Advocacy Plan

First, I would like to invite you to visit the website of our project for more information about the my team.

http://giremi.org


MISSION


GI.RE.MI - Gain Information, Reject Misconceptions is a non-profit, youth-led organization that aims to provide young people with necessary information and leadership training to inform them how they can protect themselves from HIV as well as how they can contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS myths and discrimination.

As a youth-led organization, GIREMI focuses on young people, who are currently at the center of the global AIDS epidemic. According to the statistics, over 50% of PLHIV in Vietnam age 20-29. Besides, young people are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection for social, political, cultural, biological, and economic reasons.

GIREMI is committed to raising the awareness HIV among Vietnamese people and providing youngsters the information and inspiration to take the creative, daring and crucial actions to eradicate HIV stigma and to reduce the transmission rate of HIV among the youth – one of our main targets is young workers in rural and suburban areas.


TENTATIVE PLAN


To make sure the goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound, we would like to organize several events, beginning with the smaller one. The project will be held annually to have a lasting impact among the society and make it easier to measure to success of the program.

The project is divided into three phases. Each phase has its particular goals, objectives, activities and indicators of success.


Phase 1: The Workshop – From July 13 to July 17


Target: 30 young people, including PLHIV, high school students or college students from universities, such as Hanoi University of Pharmacy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi Medical University…Participants are chosen based on their knowledge and passion about HIV issues. Higher preference will be given people living with HIV.


Goals and Objectives:

· Provide 30 young people a venue where they could share their view, ideas and knowledge about HIV with each other and with guest speakers.

· To ESTABLISH A STRONG NETWORK among participants that will enable them to organize future events concerning AIDS and HIV awareness and prevention.

· To train participants in ACTIVIST SKILLS: Creative presentation (through role plays, music, analogy,...), fund raising and PR skills, public speaking skills, effective teamwork, time management, persuasion and debate,...

· Train 30 people to educate young workers in rural/suburban areas (Phase 2)



Main activities:

· Discuss with guest speakers, mentors about HIV issues that participants are passionate about: HIV/AIDS in children, stigma and discrimination, youth vulnerability to HIV….

· Workshops, assignments on skills like PR, fundraising, persuasion, public speaking, which are essential for young people, especially PLHIV who need providing skills to speak out, to eradicate HIV myths and misconceptions.

· Creative activities: Dance, make drama, rap music, compose songs…

· Visit HIV positive orphans


Indicators of success: The completion of participants’ assignments, the success of drama


Phase 2: Educate young workers in rural and suburban areas about safe sex and HIV prevention – August 12 – 14


Target: Young workers in rural/suburban areas, immigrants.



Background research:

This group is highly vulnerable to HIV since they do not have much time, knowledge to gain information about HIV treatment and protection.

My case study: In December 2009, a workshop on safe sex for female workers in Hai That Shoes Company, Hai Phong province was conducted by the company’s Youth Union. A woman said after the workshop: “My life is simple. All that I know is to go to work, receive salary, and come back home. I have no time searching for the information of safe sex and HIV prevention.”

In fact, safe sex education for young workers is still very limited in Vietnam. Besides, the activities are not very interesting. "Finding innovative and engaging ways to promote HIV prevention is important for getting the message across” - Alex


Goals and Objectives:

· Help this vulnerable group of people have a better understanding of safe sex, HIV treatment and prevention

· Provide information for 60 young workers in two different companies.



Main activities:

Use the drama from the workshop, use images, clips… rather than text to educate safe sex.



Indicators of success: Evaluation forms after the workshop, the number of participants



Phase 3: “Our words for Our World - The Video” - October to December


This is a big event to contribute to the World AIDS Day on December 1 and to further promote the against AIDS campaign worldwide. Everybody - students, workers, children...- from everywhere in the world can participate by taking a picture or record a short clip of them with a red piece of paper, in which each person delivers his/ her own message about AIDS to the world. People can also show the creativity and passion by their photos and videos. These photos will be later compiled into an album or video clip and will be shown to everyone.



