Association of Positive Youth Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria

PROFILE APYIN ORGANISATION

Association of Positive Youths Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
(APYIN)


Organisational Profile

Introduction:


APYIN’S ORGANISATION PROFILE
The Association of Positive Youths Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN) was founded to provide care and support to Adolescents and Youth living with HIV; empower them with adequate knowledge on sexual reproductive health and rights issues and Positive health, dignity and Prevention. APYIN is also charged with contributing to efforts toward preventing further spread of HIV among young and general population in Nigeria. The empowerment takes into cognizance the social, economic, religious, and political challenges associated with sexuality and reproduction especially as it relates to young people. Gender mainstreaming across these thematic areas is also a priority for the network.
APYIN is a network of young people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, constituted in June 2005 with the aim of promoting the involvement of the Adolescents and Youth living with HIV (aged between 10-35 years) and mainstreaming of youth issues in HIV and AIDS programming in Nigeria.
Over the years, APYIN has established functional and viable structures at national, state and community levels in furtherance of her vision, mission and objectives. The Constitution was developed and adopted by delegate’s assembly, who also elected National officials. Board of trustees was constituted and legal status acquired with cooperate affairs commission.

APYIN reviewed Organizational Focus
APYINs Vision Reviewed as: The rights of young people living with and affected with HIV/AIDS are protected and new infections of HIV eliminated in Nigeria.
APYINs Mission Reviewed As: To lead the effort or mitigating the psychological and economic impact of HIV/AIDS among YPLHIV and affected by HIV and AIDS through information sharing, education, advocacy, capacity building, and economic empowerment in Nigeria .

APYINs Proposed Values
1. Integrity in provision of service: APYIN is dedicated and committed to providing service and programmes to achieve its vision.
2. Respect for cultural diversity: no discrimination against ones religion, race, belief, and sexual orientation.
3. Transparency & Accountability: high degree of openness and honesty in leadership and management of activities and resources.
4. Promotion of human dignity: APYIN treats all persons with due respect
5. Promotion of gender equity: APYIN supports Justice, Equality, Social inclusion and Gender.
6. Participatory decision making:
7. Dedication to the protection of YPLHIV rights: APYIN ensure that rights of YPLHIV are not abused.
Goal:
To ensure the greater and meaning involvement of young people living with HIV and AIDS in all interventions and at all levels.

Objectives
The association was established in 2005 to pursue the following objectives:
• To promote fundamental human rights and gender equality in Nigeria, especially among those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
• To facilitate access to free and comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support information
• To empower young people with appropriate knowledge and skills to respond positively to HIV/AIDS epidemic and its attendants impacts.
• To provide and sustain a platform for young people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria to come together, exchange ideas through the instrument of peer support groups.
• To facilitate access to social economic support for young people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in the country.

APYIN principal thematic areas:
1) Sexual and Reproductive health education
• Incorporating HIV prevention, gender equality and right education
2) Youth Empowerment
• Life Skilled Acquisition programmes
• Income generating activities
• Micro – Credit loan facility
• Treatment literacy education/Treatment Adherence
• Prevention with Positives
3) HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT)
• Demand creation for HCT services
• Provide HIV counselling and testing services
4) Policy and Advocacy
• Stigma reduction
• Poverty reduction
• Rights protection
• Universal Access to HIV/AIDS services
• Gender equality
• Reproductive health services
5) Monitoring and Evaluation
• Data management
• Operational research
6) Organizational capacity development
• Infrastructural development
• Operations systems (Including policies and guidelines)
Geographic areas: We work presently in 30 states including FCT.
Organisational Structure
At the apex of the organization is the General Assembly which comprises of equal representation of delegates from the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja which are members of the support groups of young people registered with APYIN throughout the Federation, this delegates’ meeting is expected to be convened at least once in three years accordingly to the APYIN Constitution. This body determines the composition of the executive committee through a democratic process, and how the organization is to be run. Below the General assembly is the Board of Trustees (BOT) with advisory responsibilities over the organisation’s management. Below the BOT is the Executive Committee which comprises of all the national officials of the organisation. They coordinate the activities of all the APYIN State Chapters and the support groups; approve policies and programmes; budgets and plans; and maintain discipline among members of the network.

