Mark Lorey, head of World Vision's Models
of Learning, presented the findings of a survey on the organisation's integration
of food security and HIV/AIDS interventions, at a fortnightly stakeholders
meeting, facilitated by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Support
Office (RIACSO).
"SAFER invited Lorey to present
the survey findings to RIACSO," says Rein Paulsen, SAFER manager."The response to humanitarian needs in Southern Africa requires innovation
in the face of extremely concerning realities. SAFER actively engages with
donors, the UN, other NGOs and SADC as an integral part of its response.
This presentation represents the type of networking which SAFER is promoting."
The rapid survey is intended to document WV's experience and key learnings to date in programming that integrates food security and HIV/AIDS.
Amongst others, Lorey discussed WV's two-stream approach to developing integrated HIV/AIDS programming, which includes developing HIV/AIDS specific programming, and modifying existing programming to address HIV/AIDS. Options for integrating food security programming and HIV/AIDS includes prevention, care and advocacy.
"The key findings of the survey concluded that all respondents agreed that in high prevalence contexts, intentional integration of HIV/AIDS response and food security programming is essential and mutually reinforcing," Lorey explains. "In addition, whenever possible, food aid provision should be complemented by more developmental approaches to building food security ? recognizing that HIV/AIDS is a large-scale, long-term crisis."
SAFER is following-up on the presentation through distribution of the WV HIV/AIDS ADP Toolkits to interested parties. WV continues to actively participate in key debates around needs in Southern Africa.
"It is clear that most agencies are struggling with the questions of integrating relief and development, mainstreaming HIV/AIDS response, and maintaining a focus on humanitarian needs in Southern Africa - as is WV. The presentation resonated with other agencies at the meeting - indicating that there are some common experiences around the integration question," Paulsen concludes.