DFID funded HIV/Aids ‘Scorecard’ project review meeting underway in Mangochi
A group of over 30 people from different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) have started a three day Scorecard ( Kalondolondo Project) review workshop at Sun and Sand Holiday Resort in the shores of Lake Malawi in Mangochi.
The Review meeting has been organized by Plan Malawi, Action Aid and the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi ( CONGOMA) with funding from Department for International Development (DFID).
Speaking to Nyasa Times during the first day of the meeting, the facilitator Jephter Mwanza from Plan Malawi said that the main aim of the meeting was to review the Kalondolondo programme for the past 2-3 months.
“We have been doing an assessment of the delivery of services like HIV testing and ARV’s services. We deployed eight organizations in eight districts to look at how people with HIV are being cared by service providers,” said Mwanza.
Some of the districts where these organizations were sent are Nkhata bay, Mzimba and Karonga in the northern region while from the central region the following districts were covered Kasungu, Lilongwe with Mulanje, Chiradzulu and Machinga in the Southern region.
He, however added that in their next round of assessment they have added other districts like Ntchisi, Mchinji, Dedza, Chiradzulu, Mwanza.
Mwanza also advised their partners who have been selected in the next round assessment to make sure that they should utilize the funds for the targeted purpose.
“I am urging each and every organization to use the money which you will be given for the intended purpose failing which we will not consider you in other phases,” said Mwanza.
According to Mwanza, the project is worthy 2.5 million pounds from DFID.
Some of the organizations which are expected to be involved are AYISE, Livingstonia Synod, CAVWOC, Malawi Career, CISER just to mention a few.
During the review meeting it was observed that there are many
challenges people face when it comes to accessing services from providers is concerned.
For instance, it was revealed in the meeting that many youths are missing in ART due to poor youth friendly services.
One of the participants from Kasungu district observed that many youths do not go for HIV test because they alluded to the fact that many health centers were not friendly for them.
“They even stressed that there was a need for most health centre’s to have youth friendly centre’s to handle issues on HIV and AIDS.
Other notable issues which were highlighted during the review meeting were lack of skilled personnel’s to handle issues on HIV and AIDS, long distance to places where ARV’s can be accessed.
