Capitalising on community expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean
28 July 2006
Recognising the potential of community expertise to increase the quality, scale and effectiveness of HIV programming, the Alliance and regional community networks in Latin America and the Caribbean have trained a new pool of consultants to capitalise on the skills and experience held at a community level.
In the first phase of the project in 2005, 29 long-standing community activists were trained to work as international consultants. And in the second phase, the newly-trained consultants will be carrying out their first consultancy work.
The 29 participants were chosen for their experience working with people living with HIV/AIDS, sex workers, or gay men and men who have sex with men. Their expertise includes implementing community mobilisation initiatives, local and national level advocacy, and organisational strengthening.
Latin American and Spanish-speaking Caribbean groups who work directly with vulnerable communities on HIV/AIDS are being approached as potential beneficiaries of the consultancy work, with the aim of promoting and strengthening horizontal cooperation and sharing of local knowledge and expertise.
Latin American organisations have already started benefiting from the consultants’ expertise, acknowledging the significant contribution provided by the consultants:
“The consultant’s support allowed many of our project beneficiaries to increase their knowledge and awareness of the unjust and discriminatory conditions which sex workers are exposed to. The consultant made new contacts with sex workers and facilitated the active participation of two new leaders in the project.”
(Colectivo Sol, Mexico)
“The main benefit for our organisation, which fights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights was sharing Chilean and Argentinean activists’ experiences at Ecuador’s first transgender conference. Additionally, Ecuador’s Transgender Network received training from the consultants in how to increase the visibility of transgender issues in local and national decision-making spaces.”
(Alfil Organisation, Ecuador)
“As a beneficiary organisation, the project has supported us to make long and short term strategic plans, as well as renewing and improving our administrative procedures in order to be consistent on a daily basis. We believe it is crucial that the consultancy is undertaken by a member of a key population, who brings a greater awareness of the reality of issues on the ground and offers a unique perspective to the work of NGOs.”
(Organización Mujeres y Hombres Nuevos de Panamá)
Consultancy fees and living and travel expenses are covered by the Alliance, while the beneficiary organisation is asked to meet local expenses and internal transport costs. Priority is being given to groups who work with people living with HIV/AIDS, sex workers, transgenders and gay and other men who have sex with men. The project, funded by the UK’s Department for International Development, is currently hosted by REDTRASEX (the Latin America and Caribbean Sex Worker Network).
For more information about the project, or if you would like to apply for subsidised support from one of the newly trained consultants, please contact the secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales RedTraSex poolconsultores@asistencia.org. You can visit their website at www.redtrasex.org.ar