Below the executive committee is the National Secretariat of the network which is responsible for the day to day management of the organisation and project implementation. The National Secretariat is managed by the National Coordinator who is the Executive Director and Programme Coordinator for all projects and supervises other levels of staff including Programme Unit, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Finance Unit, Research and Resource Mobilization Unit, and Administrative Unit and Staffs, the six Zonal Offices in the geopolitical zones of the Country, and State Chapters and other officials as represented in the organisation’s Organogram.

Within the National Secretariat are the various units with their staffs who assists the coordinator with administrative functions in relation to the secretariat and the coordination of other state chapters; programme staff who are charged with the responsibility of project implementation, monitoring and evaluation; the finance staff who operate the organisation’s financial system. Other members of the National Secretariat are the office assistant, driver and security personnel.

At the base of all of the above categories of personnel are the numerous member support groups of the network and are organized according to the six geopolitical zones and thirty six states and the federal capital territory of Nigeria.

More information as regards the Board of Trustees, the Governing Board and the Project Management Team can be found (Appendix 1)


Membership
APYIN is a non-discriminatory group and members inclusive of organizations, professional individuals, and support groups of young people who are committed to the goals and objectives of the group. Members of the group include representatives of young People living with HIV & AIDS from vulnerable groups including in and out of school youths, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and the disable youths living with HIV in Nigeria.

APYIN is actively involved in promoting TB and HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, stigma reduction and gender balance at the community level, local government level, state levels, national, regional and International. APYIN is the only coalition of support groups of young people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
Board of Trustees
APYIN is registered as a civil society organization and made up of eight Board members who were appointed from different works of life; professionals and public health consultants at high positions in the Nigerian and International HIV and AIDS responses.
Governing Board Members
The power of the governing board of the association is vented into the elected National Executive Members who manage and oversee the affairs of the organization for the team of three years, the management board members formulate policies, make decisions for the organization as and other functions as spent out in the constitution of the association, names and other information about the personality of the governing board.
Program Management Team
The projects and activities of the organization funded by partners and donor agencies are been managed, and supervised by the program management team of APYIN. The team is made up of young people who are professionals, vibrant intellectuals and creative to cause the change young people would love to see in our time.

Affiliates
APYIN is a youth constituency member of the Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), and affiliate member of the National Youth Network working on HIV/AIDS, Population and Development in Nigeria (NYNETHA), APYIN is a major stakeholder in Treatment Action Movement in Nigeria (TAM).

APYIN collaboration with Treatment Action Movement in Nigeria (TAM), Medecins Sans Frotieres (MSF) and Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) carried out an advocacy and civil Society demonstration which facilitated the commitment of the Government of Nigeria to pronounce and implement a Free Comprehensive Treatment, Prevention, Care and Support program for all PLWHA in the country in January 1st 2006, and APYIN is very active in the Universal Access Campaign through her public and media advocacy project.

APYIN implements its programs through three major arms namely: Media, Stigma & Discrimination and Education & Outreach projects. The follow-up, current and planned activities of the group focus mainly on: advocating free and comprehensive treatment at the national level; advocating for appropriate treatment and trade-related policies at the national and international level; training and capacity building on treatment education; awareness creation and sensitization on behaviour change communications on TB/HIV treatment.

Legality
APYIN was established in June 14th 2005 and was fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) in Nigeria and Abuja as a civil society organization and an incorporated charity body on November 10th, 2008 with CAC/IT/NO: 30352 registered number.
APYIN ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR
As a result of the outcome of the Organizational assessment carried out by the UNFPA in 2007, it was discovered that APYIN has been able to achieve the following;

• Through national and state level advocacy promoting greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) APYIN has successfully placed 15 young people living with HIV in private enterprises as remunerated GIPA field officers, this has improved their monthly income and social economic status in general.
• In collaboration with other civil society networks and government agencies, APYIN is promoting and supporting the enactment of Act prohibiting PLWHA and PABAs at federal and State levels in the country.
• With trainings from BBC World Service trust and UNICEF, 30 APYIN members anchored stigma reduction program
• APYIN facilitated the access to micro credit for 60 young people living with HIV/AIDS in Lagos State, with which they established income generating activities thereby improving their quality of life and that of their families.
• APYIN Kebbi State Chapter, with the support of US Embassy, established a youth friendly centre where young people are empowered through accurate information on HIV/AIDS and access to condoms and commodities. The centre is also a vocational skills development centre providing young people alternative means of livelihood.
• APYIN in collaboration with Water and Youth International established a Health club for the young persons with disability in the school of Handicap in Abuja through which this special needs population are given life skill trainings
• APYIN hosted the first African Young Positive Forum during the 2005 ICASA in Abuja Nigeria
• APYIN with funding from Christian Aid is able to carry out a stigma reduction project title “Positive Faces Photo Exhibition” in thirteen states of the federation.