Goals and Objectives:

· Eradicate stigma and discrimination, misconceptions about HIV issues

· Receive 200 photos and videos from all over the world with different background: students, street adolescents, PLHIV, sex workers,…

· 1000 people join the Facebook Group

· 1000 views on Youtube clip.



Indicators of success: The number of received photos/videos, number of the video’s view

First meeting with my team

Last Thursday, I have a small meeting with my friends to discuss about the project. The main objectives of this meeting is to reach an agreement on the structure and phases of our plan and to announce some issues that are to be taken care of as soon as possible.

I have been busy all week to write the application for HIV Young Leaders Fund. Now I would like to introduce my advocacy plan. You may see the next post. Below is some pictures ( it seems that I am not really good at photographing!)

Report on screen

We write a lot on the board before :)

Problem Tree

To be honest, I do not know much about creating a problem tree until reading the action guide 2 in module 3.

Since I find the problem tree similar to a mindmap, I use mindmap to make a "tree" like this.

You can zoom in or simply click Full screen to see the picture in detail

Problem Tree

Sex workers confront HIV

The photo above is Vong Street, next to my house. It has a nickname- "Wave Street" - since the street has bars, karaoke, massage... with women (actually sex workers) who waves at people to invite potential clients! This street is also one of the most notorious spots for fast set in Hanoi.

I have to say thank you because the issue is very close to me. As raised up in this area, I had to see offensive scenes as well as listen to the noisy sound all night at my very early age. In high school, whenever I came home late, I was often invited by those women; they waved at me every time I came close to their bars.

It is obvious that sex workers are severely affected by AIDS. In Vietnam particularly, the number of PLHIV is increasing, and the main reason is the unprotected sex. As we know, sex workers have a relatively high numbers of sexual partners. But it is not the main reason that increases their likelihood of getting infected with HIV. Having sex without condom is, in fact, the way that spreads the disease. So, why sex workers and their clients do not always use condom?

First, sex workers have little knowledge about the issue, or they have no access to condom. Many groups and organisations are trying to provide them with the necessary information, tools and skills to raise their awareness about the problems

Second, clients may offer more money to have sex without condom. Since money is importance, it is hard to resist the temptation to take the opportunity to gain a little more. This issue is well-illustrated by the clip "In Fosus Dominican Republic: Sex workers Confront HIV." The case is very much similar to the situation in Vietnam. The "supply" for paid sex is increasing; as a result, sex workers even have to compete against each other.

Third, sex workers are sometime powerless to negotiate safer sex, even if they try to do so. Clients may refuse to pay for sex if they have to use a condom.

My true story: I know a friend working in a NGO that focus on sex workers and HIV. When I asked her to tell something about the issue, she said that she knew a close friend, also a sex worker living with HIV. Before having sex, she (the sex worker) tells her client that she is HIV positive and asks him to use condom. The client, however, does not believe. He thinks that she is kidding and laugh: "You are beautiful! You do not look like HIV positive person." By the story, we understand that educating sex workers is definitely not enough!

There is also the issue about social factors. Sex workers around the world are generally stigmatised. In Vietnam, sex work is illegal, and there is a severe lack of legislation and policies to protect sex workers. The stigma is also a huge obstacle that sex workers need to overcome to access health services.

Now some stats from UNAIDS Vietnam website. Again, the 2009 information is in Vietnamese. The English one seems too outdated, or too hard for me to search for:

• In Vietnam, there are over 63,827 service companies, increase in 30% in less than two years. 
• Sex work is illegal in Vietnam. In 2009, the police discover 859 cases, arrest 3040 people.
• The number of sex workers is 15316, increase by 1.9% in 1 year. Many sex workers advertise themselves on the Internet, mobile phone,... so it is extremely difficult to identify.
• Currently, some 80% of prostitutes in Vietnam have primary and junior secondary degrees and those with senior secondary degree have been on the rise. 
• The Social Evils Prevention Department said that the country now has over 17,000 prostitution prevention clubs integrated into HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
• Annually, localities give treatment to some 5,000 prostitutes, of those, 70% are provided with the treatment at medical centers and 30% at the community. 

