March 9, 2009

IOM and USAID Announce HIV Prevention and Care for Farm Workers

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Regional Office for Southern Africa and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a new program March 9 to reduce HIV vulnerability of farm workers in South Africa’s Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces.
The IOM/USAID Ripfumelo project is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to address high levels of unsafe sexual behaviour among farm workers as revealed by IOM’s recent in-depth study.  The study’s main findings include extremely low condom use in casual sex and high levels of multiple, concurrent sexual partners.  This report guided the development of an HIV prevention outreach to the high risk farm workers population.
The IOM/USAID Ripfumelo project, which means “believe” in xiTsonga, targets 20,000 seasonal, temporary and permanent farm workers in South Africa, including documented and undocumented migrant workers.  The three-year project involves USAID-PEPFAR funding of more than South African Rand 50 million ($5.1 million*) to increase the technical capacity of its implementing partners: Agri-IQ, CHOiCE and the Hoedspruit Training Trust, to provide sustainable HIV prevention and care services to farm workers.

Julia Hill-Mlati, IOM PHAMSA’s regional project manager, reports, “HIV prevention efforts often focus purely on medical issues and fail to consider interrelated factors that affect people’s vulnerability to the AIDS virus.  This reason prompts our USAID Ripfumelo project to address the contextual issues such as workplace policies, improving life skills, financial literacy and promoting healthy recreational activities.”

“One prevention program doesn’t fit all people’s needs.  Farm workers face higher risks of getting and spreading HIV than many other groups.  Our prevention efforts tackle their vulnerabilities, including alcohol abuse, that arise from many factors related to poverty and the transitional lifestyle of migrant workers,” adds USAID’s Southern Africa Director, Dr. Carleene Dei.

The project will develop a network of stakeholders working specifically on HIV-related issues to reduce the high incidence and impact of AIDS on farm workers, their families and their communities.  Partnerships are encouraged among local, provincial, and national government agencies, as well as between public/private entities.

For more information, contact Dabea Gaboutloeloe on dgaboutloeloe@iom.int   

ENDS

Additional Notes:
IOM/USAID Ripfumelo Intervention Activities include:

• Tackling discriminatory gender dynamics and prejudices through the training of male role models as gender advocates
• Promoting peer led education and referrals to relevant services and support
• Facilitating access to health services, including prevention, counselling and testing, home- based care and treatment
• Integrating locally tailored Social and Behavioural Change Communication programs that are developed and disseminated by local Change Agents
• Developing and implementing interventions that address some of the contextual factors that impact on HIV vulnerability, such as improving life skills, financial literacy and promoting recreational activities
• Creating a conducive environment by strengthening workplace policies and programs.

The Ripfumelo project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 
The American people, through USAID, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

*U.S.$1=about South African Rand 10