SIAAPINDIA team continues to provide psycho social support through phone and facilitate discussions with parents, on their current family situation, issues with online education, and about their livelihood. People share that our calls provide a great sense of support, that they feel heard & connected, despite the physical distance.
We facilitated discussions with Parents Advisory Committee members on specifications of spending funds raised from public. While they acknowledged that there were several immediate expenses like rent, school fees, etc., they resolved to use the funds towards livelihood options that would yield a recurring income and benefit for longer term.
Children of the Government Children’s Home for Boys, Ranipet district who were sent to their parents/ guardians were provided tele-counselling support by SIAAPINDIA during the lockdown. Some children with behavioural issues like substance abuse and truancy from home required face-to-face counseling. The reintegration officers along with the social workers of the District Child Protection Unit, Vellore have been visiting children of the Child Care Institution and their families in Vellore and Chennai, providing COVID awareness to the families, distribution of masks and distribution of school textbooks.
In addition, the reintegration officers provide counseling to the children and parents thereby addressing their psychological issues and conflicts. Mentors are identified in the neighbourhood to support the child in studying daily lessons and mentoring them, to ensure an enabling environment for children to study and engage themselves during the lockdown. This is being done with necessary precautions like using masks, hand sanitizers and observing social distancing with the children and their families.
We are pleased to share below the Global Fund response to the petition published and shared with the Board Leadership and Board Members in July 2020.
Kind regards,
Sent on behalf of the Board Chair and Vice-Chair
Global Fund Response to Key Population Groups Worldwide
The Global Fund takes note of the call for accountability and action from Key Population Groups Worldwide published on July 2020.
The Global Fund is deeply concerned about the catastrophic impact COVID-19 is having on the most vulnerable communities in India and around the world. We stand with our civil society partners in the fight against HIV in India during this challenging crisis. The Global Fund recognizes the suffering experienced by millions of people in India during lockdowns and other restrictions due to COVID-19. We empathize with the millions of people in India who were left in need of food, shelter and protection during the lockdowns, particularly key populations who are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV.
We also recognize and applaud the leading role that many community-based organizations and faith-based organizations played in bringing relief to many vulnerable people, including key populations stranded many miles from home during the lockdowns. In addition, we recognize the substantial role the government of India has played in providing Direct Benefit Transfers (cash) and dry rations to many vulnerable people in the country.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency, the Global Fund has acted swiftly to support countries to respond to COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. In India, the Global Fund approved a funding request by the India Country Coordinating Mechanism to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on existing HIV, TB, malaria programs, reinforce the national COVID-19 response and fund urgent improvements in health and community systems. The Global Fund encourages the India CCM to submit an additional funding proposal including funding for key populations.
The Board of the Global Fund has emphasized that all C19RM applications must be fully endorsed by stakeholders on the CCM. We note that an HIV and Malaria Stakeholder’s Consultation meeting took place on 29 April 2020 to consider the CCM’s application prior to its submission. We further note that the CCM’s application to the Global Fund under the C19RM mechanism did not include items for key populations relating to food, shelter, and protection from gender-based violence. In accordance with our fundamental principle of country ownership (as set forth in the Global Fund’s constitutional Framework Document) the Global Fund approves funding for activities based on the request submitted by the CCM. The Global Fund did, however, approve funding for 100 HIV Care and Support Centers (CSCs) where medical treatment to patients is provided, as this was specifically requested in the CCM’s application.
Noting that further funding under C19RM worth US$10 million may be made available in India, the Global Fund invites India CCM to submit another funding request. The Global Fund believes that the involvement of civil society and community leadership is imperative in ensuring that key populations and marginalized groups are not left behind in the fight against diseases.
Attention Global Fund – Urgent Call for Accountability and Action
From Key Population Groups Worldwide
We, sexworkers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs, otherwise known as ‘HIV key populations’ demand immediate and direct support for basic survival during the COVID pandemic.
Despite the promises made by multilateral agencies of “ leaving no one behind”, that is exactly what is happening. We have lost our jobs, are losing our homes, and are scared sick about how we will survive until we start working again. Yet no government, no multilateral agency, no UN organization – in fact not one of those who signed on to that promise has allocated any resources to ensure access to emergency rations, shelter, and medical care, which are critical to help us survive through this period.
Instead, in our name, millions of dollars are being spent on COVID testing equipment. For example, the Global Fund approved a USD20m COVID response fund for India that has no direct support for at least 1.5 million KPs, despite repeated, evidence-based demands by civil society.
