INERELA+

INERELA+ is a global network of religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV, with 15 participating networks across Africa, additional leaders in Asia Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, and a global membership of over 8000. INERELA+ supports religious leaders to be champions for human rights and health, with a central focus on gender equality, the dignity and worth of all people, and the provision and accessibility of services and support for all.

Grantee type: Global

Grant: $518,700

Grant period: 2016-2018

Lead organization: International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA+)

• Around the world today, over 9 million of the nearly 37 million people living with HIV don’t know that they carry the virus, and an additional 5 to 6 million HIV-positive people are not accessing HIV treatment.
• Stigma and discrimination are important reasons why people are not accessing HIV testing and treatment. Stigma against HIV, and against many of the populations at greatest risk for HIV, creates discriminatory policies and actions in health care settings, potential for in employment and education, and potential for social exclusion and violence in people’s families and communities.
• Gender inequality is another related factor in the lack of HIV testing and treatment. In communities where women and girls are economically dependent on men and exposed to sexual and gender-based violence, they may be hesitant in negotiating safer sex or in seeking testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
• Religious leaders can be important champions for human rights and agents of change when they themselves are openly HIV+, and when they speak out about the dignity and worth of all people, and importance of care and love for all.
• In many African countries, INERELA+ has found that coalitions of faith leaders can be important educators and advocates for human rights, non-discrimination, and services for people living with HIV, people who are lesbian, gay or transgender, people who use drugs, people who engage in sex work, people who are migrants, and people who are poor.

 

 

RCF funding 2016-2018

INERELA+ received US$ 519,000 in funding from the Robert Carr Fund during 2016-2018. This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs, investing in the organizational capacity and collective work of INERELA and its partners in 15 countries. In 2019, the Robert Carr Fund awarded INERELA+ an additional US$ 550,000 in funding for continuation and expansion of its work.

 

Geographic coverage

INERELA+ is a global network of religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV, with 15 participating networks across Africa, and additional leaders in Asia Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Population coverage

INERELA+ supports religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV, helping them to be champions for human rights and health, with a central focus on gender equality, the dignity and worth of all people, and the provision and accessibility of services and support for all.

 

Activities 2016-2018

With RCF funding in 2016-2018, INERELA+ worked with country coalitions of faith leaders in nine countries — Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia – to initiate and engage in dialogues with faith communities about HIV, sexual health, gender-based violence, and the importance of human rights, non-discrimination, and services for inadequately served populations (ISPs). INERELA+ also worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Save the Children to organize a regional Southern Africa forum about the role of faith leaders in advocating for migrants’ health and rights in SADC countries.

 

Results 2016-2018

The results of the work of INERELA+ and its partners include:

• Network strength and influence: With steady core operational support from the Robert Carr Fund, INERELA+ and its country partners have been able to convene regular governance and coalition meetings, sustain strong organizational management, and ensure sharing of experience, lessons learned and technical capacity across countries.
• Human rights: In more than five countries – Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda – faith leaders were vocal advocates for women’s rights and efforts to combat gender-based violence and, in at least two countries, faith leaders engaged in dialogue with governments and health providers about the health and rights of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Results included new commitments to combat gender-based violence and to provide sexual health and HIV services to key populations.