Building Institutional Capacity in HIV/AIDS in Faith- Based Organizations in Jamaica and the Caribbean: A Case Study

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Abstract:
Objective To present a case study of a pilot programme being implemented by the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) in partnership with the Diocesan HIV/AIDS Committee of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Christian AID, the World Council of Churches, UNFPA, and the Ministry of Health in Jamaica. Design and Methods An examination of project documents and written and oral reports to determine 1. the rationale for the project, 2. the methods used, 3. the achievements to date, 4. the lessons learnt in mobilizing FBOs, 5. the developing of HIV/AIDS policies 6. the developing of programmes to train trainers, 7. the building of partnerships to mainstream the programme as part of the National HIV/AIDS programme in Jamaica 8. the development of alliances with international partners to share knowledge and experiences from other countries. Results In this programme do far, UTCWI, one of the primary theological training institutions in the Caribbean has institutionalized HIV/AIDS training in the curriculum with five members of staff qualified as VCT trainers and one of those as a master trainer. The institution has committed itself to train all its students beginning with the final year cohort. So far ten final year students and one additional lecturer have been trained. There is also a move to train persons working in congregations in counselling awareness building and theological discourse in HIV/AIDS. Conclusion FBOs are ideally suited to build awareness and capacity among a number of pilot FBO communities as a response to the pandemic that has resulted in the Caribbean having the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection after Sub-Saharan Africa. They are willing to work together with national and international programmes to build public awareness, develop policies and programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and response. Most FBOs have not yet addressed this area of need, however they are willing to work together to achieve these goals.