IOM facilitates on-the-ground projects that demonstrate how best to develop and implement comprehensive interventions that are responsive to the unique environment of labour migrants in southern Africa.The PHAMSA project model seeks to address both the conditions that increase HIV vulnerability of labour migrants as well as the individual risk factors .
The PHAMSA Project Model brings together workplace and community practices and interventions to create a more holistic approach to tackling the epidemic.
The model specifically includes:
1. Peer led Education and referral to other services and support;
2. Tackling discriminatory gender dynamics and prejudices through the training of male role models;
3. Facilitating access to health care and services including VCT, ARVs, and condoms;
4. Creating a conducive environment through HIV workplace policy and programme development;
5. Developing and implementing interventions that address some of the contextual factors that impact on HIV vulnerability such as improving life skills, financial literacy, and promoting recreational activities;
6. Integrated and locally tailored Social and Behavioural Change Communication campaigns; and
7. Developing and strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of local partners to be able to develop and implement HIV programmes for labour migrants. Taking a regional and sectoral approach, PHAMSA works with implementing partners to reduce HIV incidence and mitigate the impact of AIDS among labour migrants, their families and those they interact with.
The implementing partners thus far include:
Commercial agriculture In the Commercial Agriculture sector, IOM works with the Hoedspruit Training Trust (HTT) in South Africa, and the Royal Swazi Sugar Corporation in Swaziland. In Zambia , the IOM country office in Lusaka has forged a partnership with the Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Management System (CHAMP) to work within the commercial agriculture and mining sectors, and a new project will be developed in Malawi
Mining Sector In addition to Zambia, PHAMSA also has on the ground projects in Mozambique and Lesotho, through partnership with TEBA DEvelopment.
Fisheries Within this sector, the main partner is the Walvis Bay Multipurpose Center in Namibia and in South Africa the geographical focus is Cape Town.
Cross Border Sites At cross border sites the interventions will focus on training border officials and local partners on issues around gender and migration.