There is undeniable evidence that KP leadership has scripted the success of HIV prevention efforts both in India and the world over. And while, organisations such as GFATM and UNAIDS have gained credibility and financial viability based on our struggles and hard-fought successes, key populations have themselves been left alone to mount yet another struggle to merely survive during these trying times.
We are shocked and hurt beyond measure that we have been abandoned at this time of crisis, even as People Living with HIV have some assured allocations for access to ARVs and other vulnerable people such as migrants have received some help.
The COVID pandemic has also exposed the continued lack of attention of global HIV programme planners to address structural issues that made us disproportionately vulnerable to HIV – Around 62% of new HIV infections occurred among key populations and their sexual partners, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and people in prison, despite them constituting a very small proportion of the general population. The same failure is now again making us disproportionately vulnerable to COVID.
Therefore – we have two demands:
– In the short term, requisite allocations be made for our basic survival – food, shelter, emergency medical care and safety from violence
– In the medium and longer term, the CCMs should stop the tokenistic use of civil society; and that the Global Fund should stop actively facilitating the appropriation of the CCMs by governments
We continue to provide psychosocial support over phone and reached 11 adolescents and their families during the week. Post relaxations of the lockdown, the chief issue faced by most families in the locality is their inability to pay rent and lead their lives under the threat to be evicted from the house. Out of our interactions, we understood that one family could not manage the situation and was in dire need, and so we have offered to pay Rs.2000 towards rent.
SIAAPINDIA and Vadamalar, join the National Network of Sex Workers to reinstate that sex workers are against traffickers and trafficking, and that we are all together in the war to combat trafficking.
As part of our COVID response, we continue to be in touch with people over phone and have extended the following support in the past 15 days:
Mental health and psychosocial support via phone calls to 44 people from Ernavoor
One family, who survived with kanji alone was reached out and a grocery package worth Rs. 1000 was brought to them to help them tide over their current situation
Community members shared their fears of being put under isolation if test positive for COVID-19, and had concerns about access to food, and about neglect and stigma from the community.
We assured them about the government services and the improving recovery rate. We also suggested them to talk to people who had recovered and returned from quarantine/hospital care.
We resumed Parents’ Advisory Committee meetings via conference call. The members shared that it was a new experience and that they felt heard and supported by SIAAPINDIA calls despite lockdown.
We are pleased to share below the Global Fund response to the petition published and shared with the Board Leadership and Board Members in July 2020.
Kind regards,
Sent on behalf of the Board Chair and Vice-Chair
Global Fund Response to Key Population Groups Worldwide
The Global Fund takes note of the call for accountability and action from Key Population Groups Worldwide published on July 2020.
The Global Fund is deeply concerned about the catastrophic impact COVID-19 is having on the most vulnerable communities in India and around the world. We stand with our civil society partners in the fight against HIV in India during this challenging crisis. The Global Fund recognizes the suffering experienced by millions of people in India during lockdowns and other restrictions due to COVID-19. We empathize with the millions of people in India who were left in need of food, shelter and protection during the lockdowns, particularly key populations who are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV.
We also recognize and applaud the leading role that many community-based organizations and faith-based organizations played in bringing relief to many vulnerable people, including key populations stranded many miles from home during the lockdowns. In addition, we recognize the substantial role the government of India has played in providing Direct Benefit Transfers (cash) and dry rations to many vulnerable people in the country.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency, the Global Fund has acted swiftly to support countries to respond to COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. In India, the Global Fund approved a funding request by the India Country Coordinating Mechanism to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on existing HIV, TB, malaria programs, reinforce the national COVID-19 response and fund urgent improvements in health and community systems. The Global Fund encourages the India CCM to submit an additional funding proposal including funding for key populations.
The Board of the Global Fund has emphasized that all C19RM applications must be fully endorsed by stakeholders on the CCM. We note that an HIV and Malaria Stakeholder’s Consultation meeting took place on 29 April 2020 to consider the CCM’s application prior to its submission. We further note that the CCM’s application to the Global Fund under the C19RM mechanism did not include items for key populations relating to food, shelter, and protection from gender-based violence. In accordance with our fundamental principle of country ownership (as set forth in the Global Fund’s constitutional Framework Document) the Global Fund approves funding for activities based on the request submitted by the CCM. The Global Fund did, however, approve funding for 100 HIV Care and Support Centers (CSCs) where medical treatment to patients is provided, as this was specifically requested in the CCM’s application.
Noting that further funding under C19RM worth US$10 million may be made available in India, the Global Fund invites India CCM to submit another funding request. The Global Fund believes that the involvement of civil society and community leadership is imperative in ensuring that key populations and marginalized groups are not left behind in the fight against diseases.
