MANAGEMENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The HIV (Human Immune-deficiency Virus) is an infection caused by a virus that slowly attacks the body�s defence against diseases. The HIV pandemic is of grave concern to governments all over the globe. It is now estimated that, the second most deadly disease to malaria in the Third World
Countries especially in Africa are the HIV and its subsequent AIDS. For example in Nigeria about 5.5% of the total population is living with the virus. Also in La Cote D'voire about 15% is infected. The rate is 17% in Burkina Faso.
In Ghana, it is estimated that about 4.6% out of the total population is infected. Again research into the disease has also shown that about 200 people get infected daily in Ghana. Regional distribution of the disease puts Eastern, Ashanti and Greater Accra on top with 4.6% as against that of the three northern regions of Ghana, which is 1.2 per cent.
We believe that the time is come for us to discuss issues concerning sex and sexual health because of the effects they have on our people. It is against this background that our organization (OBRA FOUNDATION) a social Non-Governmental Organisation, has taken up this project. The project will primarily concern with educating the potential carriers of the virus and also helping people already infected to cope and live with the disease by giving them some form of financial and logistics support.
We are concentrating on West Akim District where our organisation is operating on a pilot project basis, which is intended to cover other areas with time. The district is ranked 3rd in the Eastern Region, which is among the most affected regions in Ghana. It is believed that if urgent measures are not taken to curb the spread of the disease, the socio-economic development of the district in particular and Ghana as a whole will be hampered. The reason is that the most vulnerable age group is the youth (18 � 35 years) who are the backbone of the economy.
The time is ripe for all and sundry to get involved in this exercise. Most people have the perceptions that only people who have committed some kind of sin are at risk. Another school of thought is that only people living in the major cities and towns are more prone to acquiring the virus.
These scenarios have proved to be false in recent years as every one is at risk. More people in the rural areas are the most victims in the recent years as a result of rural-urban drift. It is therefore important for this project to be in place so that the rural folks will also get access to information regarding, prevention and management of the disease. Parents, individuals, community leaders, religious leaders and the like have an important rule to play in the sexual transmitted
Infections or diseases (STIs or STDs) prevention especially HIV. HIV is no more moral issue; it is a matter of survival.
In our rural areas sex and sexual issues are considered sacred and therefore not discussed openly. This attitude coupled with others has greatly impacted negatively on the fight against the spread of HIV. Education is seen as one of the most effective means of making people understand the real issues concerning the disease and how people can prevent themselves from being infected. The only way out of this menace is total abstinence from illicit sex on the part of adults and the delay in the onset of sexual activities among the youth. As a result, the President of Ghana Medical Association (GBA) Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosah has said that the Government and the people of Ghana should see the disease as a national disaster as it is no more a health issue instead a developmental issue.
1.1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The HIV menace is now seen as a developmental issue by most governments especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been established that there is a strong correlation between income levels and health issues. The assumption here is that high incomes are associated with healthy communities and the vice versa. Most people in Sub-Saharan Africa live below one dollar a day. The situation is even worst in Ghana where the minimum wage as of now is a little over 70 cents per day. Even though the HIV infections are assumed to be more prevalence in the cities, the impact is much felt in the areas of low incomes. It is undeniable fact that poverty is a major contributory factor to the spread of HIV.
Again, most people are ignorant about the reality of the disease due to the lack of awareness or mere negligence on the part of society. Most people still hold the view that there are some kind of myth surrounding the acquisition of the virus and its subsequent development of the AIDS disease.
According to Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights �the reluctance to recognise groups affected by HIV/AIDS is often based on religion and culture�. She further said that, failure to recognise it means the number of those infected could only grow.
There is also personal risk infection factor that is people claiming to be free or aware of the disease and not accepting that everyone is at risk and thus the necessary precautions must be taken. Even the 200 persons infected daily in Ghana is under reported by 30 per cent. The fight against HIV/AIDS is shared responsibility and all hands must be involved.
This is a real developmental problem facing Ghana as the infection rates in her neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso 17%, Cote D�voire 15% and Nigeria 5.5% is very high. The most vulnerable group is the youth (18-35) who are the future hope of Ghana's socio-economic development.
1.2 (a). GOAL
The long-term aim of the project is to reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS through effective education.
1.2 (b) OBJECTIVES
The project is intended to help control the spread of the disease and also help those who are already infected to have some hopes in the future. The breakdown objectives are outlined below:
� To intensify education in the rural areas especially, so as to increase the awareness of the disease from about 40 per cent to about 75percentbythe end of the first year.
� To demystifying the myth surrounding the mode of transmitting the virus.
� To provide financial and logistical support for the people living with the disease.
� To provide advice on how one can live with the disease and to encourage society not to neglect the infected ones.
1.3 SCOPE
The project covers the whole of West Akim District. West Akim District is in the
Eastern Region of Ghana where the disease has assumed an alarming rates. Asamankese is the district capital. The current population is estimated to be 154788. The district shares boundaries with Kwaebibirem in the north, Effutu-Ewutu-Senya in the south, Suhum Kraboa Coaltar in east and Birim South in West.
The project will basically concern with education on the prevention and management of HIV/AIDs. It is expected that the trained peer Educators will take active role in the realization of this dream as they are going to carry out the day to day activities
Furthermore, Parents, individuals, community leaders, Religious Leaders and the like will also play an important role. The project is a pilot project for 3 years after which we will extend it to other districts within and outside Eastern Region of Ghana.