I just want to note that some programs by the government are very formalistic; they impress us by the money spent and the stats, number, not the result or impact on society. Besides, many programs and organizations are currently doing great to empower sex workers with knowledge - like Cactus Group, a group consists of over twenty sex workers in northern Vietnam. The peer education offered by the group helps reduce stigma and provide essential information for those sex workers.

Sex work is a highly controversial topic in every countries. The best solution is, perhaps, governments and organisations need to foster an environment where sex workers are able to protect themselves against HIV, and have widespread access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment services.

PhotoVoice Project

Sure! Photos are indispensable to talk about the issues, to raise people's awareness and to motivate people to act and make the difference. In 2009, British Council in Vietnam organized a HIV photo contest with the aim to involve young people in the fight against AIDS. I really want to show you the website of this contest, but unfortunately, the domain of the contest website has expired. However, this contest received a wave of support; I remembered there were over 400 photos, and many of them were amazing!

So now, my photos (of course with the permission to publish this). Here is a creative communication course for people living with HIV in Quang Tri.

Let's draw something...

Anh the result..

Tears...

And now, an event to educate street adolescent about HIV knowledge. We had a drawing contest for street teenagers as well as drama, music... Those street people are often categorized as one of the most vulnerable group to HIV. However, when I worked with them, drew and made a drama with them, I see that they are very creative, even talented. With a good care and support, they will surely thrive. Look at these photos:
 

funny...

Although photos, pictures, and videos are extremely powerful to help people had a closer view on HIV, there is a controversial issue: Should we use photos to reveal the identity of people living with HIV? Is it worth? What are the advantages and drawbacks?

My apologize

As you can see, I have not blogged for a while. Actually, I had to participate in a required military training course last month, and although I expected to complete my assignment during that time, I could not have enough energy to focus on the e-course.

Now I am back home and read, watch all the material from the e-course. I will post all of my belated assignments at once. Hope that you guys will drop some comments. In fact, your work inspired me a lot to complete to course and to catch up with all of you!

Know your epidemic - Part B

It seems that 2010 can be a milestone for HIV actions. We all know that it is the deadline for G8 to provide access to HIV treatment, prevention, care and support. In Vietnam in particular, this day is also very important because 1990 is the year when the first case of HIV was discovered - so it has been 20 years since 1990.

The government commits setting certain targets for universal access. The AIDS response in Vietnam is categorized in four major areas: Governance; Policy and Legislative Framework; Prevention; and Treatment, Care and Support Additionally, in 2009, the government organized international congresses and meetings to design the national strategy to fight against HIV.

In 2010, the Ministry of Health has made the action plans to combat HIV. I would like to highlight some activities, which take place mostly in the end of the year: The program to raise fund for PLHIV (Nov 2010), Vietnam Creativeness's Day to search for the feasible ideas in response to HIV (Nov), National's Month to fight against HIV (Nov-Dec), especially the AIDS exibition http://www.exhiv2010.vn/home/index.php?lang=en

Nevertheless, there are some problems that need addressing here. First, the information in English is very outdated. The most recent English material that describes the HIV situation in Vietnam uses 2007 data. I have to read many Vietnamese documents to get the information and after that translate it to write this post (please pardon me if some phrases are awkward). Besides, the actions for the youth and run by the youth are still lacking. In fact, I have been involving in various environmental and youth initiatives that are very popular in Vietnam, but for HIV actions, most young people get a little bit afraid. There are a couples of reasons, perhaps the best explanation is that young people are influenced by the parents' opinion. Fighting against discrimination is extremely challenging in the country. However, there are also some young people who have a positive view on this issue, and what we need to do is to connect all of them to create the force that can somehow change the attitude!

I am getting to see that change in a not very far future!