ON THE GROUND IN SOUTH AFRICA: Hlokomela – HIV Prevention and Care Project

In 2005 IOM in partnership with HTT (Hoedspruit Training Trust) developed a comprehensive HIV project – which has since become a learning site for the PHAMSA Project Model on HIV interventions for mobile and migrant populations.In 2005 the project started with 16 farms, which grew to 18 within a few months. As of 2007, the project works with 28 different commercial farms in the Hoedspruit area, Limpopo province.The sector is typically characterised by small or medium sized farms employing anywhere from 10 to 800 permanent staff, with the workforce increasing to 50 to 2000 during the high season.The main beneficiaries of the project are farm workers, seasonal and permanent, that work on these farms.

What is Being Done?

Implementing the PHAMSA Project Model

In 2005, in response to the findings of the IOM study, “HIV/AIDS Vulnerability among Migrant Farm Workers on the South African Mozambican Border”  on HIV vulnerability among migrant farm workers on 12 commercial farms, IOM, in partnership with the Hoedspruit Training Trust (HTT), strengthened the Hlokomela Project. The Hlokomela Proejct (meaning “care”) takes a comprehensive approach to HIV, considering it not just as a health issue but also as a developmental challenge and thus tackles the different drivers of the epidemic. The Hlokomela project has the following aims: 1.      Increase awareness of HIV vulnerability on farms in Hoedspruit amongst beneficiaries, project partners and stakeholders from the community;2.      Improve knowledge and skills through capacity building of beneficiaries (farm workers and their families), Nompilos, Healthy Lifestyle Action Teams, and farm management;3.      Facilitate access to HIV-related services, including prevention, treatment and care;4.      Improve working environment of farm workers through promotion of productive, healthy lifestyles; and5.      Increase understanding of the HIV vulnerability of farm workers which will contribute to evidence-based programming.The project works with technical partners that provide specialised services and skills, whilst working with a group of farms allows for improved economy of scale. 

Progress to Date

An integrated social and behavioural change programme

A key learning has been to include a strong social change communications component that supports and is linked to all the other components. This is summarised in the below diagram.

Others

Compared to when the project started in 2005, as of August 2007…

1. Number of organisations seeking to partner or support the project has increased from 3 to 17. Hlokomela receives on average 150 calls for assistance per month.
2. Number of participating farms increased from 16 to 28.
3. Number of funders increased from 1 to 4.
4. Hlokomela & IOM has presented several oral presentations at (Inter)national AIDS Conferences.
5. Farmers are increasingly recognising the business necessity and social responsibility of addressing HIV in the workplace, including the provision of ARVs.

At the individual level, through questionnaire administered by Nompilos 71 farm workers responded with the following results:

1. 94% of respondents said they had received pamphlet(s) from peer educators;
2. 94% recalled key message from billboards, pamphlets or posters;
3. Condom distribution increased dramatically through condocans - (from 200 to 92,000);
4. Requests for VCT at local clinic almost doubled (frm 360 to 600); and
5. Farm workers disclosing their status increased from zero to 18, consequently increasing the establishment of support group.
   
   

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