The story of PLAS, a specified non-profit corporation dedicated to assisting AIDS orphans, and its efforts to strengthen its organizational foundation.
“PLAS is an NGO for AIDS orphans” that helps AIDS orphans and HIV-positive single mothers in Uganda and Kenya.
We asked them about the steps they took to transition from an expatriate-based approach to a “partner-based” approach in which they collaborate with local organizations, as well as their efforts to address issues. [This is a re-edited version of an article originally published in No. 361 edition, THE BIG ISSUE JAPAN (June 15, 2019).]
There Are Approximately 12.2 Million AIDS Orphans Worldwide
The Livelihood Improvement Support Project Assists Children to Attend School
“PLAS, an NGO for AIDS orphans,” was founded in 2005 by seven students who had volunteered in Africa to address the issue of AIDS orphans. Ms. Ruiko Kadota, Representative Director, said the following:
“AIDS orphans are children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. It is estimated that there are approximately 12.2 million children globally, with Africa accounting for more than 80%.”
Although AIDS is no longer a deadly disease due to the widespread use of therapeutic drugs, discrimination based on misunderstanding and prejudice continues. “In Kenya and Uganda, we primarily assist single mothers and their children who have lost their husbands to AIDS and have become infected themselves. Parents are discriminated against and cannot find jobs, and children are even forced to drop out of elementary school due to poverty and bullying.”
Director General Ms. Ruiko Kadota
Even though elementary school is mandatory, many children cannot take the required paid tests to advance to the next grade due to the hardships they face in their lives, and many children are forced to repeat a year of school. As a result, PLAS established the “Livelihood Improvement Support Project, which assists families in improving their finances so that their children can continue to attend school.”
HIV-positive single mothers in Homa Bay County, Republic of Kenya, for example, are improving their livelihoods by growing and selling native vegetables.
“Aside from the soil's poor water retention capacity, the practice of cutting down trees for firewood dried out the soil and prevented crops from growing. Therefore, mango and other trees that produce fruit are planted around the fields to increase moisture retention and improve the fertility of the land. They also fenced off fields to prevent livestock from eating the vegetables and provided donkeys to carry water to houses that were far from watering holes.”
The government provides HIV medications free of charge, but some people stop taking them due to the side effects if they do not eat enough and take them on an empty stomach. Eating and selling the vegetables they pick helps them maintain their health as well as their income.
Additionally, in the Republic of Uganda’s Luwero District, HIV-positive single mothers were trained to make doughnuts and mixed juices, and a café co-run by these women was opened. So far, the third group of single mothers has completed the training.
Provide Seven Counseling Sessions per Person
Create a Sense of Self-Worth and Open the Door to the Future
“AIDS orphans have a difficult time finding work, and it is not just because of their lack of education. Some children give up on their future from the start because they believe they won't be able to do anything.”
In addition to the Livelihood Improvement Support Project, we are working on the “Life Planning Project,” with the vision of “creating a society in which children affected by AIDS can create their own future.”
“The program is intended to provide parents with information about their children's development, education, and household finances, as well as to provide children with the ability to envision their future, fostering a sense of self-esteem in their children. Counselors undertake an average of seven one-on-one sessions with parents and children in Homa Bay County, Republic of Kenya. We encourage children to express themselves through their drawings and discover how it will lead to their future career while also motivating them to continue their education.”
Children in the fifth and sixth grades will also have the opportunity to attend career talk events where they will hear from adults who work in a variety of jobs in the community.
In 2014, we began working on the transition to our current “partnering” model, in which we collaborate with local organizations. To that end, we received a two-year grant from the Panasonic NPO/NGO Support Fund beginning in 2014 to strengthen our organizational framework and create a more robust and financially stable foundation to support the organizational structure.
The first goal was to “increase individual donations.” However, the organizational review uncovered new issues, such as “medium- to long-term plans that are not solid,” “plans that are not regularly monitored and shared within the organization,” and “mission and vision statements that are not communicated well enough to supporters.”
As a result, the Board of Directors was strengthened in the first year of the grant, the mid-to-long-term plan and mission/vision statements were reviewed, and previous events were analyzed. “As a result of sharing PLAS's story from the start and then hosting a meet-and-greet with staff and repeat contributors, we saw an increase in donations.”
Business Development With Local Partners
Fostering the Ability to Eliminate Poverty and Discrimination
In addition, a questionnaire distributed to 60 donors was used to examine their donation motivations, triggers, and lifestyles. Ten of the donors were also interviewed individually. “We asked them how they learned about PLAS, their family structure, magazines they subscribe to, how they spend their holidays, and so on, and we got a sense of the kinds of supporters.”
“With a clear picture of supporters in mind, it was easier to decide on event themes and guests, and at one event, the donation rate among attendees increased from 2% to 20%.” In the second year of the grant, while actually implementing the shift to a “partner-type” project, we sorted out the issues facing the local community.
“We spoke with 30 AIDS orphans who had reached the age of 18 without assistance to better understand the challenges faced by all parties involved. Their most traumatic experiences and obstacles occurred when they lost their parents and stopped attending school. Because of AIDS, the majority of the children were bullied and abused, and they had low self-esteem. We realized they needed a source of income to send children to school, as well as psychological counseling, so the current design of two projects forming an axis was created.”
PLAS was able to support 16 single mothers and increase their household income by 1.5 times as a result of the grant. Seventy-six children are enrolled in school, and a foundation has been established to work with local partners to grow the projects. There are local partner organizations that cannot use ICT at all, Ms. Kadota explains, “but we want to grow together with organizations that are small, ambitious, and have something that shines through.”
“When we begin a new project, we look for a ‘driver to accelerate the engine,’ and we invite representatives from the relevant ministries to attend the meetings. Involving many people in this way is our strength and what makes our projects interesting.”
They are currently preparing a manual on communicating and counseling AIDS orphans with advice from officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Children’s Bureau. The completed manual will be made available to relevant ministries and local NGOs in the future.
“Prior to receiving the grant, we would plan a project, carry it out, and then move on. After receiving the grant, we were able to define the desired outcomes and look back to identify areas for improvement when we could not fulfill them.”
Will they broaden their support area with their current partner organizations or expand into new areas by partnering with other organizations? Their main goal is to expand the local network while exploring all options, as well as to foster the children's ability to shape their future locally.
[Organization Profile]
A Specified Non-profit Corporation PLAS, dedicated to assisting AIDS orphans
As an NGO that responds to local needs, PLAS works with local people in Uganda and Kenya to address the issue of AIDS orphans. PLAS is an acronym that stands for “Positive Living through AIDS orphan Support.” PLAS received the Deputy-Chief's Award (from the Minister of Foreign Affairs) at the second Japan SDGs Award ceremony.
