Pact and USAID announce HIV/AIDS grant winners

New request for applications issued

Today Pact and USAID announced the award of a total of $2 million in U.S. Agency for International Development grants for care and support of people living with HIV and AIDS, provided through linkages with community-based organizations. These grants are the first from Pact's Community REACH program.

"USAID created Community REACH to get resources where they are urgently needed—into local organizations and communities that are playing valuable roles in the struggle against HIV/AIDS," said Dr. Paul De Lay, Acting Director for USAID's Office of HIV/AIDS.

In addition to announcing new grantees, Community REACH also announced a new request for applications. The next awards will be given for programs that organize community-focused youth voluntary counseling and testing and referral for HIV, and applications are due August 9.

The "community REACH (rapid and effective action combating HIV/AIDS)" program is designed to promote scaling up of successful community-based programs and creative program designs that have a demonstrable impact on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Recipients were selected from among 110 applicants working in 22 countries. The grantees are all organizations that have the potential to reach thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS and children affected by AIDS through links with communities. The eight Community REACH grantees are:

Care (Rwanda). Funding will support a three-year project to scale-up activities to strengthen the ability of local non-governmental organizations to provide community support and referrals for services for orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS, focusing particularly on referrals for opportunistic infections and palliative care. CARE anticipates reaching approximately 70,000 project participants in Gitarama province.

Hiwot HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support Organization (Ethiopia). This three-year project will implement critically needed home-based care for people living with HIV and AIDS and their families, while enhancing the ability of the community and health care providers to provide care and support in the South East District, Addis Ababa.

International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering (Kenya). ICROSS will replicate its successful home-based care model from Western Kenya during a two-year project extending services and strengthening networks for people living with HIV and AIDS and their families to Nakuru District.

Project Concern International (Zambia). Project Concern International and its partners will scale-up community- and home-based care and support services for people living with HIV and AIDS and orphans and other vulnerable children living in peri-urban areas of Lusaka. They will also develop a standardized national training program for home-based care.

Project HOPE (Honduras). Funding will support establishing a model clinic and home-based care program in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, for provision of comprehensive care to people living with HIV and AIDS. Funds will also enable increased access to comprehensive home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and provide community education and advocacy to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS and to reduce the stigma associated with it.

The Salvation Army (Malawi and World Service Office). Funding will support establishment of a community action team to identify community needs in relation to HIV/AIDS in one township in Malawi. In addition, it will allow for the provision of basic care and support through volunteers to 50 percent of the families and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS; identification and promotion of key behaviors to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission; education of 50 percent of the target population about voluntary counseling and testing; and provision of linkages and referrals for those testing HIV positive.

Siberia AIDS AID Tomsk Regional Charity Fund (Russia). Funding will provide a variety of support services for people living with HIV and AIDS, including the development of psychosocial and legal groups. The project will also support the development of a network of AIDS service organizations in Siberia.

Society for Service to Urban Poverty (India). Funding will support care and support services for people living with HIV and AIDS in New Delhi by increasing utilization of health care services by targeted populations. The project will also increase the employment of the target population by 60 percent over two years.

The Community REACH leader with associate award is a centrally funded global USAID program designed to facilitate the efficient flow of grant funds to organizations working in HIV/AIDS. As prime Pact is leading this dynamic funding mechanism with Futures Group providing expertise in the area of monitoring and evaluation.

Legally established non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, including universities and faith-based organizations, may apply for grants if working on a local, regional or worldwide basis in USAID-presence countries. For more information contact: reachgrants@pacthq.org or consult the website at www.pactworld.org/reach.

USAID is the world's leader in providing funding to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Since 1986, it has provided more than $2.3 billion for prevention, care and treatment programs in over 50 countries around the world. More information about USAID's HIV/AIDS programs is the www.usaid.gov.