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Yeatman Foundation Announces Partnership with SPW Zambia in Fight Against AIDS

Since the Foundation was established in 2000, its focus has centred on working to support community groups in the US and the British Commonwealth. Working to tackle HIV-AIDS has always been of critical importance to the Yeatman Foundation. This comes in response to the growing crisis presented by the AIDS pandemic, and the need to mould a lasting international response following the Bangkok conference in summer 2004.

During September 2004 the Yeatman Foundation travelled to Southern Africa to see firsthand how HIV-AIDS has hit communities in the developing world.

In keeping with the Foundation's objectives we went in search of community-based groups working to deliver practical help direct to those people whose lives have been most affected. In particular, we were looking for programmes with a strong focus on improving access to basic education and health needs.

Zambia

This search took us to the southern African country of Zambia. The country ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy has traditionally been over-reliant on mining, particularly copper. When commodity prices slumped in the 1980s, the economy was badly hit. Only now are things recovering. Tragically, the HIV-AIDS pandemic has come as a massive blow to the country, playing a major role in undermining Government attempts to improve the overall standard of living. The country suffers from having one of the highest HIV-AIDS prevalence rates in the world. At present 30% of all Zambians carry the HIV virus. This combination of poverty and high infection rates creates a particular challenge to both Government and local communities.

The Yeatman Foundation's visit to Zambia came at the invitation of a London-based charity, Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW) International (www.spw.org). The Foundation spent a five-day period visiting a number of schools in the Kapiri and Chibombo districts of the country's Central Province, looking at innovative SPW programmes aimed at communicating to young people through the use of youth-led peer education. The programme was established in Central Province in 2003, and is already making a significant impact on improving access to health education.

The SPW approach uses a range of informal techniques - including music and dance, poetry and theatre, even sport - as a powerful means of bringing together often isolated rural communities in the hope of delivering a strong AIDS prevention message. This message covers issues such as the transmission of STDs, the need to improve voluntary counselling and testing, the role of Anti-Retro Virals (ARVs) and the benefits of good nutrition.

The programme is much broader than health education, stressing the importance of building life-skills, such as empowering young people to become more assertive in defending their basic human rights. The Foundation made several visits to Youth Resource Centres (left) to meet with young volunteers and students, and see how Adolescent Reproductive Sexual Health (ARSH) is communicated to young people.

The programme also provides a good model for working with government. At a time when many donor countries - including the UK and the US - are looking to adopt increasingly programmatic rather than project-based funding, there is a real danger that civil society groups, such as SPW, will see funding increasingly difficult to obtain. SPW has responded to this by developing strong relationships within the Government of Zambia, who provide part-funding for the programme and are keen to foster an expansion of SPW's efforts into other provinces.

This partnership approach was reflected in the Foundation's programme of meetings, which included officials within the Ministry of Education at both the regional and national level. In discussions with Alfred Sikaswe, Zambia's Director of School Standards and Curriculum, it was made very clear that Zambia has adopted a bold determination to make progress on the AIDS crisis. Foundation Chairman Brian Yeatman, took the opportunity on numerous occasions during the trip to praise the Government in their brave approach to partnership working with civil society groups. Speaking at a press conference in Lusaka, the capital city, he paid tribute to all those working to extend awareness, often challenging widely held myths as well as the stigma attached to HIV-AIDS.

The Foundation visit elicited a lot of interest and excitement (left). From the teachers and school children, to local government representatives, the media, and not forgetting the SPW volunteers themselves. Their warmth and generosity made us feel welcome and also left us feeling deeply touched.

Not only were we able to sense the impact of HIV-AIDS, we were also fortunate to experience the rich diversity of local culture, language and cuisine.

The success of the trip could be measured across a number of fronts. Not only will it form the foundation of a lasting relationship with SPW, it will also serve to strengthen the Foundation's efforts to raise the issue of AIDS further up the political and media agenda in both the UK and the US.

Zambian school girls perform the national anthem. "Stand and sing of Zambia, proud and free, Land of work and joy in unity, Victors in the struggle for the right, We have won freedom's fight All one, strong and free"

For further information contact Jeremy Swan at the Yeatman Foundation +44 (0)20 7665 9534, jeremy.swan@yeatmanfoundation.org.uk.

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