The overall vision of this project is to engage refugees and asylum seekers in different settings in efforts to prevent and respond to HIV and AIDS and gender-based violence (GBV) in Gauteng and the Western Cape, as well as to support asylum seekers and refugees in securing their rights and accessing essential social services.
Sonke’s Refugee Health and Rights Project (RHR) has six objectives:
- Raising awareness and knowledge with regard to RHR.
- Create awareness and motivate men and women to access HIV Counselling and Treatment (HCT) services through information, education and communication (IEC) talks in the targeted areas.
- Distribution of male and female condoms.
- Peer education and Community Action Teams (CAT) training.
- Increase focus on men in HCT campaigns and outreach in the targeted areas.
- Conduct training and technical support to partner organisations to involve men in activities, leading to the reduction of HIV and AIDS and violence against women and children, through support groups and male and female condom distribution.
These objectives are achieved through:
- Addressing gender issues that lead to the spread of HIV and impact of AIDS within communities, through workshops with groups of refugees and discussions on issues pertaining to refugee rights.
- Conducting workshops and activities in schools.
- Sharing HIV prevention messages at the Department of Home Affairs premises in different languages.
Our work is supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Foundation for Human Rights, United States Government, Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
