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Home Care - Battambang - 6.3 Community link
6.3 Community links
Because of the long distances involved, the HCT relies quite heavily on community organisations to provide support to PLHA. Wherever possible, the HCT tries to work with existing organisations, but have themselves established 12 community support organisations where none previously existed. Unlike Phnom Penh, where a number PLHA live alone, almost all the rural PLHA have caregivers.
The Home Care Team has established good relations with community leaders in the 9 Communes in which they operate. As part of the evaluation, the Evaluation Team conducted a focus group discussion with 14 community leaders representing all 7 villages in Ko Koh Commune. This group consisted of Village Headmen, Phum Leaders and Village Association Leaders.
The Home Care Team presently works in 5 of these 7 villages. The discussion with the community leaders highlighted the impact made by the HCT in the 5 villages in which they operate, compared with the remaining 2 villages. The leaders from the 5 villages visited by the HCTs noted that the HCT takes care of PLHA, but more importantly, have taught and encouraged the community to care and support the patients.
“They are helping us to help each other. I thank the gods that they have come to our village”, [Village Headman, Ko Koh]
The community leaders emphasised that the HCT activities converge with other community-level support activities, and help to relieve some of the burden of the community, improve health and reduce discrimination against PLHA.
“Their education work they do is important for the health of our village. The patients are waiting for (the HCT). Before, we felt that people with AIDS were evil and deserved to die. Now we talk together, sit together, play cards together”, [Village Headman, Ko Koh]
It was clear that the HCT had also had a significant impact on knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS, especially modes of transmission.
“Before the home care team visited our village we knew nothing about HIV/AIDS. Thanks to them, people now know about prevention. They have also learnt about sanitation and how to take care of themselves”, [Village Association Leader, Ko Koh]
“Before the home care team came we did not even dare to approach people with AIDS. Now we can touch them, hold them, eat with them and help to feed them”, [Phum Leader, Ko Koh]
This latter comment provoked a barrage of questions from the 4 leaders from the 2 villages which were not visited by the HCT. These four men seemed genuinely surprised that people could touch and eat with PLHA, and wanted to know about methods of transmission. The impact of the HCT’s HIV/AIDS education programme was clearly demonstrated when the leaders from the 5 villages visited by the HCT provided the answers themselves.
It should be noted that, in addition to their Home Care Team, KRDA have a Prevention Team operating in the area, who may (also) have been responsible for educating the community. In order to avoid duplication of effort, KRDA are in the process of combining their Care and Prevention Programmes.
The community leaders suggested appointing volunteers to act as liaison persons in each village, to provide a nodal link with the HCT. These volunteers would need to be trained and would require a little financial support. The leaders felt that, with adequate resources and support, a system of volunteers would be key to reaching all PLHA in rural areas.
Because of the long distances involved, the HCT relies quite heavily on community organisations to provide support to PLHA. Wherever possible, the HCT tries to work with existing organisations, but have themselves established 12 community support organisations where none previously existed. Unlike Phnom Penh, where a number PLHA live alone, almost all the rural PLHA have caregivers.
The Home Care Team has established good relations with community leaders in the 9 Communes in which they operate. As part of the evaluation, the Evaluation Team conducted a focus group discussion with 14 community leaders representing all 7 villages in Ko Koh Commune. This group consisted of Village Headmen, Phum Leaders and Village Association Leaders.
The Home Care Team presently works in 5 of these 7 villages. The discussion with the community leaders highlighted the impact made by the HCT in the 5 villages in which they operate, compared with the remaining 2 villages. The leaders from the 5 villages visited by the HCTs noted that the HCT takes care of PLHA, but more importantly, have taught and encouraged the community to care and support the patients.
“They are helping us to help each other. I thank the gods that they have come to our village”, [Village Headman, Ko Koh]
The community leaders emphasised that the HCT activities converge with other community-level support activities, and help to relieve some of the burden of the community, improve health and reduce discrimination against PLHA.
“Their education work they do is important for the health of our village. The patients are waiting for (the HCT). Before, we felt that people with AIDS were evil and deserved to die. Now we talk together, sit together, play cards together”, [Village Headman, Ko Koh]
It was clear that the HCT had also had a significant impact on knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS, especially modes of transmission.
“Before the home care team visited our village we knew nothing about HIV/AIDS. Thanks to them, people now know about prevention. They have also learnt about sanitation and how to take care of themselves”, [Village Association Leader, Ko Koh]
“Before the home care team came we did not even dare to approach people with AIDS. Now we can touch them, hold them, eat with them and help to feed them”, [Phum Leader, Ko Koh]
This latter comment provoked a barrage of questions from the 4 leaders from the 2 villages which were not visited by the HCT. These four men seemed genuinely surprised that people could touch and eat with PLHA, and wanted to know about methods of transmission. The impact of the HCT’s HIV/AIDS education programme was clearly demonstrated when the leaders from the 5 villages visited by the HCT provided the answers themselves.
It should be noted that, in addition to their Home Care Team, KRDA have a Prevention Team operating in the area, who may (also) have been responsible for educating the community. In order to avoid duplication of effort, KRDA are in the process of combining their Care and Prevention Programmes.
The community leaders suggested appointing volunteers to act as liaison persons in each village, to provide a nodal link with the HCT. These volunteers would need to be trained and would require a little financial support. The leaders felt that, with adequate resources and support, a system of volunteers would be key to reaching all PLHA in rural areas.