ANGLOPHONE CRG PLATFORM SOUTHERN FOCAL POINT ORGANIZATION

The Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service Organizations (EANNASO) has the mandate to support and strengthen civil society and community groups to effectively engage in the development and implementation and oversight of Global Fund supported programs. EANNASO is a host of Africa Regional Platform for Communication and Coordination on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The purpose of the platform is to promote meaningful participation of people who are affected by HIV, TB and Malaria in Anglophone Africa in Global Fund processes by ensuring that grants reflect their needs. The Anglophone Africa Regional platform covers the Southern, Eastern and Western regions of the continent. EANNASO appointed the Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organizations (MANASO) as the Focal Point Organization to cover Southern Anglophone Region.

OBJECTIVES OF MANASO AS THE FOCAL POINT ORGANIZATION

  1. Further the meaningful engagement of civil society and community groups through regular bi-directional communication and provision of accurate and accessible information to enhance the knowledge and participation of these actors in Global Fund-related processes
  2. Improve the overall impact of Global Fund programs and interventions, and disease responses more globally through strengthened engagement of civil society and communities affected by HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria
  3. Expand access to Technical Assistance (TA) for civil society and community groups through greater coordination with the CRG Strategic Initiative short-term TA component, as well as key national, regional and global technical assistance partners
  4. Support strategic civil society and community capacity development initiatives through fostering spaces for engagement and collective participation in key decision-making processes, in particular as they relate to community, rights and gender
  5. Support consultants in carrying out specific assignments related to the Anglophone Africa Platform
  6. To play a facilitative role in implementation of the platform activities

MANASO was added as an administrator of EANNASO Facebook page and entrusted with the responsibility of gathering and sharing Global Fund vital information to various CSOs networks and stakeholders.

MANASO conducted a mapping exercise and established a database for its CSOs in the Southern Anglophone Region. MANASO in collaboration with EANNASO worked and developed a mapping tool, which was shared to CSOs in the Southern Anglophone countries for data collection.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

  1. Development and dissemination (through social media and bi-monthly newsletter) of information packages and capacity development tools
  2. Mapping of CSOs working in HIV, TB and Malaria in the Southern Anglophone region
  3. Gather information on planned activities, events or in country processes related to Global Fund fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) application, national reviews and national strategic planning
  4. Gather capacity development tools being utilised from the region that can be repackaged and disseminated
  5. Participate in the Technical support Provider quarterly teleconferences where technical support needs and issues can be shared
  6. Support in creating demand and filling in GFATMCRG Technical Assistance
  7. Linking civil society and community groups to Technical support providers
  8. Development and documentation of successful case studies of TA

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

  1. MANASO was part of the editorial Board responsible for the development of Anglophone Africa Newsletters
  2. MANASO has mapped out a total of 52 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community groups (CG) and Technical Assistance (TA) providers working on HIV, TB and Malaria in the Southern Anglophone Region countries encompassing, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa
  3. Supported in updating the CRG website 
  4. Worked with Malawi national CSO networks to compile and update the mailing list of civil society organizations and communities working on HIV, TB and Malaria both at sub-regional and regional levels
  5. Civil Society coordination and engagement:- MANASO organized meetings with Civil Society Representatives where CSOs have been capacitated on the architecture of Global Fund(GF) and the role of CSOs
  6. Development of national Global Fund-related country processes calendar of events and identification of opportunities for engagement like national dialogues and GF country team engagement with CSOs
  7. MANASO has been facilitating engagement meetings between CSO constituencies and GF country team
  8. MANASO through EANNASO was also tasked to create demand for CRG TA, this was done through sharing of various CRG TA information through email and social media platforms
  9. Identification and provision of Technical Support needs by civil society and community groups
  10. Participated in the Technical support Provider quarterly teleconferences where technical support needs and issues can be shared
  11. Supported creating demand and filling in GFATMCRG Technical Assistance
  12. Supported consultants in carrying out specific assignments related to the Anglophone Africa Platform
  13. Linked civil society and community groups to Technical support providers
  14. Developed and documented successful case studies of TA