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Community Mobilisation
   Last updated: 17.05.02
 
In Burkina Faso, NGOs have worked alongside small, informal community groups to mobilise local people to respond to HIV/AIDS. For example, CEPROFET, an agriculture and development NGO, has worked with groups in 13 villages in the Gonse region. With the support of IPC, the Alliance linking organisation, they have raised interest and action through community meetings and discussion groups about gender, self-confidence, sexuality and STDs. Meanwhile, ADESCO has mobilised travelling women traders and associated men in the Orodara region by integrating HIV/AIDS into literacy and micro-credit activities - areas identified as priorities by the community.

This type of community mobilisation is at the heart of the work of the Alliance, linking organisations and partner NGOs. It focuses on practical, innovative ways of motivating local people in HIV/AIDS prevention and care - not as the “objects” of initiatives, but as true participants and leaders.

To date, the Alliance has mobilised over 600 community responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It has learned that mobilisation is not just a process, but the core of effective programmes. In some countries, it has proved challenging. For example, in situations of low HIV prevalence - such as Sri Lanka and Ecuador - it has often been difficult to convince communities that HIV/AIDS is a relevant issue. However, NGOs and community groups have found innovative ways of overcoming these challenges. In Bangladesh, for example, PSKP have used both formal events - from presentations to group discussions - and informal initiatives - from community picnics to World AIDS Day rallies - to mobilise both the workers and owners of garment factories in Mirpur, Dhaka.

To support this work, the Alliance and linking organisations have helped NGOs and community groups to build their capacity in relevant areas - sharing ideas and skills in mobilisation strategies. In Morocco, for example, PASA/SIDA has supported NGOs through a series of workshops in participatory tools and methodologies - including how to use participatory exercises to overcome cultural barriers to discussing sex and sexuality, and how to use community assessments to build a strong sense of “ownership” among local people.

Ways to mobilise communities
  • Using participatory methods for community assessments;

  • Holding community meetings to plan and review projects;

  • Training and supporting peer educators;

  • Holding small group discussions;

  • Working with community leaders; and

  • Developing necessary skills in the community.


(Ref: Feedback from group session on “Strategies for Community Mobilisation”, KHANA Partners’ Meeting, Cambodia, December 1997).

Viewpoint…Mobilising communities in Senegal

By Baba Goumbala, Executive Secretary, ANCS, Senegal

Community mobilisation is important in Senegal, because, if the community is not involved in HIV/AIDS, responses won’t be deep or lasting. If someone comes from outside, they can give help, but it is communities that know the best way to solve their own challenges - because they know their problems, they live their problems, and they can mobilise resources and action locally.

At ANCS, we’ve learned that the place of the NGO is to explain the problem to the community and to share ideas of how to resolve the problem by and with the community. The experience of NGO is vital. For example, if a community is not open to discussing issues around sex and sexual health, they need support in developing new approaches and skills.

One of our main lessons learned is that NGOs need to respect and address the priorities of communities, as opposed to their own priorities. It is important for NGOs to know that, even if they want to deal with AIDS, it will not necessarily be a priority for the community. If NGOs start work with communities without finding out their real needs, they will fail. They need to find out what really matters to local people, and then to link HIV/AIDS to that.

For example, for three years we have supported Association des Jeunes du Peryssae pour le Development (AJPED) in Ziguinchor, in the south of Senegal. The group supports women to carry out literacy projects in the local language, and also economic activities - such as drying fruit to sell in the markets. Now, they are mobilising the community on HIV/AIDS - by including this new subject in their existing work. For example, AIDS is used as the subject of reading classes, and discussion groups on sexuality are held while fruit is being processed. Now, the community is keen to be involved and participate in HIV/AIDS work - because their most urgent needs are being met at the same time.

Communities in action: Ecuador & Cambodia

With the support of the Alliance, NGOs have learned that it is vital to adapt mobilisation strategies to the specific needs and dynamics of their individual communities. Here, we share the experiences of two NGOs supported by COMUNIDEC and KHANA - linking organisations in Ecuador and Cambodia:


FAES, Ecuador: Mobilising transvestites

In Ecuador, Fundación Ayuda y Educación en SIDA (FAES) has mobilised highly marginalised transvestites in Quevedo. Their members are often from poor, rural areas, involved in drug and alcohol use, sex workers, and the victims of violence.

FAES’ mobilisation strategies included:
  • A participatory assessment - including mapping and focus groups - among transvestites aged 13 - 40. It was implemented by the transvestites themselves, focused on validating their perspectives, and carried out in the community - at homes, work sites and places for sex work, such as riverbanks

  • Building the skills of transvestites, for example in peer education.

