Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 CARAM Asia

CARAM Asia

CARAM Asia (Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility is a regional network of 42 civil society organizations, migrant organizations and migrant support organizations working in 18 countries across Asia. 

 

Grantee type:
Regional
Grant:
$700,000
Grant period:
2019-2021

 

CARAM Asia emphasizes a regional approach in addressing the issues of migration, promotes migrant worker’s labor and health rights with focus on HIV & AIDS. CARAM Asia works to improve migrant workers’ access to health services through research, capacity building for migrant communities and organisations, coalition building, advocacy with governments and service providers.

  • The number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow over the past seventeen years, reaching 258 million in 2017, up from 173 million in 2000. Nearly 80 million of these migrants are in Asia, and 25 million in Africa.
  • In high income ‘destination’ countries, migrant workers including undocumented or unauthorized migrants may have little or no protection against human rights violations, including mandatory testing and deportation related to HIV, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), tuberculosis (TB), and pregnancy. Because migrants face poverty, discrimination, violence, potential loss of work or deportation, and other human rights violations, they may have limited access to health services.
  • Migrants living in both destination and source countries can have higher HIV, STI and TB risks because of exposure to new sexual partners and networks and because of lack of access to voluntary testing and treatment. Yet migrant workers are not considered at one of at-risk populations in many countries’ National HIV/AIDS Control programs, and CARAM Asia’s research shows that migrant workers generally have a low level of knowledge about HIV.
  • Migrants have important direct experience of HIV-related health needs and barriers to health services. Organizing and advocacy by migrants and other inadequately served populations (ISPs) are central to efforts to improve human rights environments, improve HIV service accessibility, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of national and international funding for health and human rights.
  • In several countries, including Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka, nationalist politics, and in some cases governments have sparked proposed or actual restrictions on advocacy and organizing by marginalized communities, requiring support for those community-based advocacy organizations to develop strategies and take actions to sustain a voice for health and rights.

 

RCF funding 2019-2021

CARAM Asia received US$ 700,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work during 2019-2021, which was a renewal of RCF funding support since 2014. This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs, investing in CARAM Asia’s organizational capacity and convening of collective action across Asia.

 

Geographic coverage

CARAM Asia is a regional network in Asia, convening and supporting 42 civil society organizations, migrant organizations and migrant support organizations from 18 countries across Asia.  With RCF funding, CARAM Asia works intensively with partners in five countries:  Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka, while also linking with migrant advocate organizations in other countries of Asia.

 

Population coverage

CARAM Asia supports the empowerment, leadership, health and rights of migrants, including recently returned or deported migrants, who are living with HIV or who lack access to services because of stigma & discrimination, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or engagement in sex work.

 

Activities 2019-2021

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, CARAM Asia is working with partners in five countries — Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka – to:

  • Support migrants with counseling and referrals to services,
  • Support the capacity of HIV-positive migrants and other migrants who lack access to services to serve as resources and advocates in their networks and communities, and
  • Build capacity of national networks of people living with HIV (PLHIV) to engage with migrants and support migrant rights and services.
  • Build capacity of government officials, media, and other stakeholders to understand the issues faced by migrant workers and migrants who are recently returned or deported.
    In fifteen (15) Asian countries including Middle East, CARAM Asia will also equip its partners and members with information about government resource allocations for migrant services and related country advocacy plans and trainings to build capacity to advocate with governments about resource allocations.

 

Results 2019-2021

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

  • Network strength and influence: Reinforcement of collaboration and coordination across 18 Asian countries among 42 civil society organizations   and collaborating migrant organizations and migrant support organizations to improve migrant workers’ access to health services and rights-related services.
  • Human rights:  In five countries of South and Southeast Asia, increased governmental recognition and support for the needs and rights of people who are migrants from other countries and people who have recently returned as migrants to other countries
  • Access to services: In five countries of South and Southeast Asia, increased collaboration and capacity of HIV-focused organizations and migrant support organizations to ensure access to services for migrants who are living with HIV or at high risk of HIV.
  • Resource accountability: In ten Asian countries, increased capacity of migrant support organizations to monitor and advocate about government resource allocations or migrant-focused services.