TRAINING OF TRAINERS COURSE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS

Training in good counseling skills is a priority to enable the infected learn how to live positively. Counseling is best done by those already infected. They have the experience of living with the virus themselves. What they need next are communication and counseling skills so as to reach those newly infected and affected.

TRAINING OF TRAINERS COURSE FOR PLHWAs IN:- COUNSELING AND WILL WRITING.
15th –27th October 2006, Alakara hotel, Kitale.

Historical background

Between 2000-02 SIMA CBO organized 3 PLWHAs country workshops held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. There was active participation and sharing of the PLWHAs (People Living With HIV and AIDS) and members working with PLHA/HIV/AIDS organizations. Many needs were identified and expressed.

These included:-
1. There is great need for professional counseling leading to positive living of people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
2. There is need to intensify and vary public education so as reach all people in the three countries
3. There is need to reduce stigma and denial. More need to be supported to come out publicly
4. There is need for education to traditional healers about their role in fighting AIDS and an understanding of what services they can offer.
5. There is need to fight exploitation and stigmatization of PLWHA by public when they decide to be open their HIV/AIDS status.
6. There is need to advocate for reduction of prices of Ant-retroviral drugs to enable poor people to buy and also to reach in rural areas.

All these needs were identified as a priority. However, the participants felt that it was paramount that training in good counseling skills be given a priority to enable the infected learn how to live positively. Counseling is best done by those already infected. They have the experience of living with the virus themselves. What they need next are communication and counseling skills so as reach those newly infected and affected.

Goal:
To facilitate the operationalisation of Greater Involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS through training in counseling and will writing.

Objectives of the Training:
1. To increase knowledge and information on HIV/AIDS
2. To impart counseling and will writing skills on people living HIV/AIDS.
3. To raise the awareness of PLWHAs on the importance of writing a will and its custodianship.
4. To facilitate the operationalisation of Greater Involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS:-GIPA
5. To impart the training skills that they will in turn impart on fellow PLWHAs and other caregivers in their own organizations.
6. To share experiences, successes and lessons learnt as a people living with HIV/AIDS.
7. To increase the number of trained counselors so as to respond to the increasing demand for the service and reduce the fatigue on the existing few counselors.

Action
Thus, SIMA Community Based Organization, we are looking the way how we can raise money from well-wishers to organizing a 12 days counseling and communication skills workshop for people living with HIV/AIDS.

This training will bring together PLWHAs from East Africa region. The topics covered will include:-
• Skills in Counseling
• Skills in communication
• Will writing skills
• Going public and sharing one’s sero-status.

SIMA CBO is requesting her members Faith Based Organization, NGOs to nominate people living with HIV/AIDS who either work for the particular organization or is affiliated to it; could be an outreach counsellor, a part-time volunteer etc

The trainee and the organization he/she comes from is requested to fill out the form attached.

The purpose of this is to ensure that the participants of this training are first and foremost PLWHAs and secondly the skills they will acquire from training will directly benefit the community/organization they represent. This therefore means that there should be a strong commitment by the organization to utilize the skills that will be acquired by intended trainee to benefit others.

SIMA CBO intends to invite 25 participants from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan. The workshop will take place from 15th Oct.27th Oct at Alakara Hotel, Kitale, Kenya.

Expected outcome:
1. Participants will acquire counseling and communication skills with full commitment that they will use the skills to benefit others.
2. Participants trained in will writing.
3. Experience sharing among participants
4. Plan of action by each participant on the way forward.
5. Increased number of trained PLWHAs counselors with counseling skills.

Evaluation:
There will be daily evaluation will be done by both the Faith Based & NGOs and SIMA CBO. There will also be a follow-up of the trained participants after a ix months period.

COUNSELLING TRAINING
ELECTION FORM:

Name of the organization
…………………………………………………………………………….

Services provided by the organization 1……………………………………………………

2……………………………………………………..

3……………………………………………………..

4……………………………………………………………..

Who are the beneficiaries of the services mentioned above?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What is your geographical area of coverage?……………………………………………………………

Do you have employees who are PLWHAs? ……………………………………………………………

Are you in direct contact with PLWHA? If yes, please explain how?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nominate a trainee (Must be a PLWHA)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Give a brief background of the selected person in terms of his/her training and experience………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Please explain how the person named above will be of use to the community/church/organization he represents after the training ……………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Please mention any special needs / considerations of the trainee……………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The selected person should have a good working knowledge of English language.

I hereby acknowledge that the person selected is a PLWHA and the organization is committed to utilizing the skills he will acquire from the training for the benefit of the organization/ community.

Do you have any special needs as a PLWHAs?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Signature organization officer Date

Signature Participant Date.

Send this form via Email or mail below address;
Johnstone Sikulu Wanjala, Programme Coordinator
Sima Community Based organization PO BOX 1691,
Kitale 30200, Kenya.
Tel: +254 721 862 923
+254 733 453 339
Email: [email protected] or [email protected].

From 15 Oct 2006
Until 27 Oct 2006
Kitale, Kenya
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