  • Carrying out public relations with the broader community and local health sector - to increase acceptability and access to services - including distributing red ribbons in hospitals, schools and banks during World AIDS Day.


FAES are now carrying out a programme on sexuality, STDs, safer sex and HIV/AIDS. The number of participants has exceeded all expectations. As Lilly Márquez of COMUNIDEC says: “Mistrust, curiosity and resentment were the main ingredients of the first workshops, but this changed to an environment in which everyone could express their frustrations and needs and, above all, their wish to be treated like human beings. Now, the project is run by the transvestites. They feel good about their work, and their self-esteem is higher.”

IDA, Cambodia: Mobilising sex workers and police

In Cambodia, Indra Devi Association (IDA) - a development NGO in Phnom Penh - has used mobilisation strategies to broaden the focus and reach of their initiatives.

Previously, IDA had carried out advocacy and education with sex workers. However, during a participatory assessment - as a first step to their new HIV/AIDS programme - both they and the sex workers agreed that the priority was to promote behaviour change among the male clients. Consequently, they collaborated with the women to identify policemen in barracks on a well travelled road outside the capital as a group likely to benefit from a prevention project.

IDA started to mobilise the policemen through a participatory workshop for twenty people. It focused on small group discussions, demonstrations, role plays and exercises to explore:
  • Current knowledge about STDs and HIV/AIDS, and to fill in gaps and correct misconceptions;

  • Factors which influence sexual behaviour (including peer pressure, gender roles and alcohol use); and

  • Attitudes to condoms and negotiation skills.


IDA learned that - having involved the sex workers - they could more easily target and mobilise others. As Ly Chan Sophal of KHANA says: “Addressing vulnerability can mean more than just working with one group of people on one group of issues. Behaviour change needs the active participation of different parts of communities.”

News Updates

Collaboration with UNDP in Honduras

Among initiatives to expand the impact of its work in Latin America, the Alliance is collaborating with UNDP to develop a potential NGO support programme in Honduras. In March, a joint national assessment was carried out, including a workshop for NGOs and Government. Since then, an action plan has begun to be developed - focusing on building the capacity of local NGOs and community groups, with particular reference to lessons learned by COMUNIDEC in Ecuador.

UNAIDS collaborating centre

The Alliance has accepted an invitation to become a UNAIDS collaborating centre on NGO capacity building and community mobilisation.

Situation assessment in Egypt

An Alliance team will carry out a national situation assessment of the capacity, resources and potential of NGOs and community groups responding to HIV/AIDS in Egypt. Supported by USAID, the process could potentially lead to the development of the Alliance’s first linking organisation in the Middle East.

Strengthening collaboration in Mexico

The Alliance is to share its lessons learned in external relations and sustainability through a collaboration with USAID and local NGOs in Mexico. The project aims to strengthen the technical and managerial capacity of local NGOs by promoting links among non-governmental partners, as well as increasing inter-sectoral collaboration. The Alliance will work in 3 states - Distrito Federal / Mexico, Oaxaca and Yucatan - with a series of workshops based on adapting the Alliance toolkit on External Relations and Sustainability.

News in Brief

  • Supporters:

  • The Department for International Development (DFID), UK, has renewed its support to the Alliance - with resources for work in policy and sharing lessons learned.

  • The MacArthur Foundation has committed funding for Alliance programme development in India.

  • UNAIDS has confirmed support for developing an Alliance toolkit on community mobilisation, assessment and project design.

  • Resources:

  • An Alliance toolkit - on external relations and sustainability - will be field tested with PASA/SIDA in Morocco, and also with PACT and the Project Support Group in Zimbabwe.

  • Two Alliance reports will be launched at the World AIDS Conference, Geneva:

  • “Care, Self-Help and Involvement” - a report synthesising cross-country experiences in care and support.

  • “Moving Beyond Awareness” - a report synthesising cross-country experiences during the first year of the “Community Lessons, Global Learning” initiative with Positive Action, GlaxoWellcome.


  • Personnel:

  • Margarita Quevedo, formerly of USAID, has joined COMUNIDEC, Ecuador, as Technical Co-ordinator.

  • The Alliance secretariat has been joined by: Supanya Lamsam, formerly of the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS, as a Policy Officer; Christophe Cornu, formerly an Alliance Consultant, as Principal Investigator with the Horizons project on the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS; and Janet Brown, formerly of the Chartered Accountants Students Society of London, as Administration Manager.