Work with refugees and migrants is one of Sonke's priorities. Sonke's work with refugees and migrants focuses on addressing the specific gender and HIV vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants, on challenging xenophobia and the frequent violations of rights faced by refugees and migrants and on advocating for access to vital health and social services.
Currently Sonke implements the Refugee Health and Rights Programme in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Paarl in South Africa and, in conjunction with UNHCR, has worked across the SADC region and in East and Central Africa to provide training on the implementation of the One Man Can Campaign to UNHCR staff, UNHCR implementing partner NGOs and to refugees in Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Namibia and Mozambique. Sonke also works closely with the International Organization for Migration to integrate a focus on gender and masculinities into the Partnership on HIV and Mobility in Southern Africa (2000PHAMSA) in Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. Partners on the PHAMSA project include:
- Hoedspruit Training Trust, targeting permanent and seasonal farm workers around Hoedspruit, Limpopo, RSA
- Royal Swazi Sugar Cooperation (2000RSSC), targeting RSSCs seasonal and contract workers working on their sugar estates of Mhlume and Simunye
- Walvis Bay Multi Purpose Centre and the Mission to Seafarers based in Walvis Bay, Namibia, targeting local and foreign sea-going personnel
- Anglo Platinum, targeting mine receiving areas around two mines inNorth West, RSA
Other pilot projects will be established in:
- Zambia – commercial agriculture and mining
- Malawi – commercial agriculture
In addition The North Star Foundation, which targets the trucking industry, is a technical partner.
