The Irish Red Cross has been a major development partner of the Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) since 2004. The MRCS is currently implementing 2 different projects from funding secured by the IRCS:
- HIV/AIDS Project (2008/09)
- Rural Livelihoods Programme (2009/10)
1. HIV/AIDS project
As one of the largest humanitarian crises in Malawi, and indeed the Southern African region, HIV/AIDS programming is a major priority for MRCS. The organization is currently implementing HIV/AIDS activities in 15 districts throughout the country. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability to HIV and its impact through preventing further infection, expanding treatment care and support, and reducing stigma and discrimination. Furthermore, a major focus of MRCS is to ensure integration of programme activities to maximize positive impacts for targeted beneficiaries, and also to address some of the underlying problems related to high rates of HIV infection and effects. Thus, other program areas such as food security, livelihoods, water & sanitation, and community based health care activities are implemented in the same target areas as the HIVAIDS program.
The Malawi Red Cross (MRCS) is implementing a 1 year HIV/AIDS project in Ntchisi District with funding secured by the Irish Red Cross (IRCS) through the Irish Aid/IFRC partnership. The project serves an area with a population of approximately 46,044 and the expected outcomes are:
- Prevention of further HIV infection, through peer education and community mobilization; Information, education and communication (IEC) for targeted groups and the promotion of skills for personal protection including condom use.
- Expansion of treatment, care and support for those affected and infected by HIV, including home based care and supporting orphans and children made vulnerable as a result of the virus.
- Strengthening MRCS capacity to deliver a scaled up programme through improving accountability, improving volunteer and staff support and management, and widening partnerships.
Project Goal:
The overall goal is to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in selected communities of specific villages of T/A Kalumo through promotion of Prevention, Home Based Care (HBC) and Orphan Support Strategies. The project is in a scaling up phase of some of its operational areas and community support has been encouraging. This has led to an increased number of volunteers facilitating care and support; increased number of volunteers facilitating support at Community Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs); the integration of activities - especially livelihood and food support and widening partnerships with stakeholders in order to maximize the impact.
2. Rural Livelihoods Project
A Rural Livelihoods Project, funded by Gorta (€250,000) has recently commenced work with a purpose to increase food security, livelihood opportunities and general health, whilst reducing the impact of HIV in targeted vulnerable populations in two districts in Malawi. As two of the largest humanitarian crises in Malawi, and indeed the Southern African region, HIV/AIDS and long term Food Security programming are major priorities for the MRCS. Moreover, there is a clear and critical two–way relationship between HIV/AIDS and food insecurity in Malawi. The hunger experienced by a large percentage of the population increases the likelihood of HIV infection as people may be driven to adopt risky coping strategies to survive. For those already infected with the virus, malnutrition exhausts the immune system, which makes people more susceptible to malaria, TB, and other opportunistic diseases and leads to faster progression from HIV to AIDS. People weakened by HIV/AIDS find it harder to access food as they may not be strong enough to work or to walk long distances to markets.
Thus, a priority strategy of MRCS is to ensure integration of programme activities to maximise positive impacts for targeted beneficiaries. The Society aims to implement food security, livelihoods, water & sanitation, community based health care, and HIV/AIDS activities in the same target areas where appropriate. For example, the goal of the HIV/AIDS programme is to reduce vulnerability to HIV and its impact through preventing further infection, expanding treatment care and support, and reducing stigma and discrimination. Food security, livelihoods and water and sanitation are incorporated into the HIV/AIDS programme operational plan under the objective of expanding treatment care and support.
Project Goal:
To increase food security, livelihood opportunities and general health, whilst reducing the impact of HIV, in targeted vulnerable populations in two districts