV/AIDS facts provided using former TB patient’s testimony and pamphlets, brochures, leaflets. Gatherings conducted at least once per year per ward. Edu-entertainments are used including drama, performance talks, role plays, testimonial from former TB patients and PLHIV addressing TB control; TB/HIV; HIV/AIDS and stigma.
UWAMKI drama group, performing during community sensitization event in one of the wards in KINONDONI.
The UWAMKI Chairperson (GEORGE MIHAMBO), sensitizing the community about TB and TB/HIV in one of the wards in KINONDONI.
o Sensitize community members/leaders to understand and accept TB patients and PLWHIV in the community.
o Sensitize TB suspects; and refer them to health facility for screening and laboratory investigations.
Community Based TB care through former TB patients’ social clubs
Experience from different parts of tanzania.
o Visit TB patients and their contacts for education on TB signs and symptoms; and encourage the contact to attend at health facilities for screening whenever they show the signs and symptoms.
• Orient and work with traditional healers in identifying and referring patients with TB signs and symptoms to health facilities. The former TB patients expedite the process of patients accessing health facility and discourage TB treatment by traditional healers.
• Support and supervise TB patients under home based DOT
• Defaulter tracing - this has been done in collaboration with District TB and leprosy Coordinators.
Support from KINONDONI Municipal Council
UWAMKI gets support from KINONDONI Municipal council in the following areas:
• Collaboration in trainings for community empowerment including refresher training to UWAMKI members twice a year on TB and TB/HIV
• Community sensitization
o KINONDONI Municipal through RTLC and DTLCs collaborates with UWAMKI in community sensitization. Sensitizations conducted in the presence of the Coordinators for responding on technical questions posed by the community.
o The RTLC facilitate the training on TB and TB/HIV to influential people including traditional healers, Councilors, wards executive officers.
• The council has been receiving funds from partners and PLANS disburses them to UWAMKI till when UWAMKI registered as legal operating organization. To date the funds from partners will be going direct to UWAMKI.
• The Council and UWAMKI conduct a joint plan for community based activities to be conducted during a respective financial year.
6 Collaborating partners
UWAMKI plans to work collaboratively with the following national and international organizations:
− Norwegian Heart and Lung Patients Association (LHL)
− National TB and Leprosy programme of MOHSW Tanzania
− KNCV (Dutch TB foundation)
− PASADA
− kinondoni Municipal Council.
− ICAP
7 Sources of funds for MUKIKUTE
The organization derives funds and income from fees, contributions from members, sale of publications/properties, gifts, grants, aids from donors.
• Application and monthly fees from members (as explained in our constitution)
• Contributions from members
Community Based TB care through former TB patients’ social clubs
Experience