In the first position, I would like to clarify the way FHS started. Before FHS, there was a project called the FORGE AIDS Awareness Project (FAAP). We were five in the group working on that project, one lady (myself), and four men. Our main target was to go around the community and to teach about HIV/AIDS and inform them of the importance of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). In 2008 the FAAP staff and project manager decided to expand the project into FORGE Health Service (FHS). Our main duties in the new project were to go around in the community and identify patients who need referrals to clinics, and to get their temperature, blood pressure, height, weight, and heart rate checked. We also distributed basic medicine.
At first we found it difficult to collaborate with the clinics, we would refer patients to the clinic and they respond negatively toward our patients. Our clients would come back to FHS with their referral forms without having been attended to. Some roads even asked FHS to stop coming because of the confusion between FHS and the clinics. Then FHS had a new project manager and we made the decision to go back to clinics to introduce ourselves and see how we could work together. Since that time our work has become easy and wherever we go people do receive us well.
During March, we thought FHS can’t be just in Block C. The PM and FHS staffs in C managed to open a new health post in Block G where the population is high. Then in April our PM told us to stop giving medicine, which should be done by clinics. Up to now, our work is based on workshops and sensitizations which are going in Block B, but will expand to other blocks also. We are targeting pregnant women at the clinics for sensitizations and community leaders for workshops to create community health committees. We are really very happy with this program and we are thinking to expand it into other parts of the settlement. We hope the motivation we had from our PM since April should continue so that we can keep achieving our goals. Thank our PM for her motivation. Wishing you good luck.
Thank you.
