After several successful years operating strictly as a charitable organisation, we re-orientated ourselves in 2008 towards participatory empowerment – closing the loop of our entire operations by raising our own capital and establishing relationships on a mutual basis in order to address communal issues related to HIV and Aids.

Over the past year we have targeted our efforts in South Africa. Following a fruitful and highly formative networking and assessment expedition in 2008, where we met and studied the work of several local CBOs, we set up a partnership with the Mpumalanga Aids and TB Association (MATA).

Our work with MATA is essentially twofold. Often referred to as Technical Assistance, we provide support to MATA's short-term strategic goals and daily operations. This can mean anything from helping to plan and draft funding proposals, to the production of reports and materials. Secondly, based on a mutually agreed understanding of MATA's organisational needs, we have designed a collaborative project – funded by The Comrads – as part of a long-term programme of targeted assistance.

P R O J E C T S

*Assessment and Networking*

In 2008, a 4-man team led by Ryan Jepson and Alfons Schmid visited a number of NGOs working towards HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and eradication in the northern regions of the South Africa. Our goal was to observe their activities, get a clearer idea of what resources they have and/or lack, to assess their core 'business', and to get a sense of the communities they are assisting. We want to find effective ways for a small NGO like The Comrads to take part in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa. To identify and assess worthwhile HIV/AIDS related projects, we created a report for each organisation we visited. The purpose of  which was to inform other The Comrads' members of the current state of the potential donor recipients, as well as the potential for future donations.

MATA's AGM (2008)	Pfukani Home Based Care Centre	Popomeni Home Based Care Centre

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After consultations with the board it was decided to partner with one organisation, MATA.

In 2009, our cooperation with MATA grew steadily, culminating in Jeroen Masson's 3 week visit during the Summer to provide consultation services with the main aim being to develop the framework for our first major cooperation project. This was a great success and both The Comrads and MATA learnt a considerable amount during the process. After identifying three potential projects, an Assistant to the Provincial Manager was selected as the choosen project.

*Capacity Building*

The Comrads are funding an Assistant to the Provincial Manager, Mr. Msanyana Skhosana, for a period of 12 Months. The new Assistant, Miss Alison Manuell will be pivotal in increasing MATA's capacity to provide sustainable high quality training and support services to over 70 home-based care centres (HBC) and 1600 DOTS volunteers (Directly Observed Treatment Support). These in turn serve towns and communities across the width and breadth of the Mpumalanga Province – which has one of the highest prevalences of HIV in South Africa at 32%.

Follow Alison's work here »