Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)

AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)

ARASA – the AIDS Rights Alliance for Southern Africa – is a regional network of 115 community organizations in 18 countries in Southern and East Africa.

 

Grantee type:
Regional
Grant:
$850,000
Grant period:
2019-2021

 

The organizations in the ARASA network are led by and dedicated to the health and rights of people living with HIV, sex workers, people who use drugs (PWUDs), LGBTIQ people, people affected by tuberculosis (and HIV/TB), women, prisoners and ex-miners.

  • Human rights are the freedoms and privileges to which all people are entitled, including the rights to assemble, form associations and organizations, express ideas and opinions, and seek information and services.
  • Human rights are an important factor in access to health. Discrimination in health care settings, lack of protections and abuse by law enforcement agencies, and laws that criminalize key populations all reduce people’s access to health information or services.
  • In Eastern and Southern Africa, most countries restrict freedoms of association and the abilities of people to register and operate independent community organizations. In countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, key population groups routinely report harassment and violence from police. In Zambia and Swaziland, partners have reported repression of free expression. In Tanzania, the government has actively sought the arrest and deportation of community activists. LGBT people, sex workers, and people who use drugs are criminalized in many countries and face discrimination in health care settings, and this situation is worsening in many places.
  • In this context, people living with HIV and other ISPs face a high burden of untreated health issues as well as social and economic marginalization. Individuals who choose to organize and advocate have limited space in which to develop organizations with sustained financing, management, governance and representative and democratic processes for community participation.
  • Nevertheless, public representation and advocacy in each country by people living with HIV and other ISPs is crucial in building public awareness and political support for effective health programming.

 

RCF funding 2019-2021

ARASA received US$ 850,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work during 2019-2021.  This funding is allocated to both core and strategic program costs and builds on sustained RCF funding to ARASA since 2013.

 

Geographic coverage

ARASA is a regional network of 115 organizations in 18 countries in Southern and East Africa.

 

Population coverage

ARASA is focused on the global empowerment, leadership, health and rights of people living with HIV and all other inadequately served populations (ISPs) seeking greater access to health and human rights. 21% of ARASA’s 115 partner organizations are national networks of people living with HIV, 17% are led by and addressing the needs of LGBTI people, 6% are led by and addressing the needs of sex workers and 6% led by and addressing the needs of people who use drugs.

 

Activities 2019-2021  

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, ARASA will work to strengthen national and regional organizing, advocacy for human rights, and campaigns for greater funding of and access to services. Activities will include:

  • ARASA will support organizational members across 18 countries to sustain and build national advocacy alliances for human rights and advocate specifically for the right to health and the rights of key populations. In the East and Southern African countries where governments are actively hostile or repressive of dissent, free speech, or community organizing, ARASA will work to reinforce activists’ safety and security, access to information and financial support.
  • ARASA will also offer assistance to all 115 partner organizations to assess and strengthen organizational management and governance and maintain representative and democratic processes for community participation.
  • ARASA will assist partner organizations to assess advocacy needs and strategies related to HIV and TB, sexual health and rights, drug-related harm reduction and prison health, and will develop regionally coordinated and aligned advocacy through policy briefs, regional dialogues and consensus statements.
  • ARASA will support its partners to engage in national advocacy with policy makers, parliamentarians, judges, media and national human rights institutions, and in regional advocacy with the African Commission, African Union, and SADC.
  • ARASA will also support partner organizations to engage in national strategic planning processes, national budget monitoring and expenditure tracking, Global Fund-related Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs), and processes to develop PEPFAR Country Operating Plans (COPs), to encourage adequate and effective funding allocations to address the health and rights of people living with HIV and other ISPs.

 

Intended results 2019-2021

The intended results from this work during 2019-2021 will include:

  • Network strength and influence: Reinforcement of human rights activists’ safety and security, access to information and financial support in 18 countries of Eastern and Southern Africa.
  • Human rights:  Support for country-level advocacy with policy makers, parliamentarians, judges, media and national human rights institutions, and for regional advocacy with the African Commission, African Union, and SADC.
  • Access to services: Strong regional advocacy for improved health services targeted to key populations, including health services related to HIV and TB, sexual health and rights, drug-related harm reduction and prison health.
  • Resource accountability: Engagement of local advocates in national budget monitoring and expenditure tracking to encourage adequate and effective funding allocations to address the health and rights of people living with HIV and other ISPs.