Current and ongoing projects

Positive faces photo exhibition:
The Positive faces photo exhibition which is being supported by the Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without boarders (MSF) who donated the photo frames and Christian Aid Nigeria with funding in enables APYIN to exhibit the bio-data of the people living with HIV/AIDS to educate and sensitize people by reducing stigma and discrimination in the society. The positive faces are the portraits of young people and activists who are bold and opening living with the virus, the photo speaks about their world in the work place, community, and among their folks. Christian Aid Uk is supporting APYIN with GBP 5, 200 to carry out a pilot phase of the stigma reduction education “Positive Faces” in Ten States of the Federation; which are Abia State, Benue State, Kaduna State, Rivers State, Kogi State, Adamawa State, Taraba State, Niger State, Enugu State and Cross River State. Grant ID: WN022A0D 08-09

People living with HIV and AIDS were being brought closer to the people through the photo frames exhibition. In the nearest future, APYIN intend to take the positive faces photo exhibition closer to Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

Promoting SRH Education in the Northern Nigeria
This project is being implemented by APYIN with funding support of Euro 83, 000 from the Oxfam Novib in the Netherlands to promote access to comprehensive sexual reproductive and rights education among young people age 15 – 29 years old in six states of the Northern part of the Country. The project will is started April 2009 – March 2011 and in Benue State, Kwara State, Gombe State, Kano State, Adamawa State, and Kastina State Oxfam Novib Counterpart number: (P-7691)

Counselling / Testing and referral services Project:
The office of APYIN is equipped with trained counsellors who have been trained as a professional counsellor to provide psychosocial and peer education services to the young people on Sexual reproductive health and right issues, HIV/AIDS, counselling and testing services among others.

Prevention with Positives:
HIV prevention efforts have been focused primary on the large negative populations using the ABC reduction strategies and other interventions, but the recent paradigm shift which focussed greater attention on prevention among HIV-positive individuals is a reason while APYIN have decided to step down the HIV prevention messages and the prevention steps for the young people living with HIV/AIDS. Changes in the risk

Future Projects:

Increase access to sex/sexuality education, and SRHR information and Services
This project is being supported by Christian Aid Uk with funding support from the European Commission to implement access to sex/sexuality education and SRHR information and services in six states of Nigeria which includes; Edo State, Enugu State, Niger State, Osun State, Bornu State and Kaduna State of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, the project will commence by 2010 – 2013 Europe Aid ID number: (NG-2008-CCS-1311765437)


Youth against Poverty Project:
The Association of Positive Youths living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN) tends to end poverty among the youths by providing empowerment and life skills acquisition programs to young people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, we are looking unto partners and organisations which has a mission to fight poverty and will be willing to partner with APYIN in reducing and mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS on our parents and the youths who are living with the virus.

Online Counselling and linkage services:
Due to the fact that stigma and discrimination is still an important issue in the Nigerian society, APYIN is currently working on her website to provide an enabling environment for young people who are still in the naïve states, where the fears, concerns and challenges facing this young people can be addressed and proper referrals and linkages provided to enable them enrol into treatment, care and support services, and also have the opportunity of meeting other young people living with the virus.

Micro/Agro (Trade and Vocations)- Finance scheme:
APYIN intend to run a micro finance scheme which will provide opportunity for young people with entrepreneurship skills to develop their potentials which will continue to end poverty among the young people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.

APYIN Scholarship program:
APYIN is intending to provide a scheme for young people who want to go back to school after long years of suffering from the infection of HIV/AIDS, and have no means of getting support. APYIN scholarship scheme will be the avenue of sponsorship and grants which will enable young people living with the virus achieve their before HIV infection dreams and aspiration in life.


