Award Criteria
How are award-winners assessed?
 

Innovativeness

The extent to which creative and new procedures have been developed to address poverty-related issues.

Effectiveness

The extent to which the Project has achieved or is on the way to achieving its stated objectves and other socially desirable outcomes.

Poverty Impact

The demonstrable effect of the Project in improving the quality of life of poor communities and individuals.

Sustainability

The viability and sound functioning of the Project within constraints that include funding and staffing.

Replicability

The value of the Project in teaching others new ideas and good practises for poverty-reduction programmes.

 
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Absolute Return for Kids: Community Access & Adherence

Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) has been supporting a Community Access and Adherence Programme in the Western Cape since February 2004. This is an extension of their clinical Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) programme that revealed the need for a web of supportive strategies for HIV positive persons at both the clinic and community level.

The National Department of Health (DOH) Comprehensive ART Operational Plan specifically identified the importance of ‘Patient Advocates’ (PAs) in the retention and follow-up of patients. PAs are community members that form a link between community and local health care facilities. They support patients in their homes with psychosocial care that will prevent non-adherence to treatment. ARK has partnered with various NGOs in the province that includes; TB Care Association, Etafeni, YMCA Cape Flats, Positive Muslims, Stellenbosch and Helderberg Hospice, MaAfrika Tikkun, Caring Network and Lofdal. Together they work in many impoverished areas like Hout Bay, Crossroads, Mitchells Plain, Phillippi, Wellington, Paarl, Du Noon, Albouw Gardens, Browns Farm, Samorah Machel, Delft, Mfuleni, Ikwezi, Strand, Gustrouw, Mbekweni, Woodstock, Kraaifontein, Wallacdene and Blomkombos. ARK trains PAs from these communities in adherence and general psychosocial counseling and funds their stipends and other management fees.

Innovation

Using PAs is a good way to utilize unskilled community workers and develop their capacity to become an integral part of the local health system. The PAs are paid a stipend that is in line with DOH workers that are doing the same job. This makes it easier for these community workers to be absorbed by the DOH, which is an objective of ARK’s.  

Effectiveness

The ARK has covered 13 treatment sites , partnering with 12 NGOs. There are currently 5220 clients that are supported by the ARK’s Community Access and Adherence Programme.

Poverty Impact

The project employs 65 PAs and 52 home-based carers. These workers reach over 5000 patients, helping them to adhere to their ART and medical treatments.

Sustainability

Fully funded by ARK-UK, the project runs at a total cost of R30 115.91 for October 06-September 2007 and their funding is secured for the next three years.

Replication

The ARK Community Access and Adherence Programme can easily be replicated by other agencies that work with home-based carers specifically. ARK has developed the project alongside their other clinical programmes in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Partnerships
•    Various Provincial NGOs
•    Absolute Return for Kids

 

Visit www.arkonline.org for more information

 


 
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