Attention Global Fund – Urgent Call for Accountability and Action
From Key Population Groups Worldwide
We, sexworkers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs, otherwise known as ‘HIV key populations’ demand immediate and direct support for basic survival during the COVID pandemic.
Despite the promises made by multilateral agencies of “ leaving no one behind”, that is exactly what is happening. We have lost our jobs, are losing our homes, and are scared sick about how we will survive until we start working again. Yet no government, no multilateral agency, no UN organization – in fact not one of those who signed on to that promise has allocated any resources to ensure access to emergency rations, shelter, and medical care, which are critical to help us survive through this period.
Instead, in our name, millions of dollars are being spent on COVID testing equipment. For example, the Global Fund approved a USD20m COVID response fund for India that has no direct support for at least 1.5 million KPs, despite repeated, evidence-based demands by civil society.
There is undeniable evidence that KP leadership has scripted the success of HIV prevention efforts both in India and the world over. And while, organisations such as GFATM and UNAIDS have gained credibility and financial viability based on our struggles and hard-fought successes, key populations have themselves been left alone to mount yet another struggle to merely survive during these trying times.
We are shocked and hurt beyond measure that we have been abandoned at this time of crisis, even as People Living with HIV have some assured allocations for access to ARVs and other vulnerable people such as migrants have received some help.
The COVID pandemic has also exposed the continued lack of attention of global HIV programme planners to address structural issues that made us disproportionately vulnerable to HIV – Around 62% of new HIV infections occurred among key populations and their sexual partners, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and people in prison, despite them constituting a very small proportion of the general population. The same failure is now again making us disproportionately vulnerable to COVID.
Therefore – we have two demands:
– In the short term, requisite allocations be made for our basic survival – food, shelter, emergency medical care and safety from violence
– In the medium and longer term, the CCMs should stop the tokenistic use of civil society; and that the Global Fund should stop actively facilitating the appropriation of the CCMs by governments
We await a speedy and positive response.
In solidarity,
(List of 238 signatory organisations below)
Networks:
National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW), India
All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW), India
Indian Drug Users Forum (IDUF), India
Indian Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM), India
Assam Network of Positive People (ANP+), India
Telangana Intersex Transgender Samithi, India
Taaras coalition, India
Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), UK
Sex Workers & Allies South Asia (SWASA), India
The African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA), Kenya
Sex Workers Education & Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), South Africa
COAST SEX WORKERS ALLIANCE (COSWA-KENYA), Kenya
Eldoret Sex Worker Alliance (KESWA), Kenya
Acção de Solidariedade e Saúde Comunitária ASSC, Angola
Kiambu Sex Workers Association, Kenya
Action Humanitarian pour la Santé et le Development Communautaire, DRC
Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Program, Kenya
Kisumu Sex workers Alliance, Kenya
Eurasian Network of People who use drugs, European Union
National Users Network of Nepal (NUNN), Nepal
Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD), India
Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Bangkok
Family strengthening services is one of the key ongoing activities of the Reintegration programme aiming to demonstrate a replicable model of reintegration of children in institutional care back to their families. Improving the economic status of parents/ guardians of the institutionalized children (of a government children’s home in Ranipet) is taken into serious consideration.
We identified the existing social entitlements with the parents/ guardians and their need for access to social protection schemes like widow pension, destitute pension etc. Linkages of families to the schemes are mobilized through the District Child Protection Units. This is being done along with our tele-counselling services to ensure holistic psychosocial support to children and families, and towards successful reintegration of children to family based care.
During lock down, SIAAPINDIA provided refresher training for community counsellors (sex workers) to reach out to more women who were depressed due to loss of livelihood and income, and anxiety related to COVID 19.
Most women who undergo counselling share that they felt heard and supported. All counsellors have a routine to call women, introduce about themselves and the purpose of the call, and enquire in general about their well-being and focus on specific issues shared by them. They revert to SIAAPINDIA trainers for support in case they face challenges during the session, and/or for referral support.
During the current week, SIAAPINDIA trainers have introduced, ‘focused skill building’ sessions. Accordingly they will focus and strengthen on one core skill required for a counsellor. ‘Active Listening’ is the core skill selected for this month (July 2020). The counsellors will focus and practice ‘active listening’, and discuss the impact with the trainers during the review.
SIAAPINDIA has compiled local resources information, including the contact details of District Collectorate, PA to Collector, Rotary club, Lions club, local politicians, advocates, for easy and quick reference for women to approach people to seek support.
One woman in Theni had approached a local politician for ration support for women without ration cards. He has directed them to purchase ration from PDS shops using their aadhar, and if in case they had any issue, they were further advised to contact the Collector’s PA for further assistance.