Campus Positive Show:
This is an educative, and entertainment program aim at promoting preventions with positives, positive living, abstinence, mutual fidelity and condom usage messages and strategies which will also promote will behaviour changes among the in school youths of the tertiary and secondary school youths in Nigeria.
Establishment of Anti-AIDS clubs:
APYIN intend to establish youth focused HIV/AIDS clubs in the Secondary and University institutions in Nigeria to promote abstinence prevention messages and build teams of peer health educators who will carry on the HIV/AIDS activities and programmes in their respective communities and societies, this project is starting from April 2009 – March 2013 technical and funding support from the Oxfam Novib, Christian Aid and the European Commission.
Naija Youths Alive Show:
The Naija youths alive show is a proposed media campaign program of the Association to reach out to the over 60 million young population in the country through, radio, and Television campaign and educative programmes, where young people who are openly living with HIV in the country will be speakers to educate other young people in the country on issues around sexual reproductive health and rights education, HIV/AIDS information and gender.

APYIN intervention strategies:

1. Young People Peer Education
• Formation of Peer Clubs in Schools and Higher Institutions
• Training of Master Trainers and Peer Health Educators
• Establishment of information and services unit in Education institution

2. Out of School Youth.
• Comprehensive HCT services
• Gender Mainstreaming for developments
• Condom provision and distribution
• Income generating Activities

3. Care and Support group
• Promoting SRH education
• Prevention with Positive/ Treatment literacy/Treatment Adherence.
• Positive Living and Disclosure programmes
• Stigma and Discrimination reduction education

4. Policy and Advocacy
• Advocacy to religious leaders and stakeholders
• Support Gender rights awareness and protection services
• Support policy formulation and enactment of Acts to prohibit stigma in the society.

5. Mass Media / Sensitization
• Use of Social Media
• Use of IEC materials
• Involvement of TV, Radio and print media

Our Donors and Partners Includes;
1. Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders - Holland
2. Christian Aid - Uk
3. Oxfam Novib - Netherlands
4. European Commission
5. UNFPA
6. UNICEF
7. UNAIDS
8. NACA
9. American Embassy
10. Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
11. Network of Religious Leaders living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
12. Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
13. Journalist Against AIDS Nigeria
14. Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

Overall Experience, Skills, Competence and Management:
Since 2008, Association of Positive Youth Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN) has been active in HIV/AIDS prevention among youths and other key populations in the communities of Programme intervention which includes prevention from mother to child transmission PMTCT). With a solid infrastructure, strong links with the community and the organizational capacity to reach vulnerable populations, APYIN is well positioned to implement: - prevention of HIV among Women and Girls in FCT and other States.
APYIN offered comprehensive SRH training in 8 outreach states, in APYIN’s positive health dignity and prevention (PHDP), the component of Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission provides the needed intervention for mothers and children. Historically, APYIN has primarily targeted youth and young adult populations with a variety of programs, including educational and behavioral empowerment initiatives. However, due to extensive and growing gaps in SRH/PMTCT services to key populations, APYIN has begun to scale up its services to communities of needs. APYIN employs a rights-based approach in all its programming and works to develop robust partnerships as a strategy to provide services to these key populations and groups. Additionally, APYIN has developed a suite of training tools that focus on topics such as life skills, sexuality, HIV and AIDS, family planning and more. APYIN worked with Oxfam Novib Netherlands, Management Sciences for Health – PLAN HEALTH Project that facilitates and supports her in capacity building needs for the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality and PMTCT Education.
APYIN has a composition of multi-disciplinary team of over national 1000 members (Ref: APYIN 2010 External Evaluation reports); and also has the staff capacity of 30 members (including volunteers and part time) across the states including national office in FCT. APYIN is well positioned to carry out this program. A highly skilled team of professionals, with more than 10 years of experience in highly complex public health programs, will oversee HIV services. The Project Director (PD), Programs Officer (PO) and Finance and Administration Officer (FAM), the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer M&E) comprise the Senior Management Team (SMT), providing direction and representing the organization to donors and government. APYIN has a robust team of Para -medical professionals, including both nurses and expert laboratory technicians as members, who have experience working in clinic facilities and community settings. APYIN’s communications team consists of a Communications Desk overseeing by the Project Director, an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) youth Champion and a Communications Blogger/Writer. APYIN has wide experience in the development of IEC and social and behavior change communication (SBCC) materials to create awareness and increase service uptake, and has produced IEC materials (posters, pamphlets and other promotional materials including radio documentaries and videos) for condom promotion, ART, PMTCT and other campaigns. In addition, APYIN has its website to communicate and promote services using internet media.
Accountability, Trust and Transparency are the watch word of APYIN, APYIN managed a budget portfolio over Euros 271,000, in two years and it’s still managing other funds to implement rural base and community youth, women and children health programmes and has a strong track record of managing grants from a variety of donors including foundations, international NGOs, national governmental bodies, and multilateral agencies. For example, APYIN has been a key partner to one USAID sister funded projects of Management Sciences for Health (MSH), for institutional capacity strengthening: the MPPI- Combination of Prevention intervention Program. The organization’s model of integrating sexual and reproductive health and rights delivery with comprehensive community dialogue has been selected as Oxfam Novib’s best practice model from a positive youth network.
APYIN’s mission to improve SRH and HIV outcomes for Kaduna women and Girls, has been informed by the organization’s rooted effort to ensure a better life for the rural women and the children . APYIN’s extensive partner network includes the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Federal Capital Agency for the Control of AIDS (FACA) , Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN),Association of religious Leaders Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NINERELA+), Global Network of people Living with HIV (GNP+), Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN),Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social development .A guiding principle of APYIN is using a rights-based approach in all of its programmatic design and implementation. The three national bodies – The Board of Trustees, the General Assembly /Executive Committee and Management Board - assist in ensuring that all APYIN’s guiding principles are integrated purposefully and transparently, to carry out its vision and affect the lives of its population – both direct and indirect beneficiaries. However, the PMT is given independence to run the program without undue interference. Quarterly management board meeting is held for organizational coordination and governance, and reports are shared with board of Trustees share on programmes and activities.


CURRENT AND ONGOING PROJECTS:
Promoting SRH Education in the Northern Nigeria
This project is being implemented by APYIN with funding support of about Euro 271, 000 from the Oxfam Novib in the Netherlands to promote access to comprehensive sexual reproductive and rights education among young people age 0 – 35 years old in six states of the Northern part of the Country. The project will is started April 2009 – March 2014 and in Benue, Kwara State, Gombe, Kano, Adamawa, Imo, Ekiti and Kastina Oxfam Novib Counterpart number: (P-7691)

APYIN intervention strategies:
1. Project LTV: The project which is a pilot is scheduled for 6 months and is supported by NACA through the MDGs Grant. The goal of the project is to Mobilize Adolescent Girls and Young Women living with HIV to lead Prevention of new infections of HIV in their Communities. The project is being implemented in Kaduna State.

Strategies Adopted
o Inception meeting with key stakeholders in project state to sensitize them on project plan and select communities
o Community Entry through Advocacy visit to community heads
o Training of Selected Adolescent Girls and Young Women (Big Sis’) to lead community implementation of the Project
o Weekly cohort meeting by Peer Educators with their Peers (5 peers to 1 Big Sis)
o Formation of Sisters Club by Big Sis with their Peers (3 Cohorts to one Club)
o Community Dialogue by Big Sisters with their communities
o Closeout Meeting with Key stakeholders to showcase project achievements and discuss sustainability
o M&E is applied through First-Line monitoring by our Kaduna State Chapter and Second-Line Monitoring by the National Office
SUSTAINABILITY
Key strategies for the sustainability of this program include strengthening and enabling Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) living with HIV in the communities to experience HIV prevention life saving benefits. In particular, this program will create linkages between members of the community, the Health Providers, their community Leaders (CL), volunteers and APYIN staff. In order to ensure the continuation of the project, APYIN will mobilize the support of community leaders, as well as build internal and local capacity via mentoring to more effectively implement HIV community-based initiatives. Taking a community involvement approach facilitates ownership and sustainability. The existing partnership that APYIN has with local communities is a major strength of this project proposal. APYIN will build upon these partnerships to ensure sustainability and rapid implementation of project activities.
Community Leaders form an important part of the sustainability of this program, serving as a bridge between the APYIN and its services and the Self Support Volunteers (SESUP) are always present at the community, and they will provide the life wire for revolving the intervention even when the life span is over. Using Volunteers of the communities will foster more acceptance of the program within at the community and improve the likelihood that the program will grow and thrive beyond the initial one year of funding with or without MSH; because APYIN sees a FUTURE whereby community initiative will be taking over the Programme after one year of MSH support. The opportunity for members (extra-community women strength for survival) of the community to participate in a broader set of HIV prevention health services offered by APYIN and SUSUP approach is very feasible in sight, and it will also help to keep the program strong over time.