The Integrated Support Programme
Padare / Enkundleni/Men’s forum on gender (PADARE) is in partnership with UNFPA in the implementation of one of the major interventions called the Integrated Support Programme (ISP).The programme has four pillars HIV/AIDS, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, Gender Based Violence and Research and Evaluation. The above interventions will be implemented in Chikomba, Mutare, Nyanga, Hurungwe, Kariba and Shurugwi districts. As part of its interventions, the organisation is holding community dialogues with people of different age groups in these respective areas, both male and female. In addition, there are trainings of male advocates, dialogues with young people and the establishment of men’s forums in the said areas.
The ISP seeks to support the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development to provide integrated services in sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention and gender based violence prevention and responses. Padare’s contribution in the programme is towards the reduction of gender based violence and the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.
At the introduction of the programme, the then Health Minister of Health, DR Madzore said the ISP was important because it is imperative to address sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, cervical cancer and gender based violence together to ensure that women get the maximum benefit from the health system.
Padare’s focus in the programme is on expanding demand for family planning, gender based violence and HIV services through community based social and behaviour change promotion and also through the strengthening of the public sector service delivery. To achieve that the organisation is focusing on the improvement of women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health by strengthening health and community systems to provide essential family planning, HIV and GBV services as well as demand generation for these services at community level.
One of the key objectives in this programme is to build communities that share knowledge for action through working with both genders in reducing GBV and advancing women’s access to reproductive health rights and advancing gender equality.
Investing in Young People is Investing in the Future: Scaling up access to Sexual Reproductive Health Services for adolescents and Young people.
Padare and other partners with support from European Commission is implementing a national project aimed at using social behaviour change communication strategies to advocate and lobby policy makers, service providers, networks of young people and civil society organizations to ensure that Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) are on the social and political agenda. Specifically, Padare is implementing the project in the Midlands province. A supportive socio-cultural environment for addressing SRHR issues for young people and adolescents is critical for enabling young people to demand and achieve their SRH rights. In this action, Padare is making use of media and other innovative communication strategies to create awareness of SRHR and to mobilize the wider community to advocate for SRHR policies
Young people and adolescents (aged 10-24 years) are the ultimate beneficiaries, as well as key stakeholders of this action. Padare is using information as a tool to create increased awareness of SRHR among young people, their parents, guardians and service providers, and in so doing aim to reduce social and cultural stigma associated with young people and their sexuality and increase awareness of the value for protecting rights. In this action, Padare is working through youth coalitions and networks of young people within tertiary institutions, high schools, churches and communities to develop and disseminate high quality information on SRH rights and services.
Currently, the organisation is carrying out its activities in 4 wards out of 163 wards in the Midlands province. The Young for Real project which is running under the title, “Investing in Young People is Investing in the Future: Scaling up access to Sexual Reproductive Health Services for adolescents and Young people” seeks to respond to SRH challenges being faced by young people from the ages of 10 -24 years in Zimbabwe.
The project aims to achieve two specific objectives:
- Create a supportive environment for addressing SRHR issues for young people and adolescents and
- Sensitise adolescents, their parents, carers, guardians and other key stakeholders on SRHR issues. This project is being implemented with a coalition of partners in different provinces of the country and is being financially supported by European Union through SAfAIDS. Padare is working in the Midlands.
The above objectives are met using a number of interventions that include:
- Training of Young People’s Sexual Reproductive Health Information and Services Advocacy (YPISA) officers.
- Dialogues with policy makers on SRHR of young people and also dialogues among young people, policy makers and service providers on SRHR issues.
- Advocacy Events
- Drama performances
- Video Screening
Male Involvement and Mobilisation in HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support
Padare with support from the UNAIDS is targeting young girls, policy makers, community leaders, teachers, parents, service providers and networks of young people in four districts of the country; Bindura, Zvishavane, Epworth and Gweru with the aim of creating spaces for dialogues around PMTCT.
The organisation’s objective in this programme is to sensitise communities on the importance of Male Involvement and Mobilisation in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).Interventions being used in the programme include print and electronic media campaigns and billboard campaigns aimed at sensitizing communities on the importance of male involvement in PMTCT.
Addressing Challenges in accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
Padare with the support of AGS is implementing interventions focused on addressing issues of early pregnancies amongst young people, STI infections and treatment and promoting demand for SRH services from young people between the ages of 10 and 24 years activities in Matabeleland Provinces. The Africa Group of Sweden supported project is being implemented in two areas, in a peri-urban community and a rural community .The rationale to have two different areas of operations rests on the basis of wanting to have comparative analysis between a peri-urban community and rural community in terms of impact of our interventions. This project’s objective is to address challenges that young people face when accessing reproductive health services.
Under the same programme, the organisation will also engage communities, especially men, in dialogues on ways of promoting male involvement in PMTCT initiatives. The effect results of these interventions is an increase in the number of men accompanying their partners to ANC visit, couple counselling sessions and couple initiated HIV testing.