1.4 METHODOLOGY
The aforementioned objectives could only be realised based on sound and efficient methods of dealing with the situation. To start with, we shall recruit about forty (40) youth most of whom will be those on the street and train them as �Peer Educators�. The rationale behind the selection of the street youth is that they are at the mercy of the disease as they are exposed to all kinds of social vices. These trainees will then go to the various settlements to carry out the HIV/AIDS education. They will also distribute some items like condoms and femidoms to the people in these communities and teach them how to use them. The selection will take into consideration the actual hometowns of the youth so as to ensure a spatial balance in the selection.
There will also be a counseling unit which will give advice to people already living with the disease and also providing them with some support both financial and logistics.
Again, there is going to regular visits at the district hospital where most cases are detected to access off hand information about the state of the disease. It is expected that data collected from these exercises shall be processed, analysed and the information gathered will serve as input for further actions on the project.
More so, our organisation has come to the realisation that the verbal education alone is not enough to achieving results in the fight against the disease. We are therefore going to adopt the audiovisual type of education. This involves the use of overhead projector/video deck and television to show films of people already infected with the disease to the rural folks in the language that they comprehend.
1.5 BUDGET
In order to achieve results, the issue of funds cannot be over emphasised. It will be a suicidal on our part, if we fail to come out clearly with the estimated project cost. The project is expected to cost about US $30,000 for a year time frame. The break down is as follows:
Cost of training the 40 (forty) peer educators and their stipends.------------------- �50,250,900
Transportation cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------ �3,627,000
Logistics e.g. Condoms, femidoms and bags for the peer educators to carry these
Items------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ �50,425,000
The breakdown of the above estimates are given below:
BUDGET REQUIREMENTS
THREE (3) DAYS TRAINING WORKSHOP
1. STATIONARY {Files, pens Duplication papers, stencil} �600,000
2 REFRESHMENT {SNACKS ------at �5000 x 55 peers} �2,475,000
3 LUNCH �3 lunch at �15,000 x 55 peers ---- �7,425,000
4 RESOURCE PERSONS (PER DIEM) 3 Resource Persons @ �400,000 x
3days = �3,600,000
5 PER DIEM FOR PARTICIPANTS � 55part @ �50,000/day x 3days = �8,250,000
6 T $ T 35 peers. @ �20,000/day x 3 days = �2,100,000
7 ORGANISATION (Fuel for Internal runs for 3 days) 15 gallons x 10,600 = �477,000
8 HIRING OF HALL (�300,000 for 3 days) = �900,000
9 PUBLICITY = �500,000
10 PRESS = 3 Persons. @ �100,000/DAY X 3 DAYS = �900,000
POST WORKSHOP
LOGISTICS {Condoms (Males) ----100 boxes �5000/box = �500,000
Female condoms ---- 100 boxes �800/box = �800,000
Bags for peer Educators 45bags x �25,000 = �1,125,000
Allowance for peer educators 40 @ �100,000/month x 12 = �4,800,000
SUMMARY
TRAINING PERSONNEL ------------------------------------------- �131,529,900.00
POST WORKSHOP ------------------------------------------------- �7,225,000
TOTALS -------------------------------------------------------------- �138,754,900.00
In addition to the budget, we should be grateful to you and your organisation if you could supply us with these items so that we can implement our ideas with little or no difficulty. The items are listed below:
An overhead Projector/Video Deck, Television set (28inches), Generator with a capacity of over 1000kw, Public Address System and any other equipment that can help us in achieving results.
1.6 THE FUNDING PLAN
The war against HIV/AIDS pandemic is a collective responsibility and therefore must concern all. It is in line with this conception that our organization is not solely relying on you or as a sole donor for assistance. It may interest you to know that we have also written to the following donors for assistance.
These are:
Even though the project is a pilot one in the region, it is expected to spread to other parts of the region in no time. It is also anticipated that, the project will be self-sustaining through internal generated funds in the future when donor funding dwindles.
1.7 THE REQUEST
As our own meager resources cannot assist as in fulfilling this laudable project, it is imperative for as to request for your help. We should be grateful, if you could assist as by giving as this amount for the execution of the project as early as possible.
The total amount needed is estimated to be US$10,000 and we are expecting some contributions from other donors.
1.8 THE RATIONALE BEHIND DONORS ASSISTANCE
THE HIV/AIDS is now a global problem as a result of globalisation of world economies. People within the Sub-Saharan and ACP countries have limited resources to fight this disease. Donors� assistance is therefore much needed now than ever before. It is anticipated that the donors assistance will go a long way to improving on the situation as it is now.
1.9 CONCLUSION
The socio-economic development of every country rest on its population. Population is seen as both a determinant and consequence of development. It therefore means that, conscious effort must be taken to address any issue that will cripple the population and for that matter development.
HIV/AIDS is tearing society apart, but there is a realisation that most governments do not have the capacity and resources to deal with the problem on their own.
We should all join hands together to wage a wall against the HIV/AIDS disease in order to make the world a save place to live.
PROPOSAL FOR FUNDING OF A PROJECT
Obra Foundation Ghana is a social Non-Governmental Organisation established to promote the welfare of the people within and outside its area of operation. It is also a non-profit organization. Obra Foundation is a registered member of Ghana coalition of Non-Governmental Organisation in Health.
We wish to inform you that, we have also seen the urgent need to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic. As a result. We have taken up a project in this duration to education people on the prevention and management of the HIV/AIDS disease. Attached to this introductory letter is our proposal for funding of the said project.
We therefore wish to submit the proposal for your consideration and approval.
We are hoping to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely