The Chaos Within - XVI AIDS Conference II
Last night I attended a session on 'HIV/AIDS and Poverty: Breaking the viscous Cycle.'
I expected that India would turn out in force to this session. There are almost a hundred delegates from India here.
I forgot it was the 15th of August. Everyone was off for a flag hoisting ceremony... or so it seemed.
Right through the presentations at this session on poverty and HIV/AIDS - none of which were from Asia - they spoke of the viscous cycle poverty and the problem of access to funds. The mechanisms in place that make it difficult for international and national funds to be accessed by grassroots community based organisations... not one of the panel spoke of corruption.
I thought of Sahara Aalhad and PSACS - Pune AIDS Control Society - demanding a 20% kick back... and I asked why the panel had failed to address this very real, albeit unpleasant fact when it comes to the access and implementation of funds... of course everyone then wanted to talk about corruption. Don't get me wrong I think NGOs have had their role in contributing to the corruption. Let's be clear, transparency and accountability are relatively recent developments in the NGO sector, DGS included.
The Indian response here - I may have missed it - appears to be low key. One presentation spoke of low HIV prevalence and cited the 2005 study of 5.2 Million estimated cases of PLWHA in India. I am the last person to focus on numbers. BUT UNAIDS pushed up the estimate to 5.7 million in June this year. We lead the world as a nation and there is no fucking point to keep patting ourselves on the back about the fact that we are a low prevalence country. The lady from Delhi wasn't too pleased.
Its frustrating. I am not here to point out everything that is wrong with the Indian response. There is a lot of everything that is right too. BUT we must guard against complacency and how we plan and implement our response to HIV. Every time they talk shit I am reminded of the 58 DISHA clients and all the clients at Sahara that I have had the privilege to work with and befriend - including those that continue to frustrate us with their attitudes to nutrition, SAM adherence and IGP.
The contexts are complex, granted, but we know on the project that the contexts are complex... And our response is with the complex contexts in mind.
This afternoon I listened to a presentation from B J Medical College on Repeat Pregnancies among HIV+ women on the Sassoon PMTCT - prevention of mother to child transmission - programme. Yes, they are here too.
Again, all that she spoke of reflected the experiences of Shobha. Loss of a child, loneliness, lack of planning with the new birth... I agreed with all the findings. And said as much. BUT what astounds me is that if there is this extremely important research happening in our back yard, why haven't we been brought in as HIV/AIDS NGOs to discuss the findings, preliminary or otherwise, so that we can together plan strategic intervention programmes to address the issue.
We are the agencies on the ground, and there is a gap between the research and the plans of action that rise from this research. Evidence is crucial and that is something that has come home to me here, but we have to use the evidence to make sure we have intervention programmes that work!
She agreed. And her colleagues post presentation were a little defensive to begin with, but soon realised that I was not out to attack, rather work together!
Meetings will take place on our return.
Again, I cannot stress enough how important these meetings we have between us for Wake Up Pune are... from all reports they can be frustrating, but they are so crucial in us finally working together.
The Wake Up Pune initiative is not just about the rise of civil society and the raising of awareness amongst the youth of the city, it is about NGOs like ours coming together to work for the issue we are so passionate about in our corners.
We are on to something here, and while there is a danger that we as Deep Griha might be doing most of the work - an observation by Avinash - it will not matter in the end if we can deliver together.
The Rally at least... if the funding for the Rock Show fall through.
Today I made two new friends... one is an ex sex worker and drug addict in Canada who walked up to me and asked me to roll her a joint because she doesn't know how to roll, and I must do because I had the drum and papers next to me. I obliged and what followed was a great hour or so with her and her friends. All ex drug addicts - cannabis is legal for HIV+ people here - and all HIV+. Cash spoke about her journey, and it was fascinating.
Then in the evening I helped Esther - my friend who runs the project with HIV+ women Masai in Kenya - with her stall. Her stall was next to the stall run by Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers. I ended up being invited to a transgender party of Friday by Khartini Slamah a coordinator of APNSW who works in Thailand and Malaysia in framing policy for the rights of sex workers.
APNSW's slogan is: "We do not need sewing machines, what we need is human rights."
She and I spent a long time just talking about India - she is well acquainted with Sahara's project and has spent time in Delhi and Mumbai - and, again, fantastic.
I'm taking her out for a drink tomorrow.
Let's come back to Pune, and to Tadiwala Road in particular. We are doing so much that is right and innovative, but we lack the evidence base and this is required if our models are to be replicated elsewhere, or more to the point, if we are to advocate our core approaches.
We need more research students volunteering with us... and the report I plan to write about the way forward for us will include this and much more.
The 'Wake Up Pune' initiative is our starting point though, especially for the collaberative revalued response we need to plan for... and again, it is so frustrating being here, despite all I am learning.
Mo... a special thank you to you too, I left you out last time, and to Paul and to Sharon and everyone else - you too Meeta! - who help Sara and Smiler.
A thank you to Avinash and Pramila too and the team from Maya to Koli maushi. The confidence I feel about the project is because of how committed you all are.
I'm being nice eh... that's because I am so many millions of miles away.
Finally, Stevie if you are reading this, fuck!!! I wish you were back here! I need an artist on my return for the campaigns that will take place.
My pint before bed awaits...
I expected that India would turn out in force to this session. There are almost a hundred delegates from India here.
I forgot it was the 15th of August. Everyone was off for a flag hoisting ceremony... or so it seemed.
Right through the presentations at this session on poverty and HIV/AIDS - none of which were from Asia - they spoke of the viscous cycle poverty and the problem of access to funds. The mechanisms in place that make it difficult for international and national funds to be accessed by grassroots community based organisations... not one of the panel spoke of corruption.
I thought of Sahara Aalhad and PSACS - Pune AIDS Control Society - demanding a 20% kick back... and I asked why the panel had failed to address this very real, albeit unpleasant fact when it comes to the access and implementation of funds... of course everyone then wanted to talk about corruption. Don't get me wrong I think NGOs have had their role in contributing to the corruption. Let's be clear, transparency and accountability are relatively recent developments in the NGO sector, DGS included.
The Indian response here - I may have missed it - appears to be low key. One presentation spoke of low HIV prevalence and cited the 2005 study of 5.2 Million estimated cases of PLWHA in India. I am the last person to focus on numbers. BUT UNAIDS pushed up the estimate to 5.7 million in June this year. We lead the world as a nation and there is no fucking point to keep patting ourselves on the back about the fact that we are a low prevalence country. The lady from Delhi wasn't too pleased.
Its frustrating. I am not here to point out everything that is wrong with the Indian response. There is a lot of everything that is right too. BUT we must guard against complacency and how we plan and implement our response to HIV. Every time they talk shit I am reminded of the 58 DISHA clients and all the clients at Sahara that I have had the privilege to work with and befriend - including those that continue to frustrate us with their attitudes to nutrition, SAM adherence and IGP.
The contexts are complex, granted, but we know on the project that the contexts are complex... And our response is with the complex contexts in mind.
This afternoon I listened to a presentation from B J Medical College on Repeat Pregnancies among HIV+ women on the Sassoon PMTCT - prevention of mother to child transmission - programme. Yes, they are here too.
Again, all that she spoke of reflected the experiences of Shobha. Loss of a child, loneliness, lack of planning with the new birth... I agreed with all the findings. And said as much. BUT what astounds me is that if there is this extremely important research happening in our back yard, why haven't we been brought in as HIV/AIDS NGOs to discuss the findings, preliminary or otherwise, so that we can together plan strategic intervention programmes to address the issue.
We are the agencies on the ground, and there is a gap between the research and the plans of action that rise from this research. Evidence is crucial and that is something that has come home to me here, but we have to use the evidence to make sure we have intervention programmes that work!
She agreed. And her colleagues post presentation were a little defensive to begin with, but soon realised that I was not out to attack, rather work together!
Meetings will take place on our return.
Again, I cannot stress enough how important these meetings we have between us for Wake Up Pune are... from all reports they can be frustrating, but they are so crucial in us finally working together.
The Wake Up Pune initiative is not just about the rise of civil society and the raising of awareness amongst the youth of the city, it is about NGOs like ours coming together to work for the issue we are so passionate about in our corners.
We are on to something here, and while there is a danger that we as Deep Griha might be doing most of the work - an observation by Avinash - it will not matter in the end if we can deliver together.
The Rally at least... if the funding for the Rock Show fall through.
Today I made two new friends... one is an ex sex worker and drug addict in Canada who walked up to me and asked me to roll her a joint because she doesn't know how to roll, and I must do because I had the drum and papers next to me. I obliged and what followed was a great hour or so with her and her friends. All ex drug addicts - cannabis is legal for HIV+ people here - and all HIV+. Cash spoke about her journey, and it was fascinating.
Then in the evening I helped Esther - my friend who runs the project with HIV+ women Masai in Kenya - with her stall. Her stall was next to the stall run by Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers. I ended up being invited to a transgender party of Friday by Khartini Slamah a coordinator of APNSW who works in Thailand and Malaysia in framing policy for the rights of sex workers.
APNSW's slogan is: "We do not need sewing machines, what we need is human rights."
She and I spent a long time just talking about India - she is well acquainted with Sahara's project and has spent time in Delhi and Mumbai - and, again, fantastic.
I'm taking her out for a drink tomorrow.
Let's come back to Pune, and to Tadiwala Road in particular. We are doing so much that is right and innovative, but we lack the evidence base and this is required if our models are to be replicated elsewhere, or more to the point, if we are to advocate our core approaches.
We need more research students volunteering with us... and the report I plan to write about the way forward for us will include this and much more.
The 'Wake Up Pune' initiative is our starting point though, especially for the collaberative revalued response we need to plan for... and again, it is so frustrating being here, despite all I am learning.
Mo... a special thank you to you too, I left you out last time, and to Paul and to Sharon and everyone else - you too Meeta! - who help Sara and Smiler.
A thank you to Avinash and Pramila too and the team from Maya to Koli maushi. The confidence I feel about the project is because of how committed you all are.
I'm being nice eh... that's because I am so many millions of miles away.
Finally, Stevie if you are reading this, fuck!!! I wish you were back here! I need an artist on my return for the campaigns that will take place.
My pint before bed awaits...
posted by Deep Griha at 7:45 am
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