Summary of project status and achievements:
On November 7 Jacqui and Annita participated in the campwide VCT outreach put on by Grassroots Soccer and UNHCR. Jacqui helped in monitoring while Annita worked with community children playing games that taught about HIV/AIDS.
In November we recruited a new intake for a sewing and knitting course that began on November 23rd. Thirty women signed up for the outreach and have begun the program. We also have begun recruiting for new saving circles and have several people signed up but have not received enough participants as of yet to begin a new circle. We will continue working to build the group. While we have tried to organize a church group to run a saving circle without a cash box we were unable to begin one with the community we chose. The church already runs similar programs for their women and thus were unable to work with us. We will continue working to identify church communities to work with on this initiative.
As well, the staff of the Women’s Centre participated in a one-day orientation from UNHCR on November 24th to begin the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. The sixteen day campaign will run from November 25-December 10 and will include World AIDS Day on December 1, World Disability Day on December 3, and World Human Rights Day on December 10. Each of these days will include special programming by UNHCR. During these sixteen days the Women’s Centre staff will be working with the saving circles and the outreach group to encourage them to teach five people each about SGBV and to bring the names of the people they teach in their community. They will also be working with MCDSS workers to put on dramas, poetry, and cultural dances.
Future activities and projections:
The women will continue to run saving circles and recruit for new saving circles. As well in December the women will run the outreach in Block D and work with the participants during the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
Indicators and statistics:
Please see M&E spreadsheet.
Substantial problems or issues:
None.
Wishes or requests:
None at this time.
Budget:
Please see expense monitor.
