PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR THE

PROVISION OF USEDVECHILE SUPPORT

PREPARED BY

ASSOCIATION OF HOPE FOR LIFE TIGRAY

WOMEN’S LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

FEB. 2010G.C
MEKELLE TIGRAY
MEKELLE
 Ref: __________________
Date: _________________

TO: __________________
Mekelle Tigray
Mekelle

Subject: Request for the Provision of used Vehicle

Association of Hope for life Tigray women’s Living with HIV/AIDS is established in our Region, as a step
forward to addressing the epidemic, in general, and in fighting for the rights of womens livening with
hiv/aids in Tigray, in particular.

This is, therefore, to request your organization, for a support of the provision of used vehicle to the newly
established Network in Different Weredas, as an expression of your partnership and encouragement to
our future development efforts.

We hereby attached you a copy of project proposal.

With regards,
I. Background

The first cases of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia were reported in early 1980’s. However, due to lack of
understanding of the threat the disease posed, lack of resources and commitment on the part of
responsible government bodies during the 1980’s and the 1990’s, Ethiopia has now climbed to the top of
the chart with the third largest HIV-positive population in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the 5th Report of AIDS in Ethiopia (MoH 2004), the cumulative number of PLWHA is about
1.5 million, with 95,000 under 15 years of age. The 2003 national prevalence in the urban and rural
population are 12.6% and 2.6% respectively. Since 2004, there are an estimated 105,453 and 27,226
new AIDS cases in the adult and children population respectively. Some 90,000 adults and 25, 000
children have died of AIDS in the same year.

Developmental partnership is increasingly acknowledged towards poverty eradication through a growing

vigor and leverage, which otherwise is impossible as an individual organization/institution. Cognizant of
this fact, Association of Ethiopians Living With HIV/AIDs (AELWHA), it self is an umbrella for about 18
National Association, took the initiative for the emergence of a networking groups, under its legal,
institutional and organizational set up. Some of these started functioning as a working groups under
various health and development especially HIV/AIDs agenda since early 1990’s. The AELWHA Network
was, transformed; with better autonomy and institutional set-up to enable them contribute extensively
and substantially for the development of the HIV/AIDS prevention sector in Ethiopia. The National PLHA
Network is established to add value to fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Network is initiated in October 2003 and officially registered in October 2004 opened in July 2005,
where membership is not limited, rather all interested PLHA association will be recognized up on request
in the future which is working exclusively on HIV/AIDS Program. This Network is anticipated to
meaningfully contribute to the national effort, in combating HIV/AIDS, by drawing collective issues of
concern, where such an action is required. It is currently run by Board members, consisting of 7
members, supported by 7 employed staffs (1 Project Coordinator, 1 Public Relation & Members affairs
Officer, 1Finance, Administration Head, 1 Secretary Cashier & 3 Support Staffs) .

As Capacity building is one of the key focus areas of the Network, we are planning to assess capacity of
member associations in implementing HIV/AIDS programs, in order to capitalize on the existing strengths
as well as identify and fill gaps in their endeavor to address the epidemic.

The Network of PLHA, known as Association of Ethiopians Living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia is
established & officially registered on October 2005 by Ministry of Justice with a registration number of
1805 and opened its office on July 2005.
The formation of association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in Ethiopia was one of the corner
stones in the fight against the epidemic that needed the sacrifice of courageous citizens, who dared to
face the challenges of the stiff stigma and discrimination, prevalent particularly in the 1990s, and
determined to break the silence. Such formation of the associations, along with the establishment of the
National AIDS Council (NAC), the proclamation of the AIDS Policy, which is followed by the official
launch of HAPCO as a secretariat of NAC, have further strengthened the efforts of the nation to fight
against the dreadful challenge to its development.
Currently, there are a number of HIV/AIDS programs running in the country by different actors
addressing, at least, either of prevention, care, support, treatment, human rights or impact mitigation
aspects of the epidemic. Associations of PLHA are contributing to all of the intervention areas, with a
particular emphasis to ensuring respect for the rights of its members, as a primary legitimate body to do
so.

Thus, the formation of the Network of associations of PLHA in Ethiopia (AELWHA) can be considered as
an up-ward shift in the gear towards the pace of addressing our big challenge, with a high potential of
joining and contributing to the movement of GNP+ (the global network of PLHA) and strengthening a
greater and meaningful involvement of PLHA (G/MIPA) in all the national response.

About eighteen PLHA associations, in collaboration with other dedicated agencies and individuals,
mobilized resources from UN agencies (UNFPA and UNAIDS), Action Aid Ethiopia and CAFS for the
preparatory phase of the establishment of the Network. Accordingly, several training programs were
conducted and consultative meetings among all partners and stakeholders were undertaken.

This proposal is prepared, therefore, as an initial step of the National Network to work towards its goal of
contributing to the national and the global efforts against the challenges waged by HIV/AIDS, by raising
one of the pertinent and timely advocacy issues that need to be flagged in the country, i.e. the issue of
anti-retroviral therapy (ART) services, care & support programs, and many other related issues in which
transportation is the most important and crucial factors in implementing any development activity.

II. Rationale

The recognition of advocacy as an intervention tool to address broader development issues as well as
some global concerns like HIV/AIDS seems to be a very recent phenomena, particularly in the context of
countries like Ethiopia, where challenging higher level decision making bodies can easily be politicized
and can even result into unintended repercussions. Yet, the importance of influencing decisions to the
interests of the society and fighting for the human rights of people, particularly living with HIV, makes
advocacy a necessity instrument, despite the possible sacrifices that it may cost.

The essence of the formation of the NETWORK of Associations of PLHA in Ethiopia (AELWHA) is to
make a ‘big-noise’ to influence decisions at different levels, including the international pharmaceuticals,
donor countries, local and national governments, program implementers, the community, the media, etc
where necessary, as it is the most appropriate and legitimate body to voice concerns and the interests of
PLHA in the country.

On top of this,” Policy Advocacy work on identified major priority areas (human rights and ARV Drugs,
revisiting of the HIV/AIDS National policy, etc)” is one of the pertinent issues identified during the
development process of the draft Strategic Plan document of the Network.

The number of people who are in need of the treatments vis-à-vis the actual access, along with other
implementation problems, raises a concern over exploring the reasons for such a limited access and
calls for working towards the possible solutions to expand the services to those who really need it.

Therefore, it is imperative and timely for the National Network to conduct an assessment in implementing
a program related to HIV/AIDS. The Network shall work on bridging the identified gaps through its
capacity building programs, there by promoting advocacy as one of the intervention tools in addressing
the epidemic. Our Network has shortage of transport, therefore the Network of PLHAs will request your
good office to provide us used Vehicle & Motor Bicycle so that to help our very important development
program in fighting against HIV/AIDS.