Vocational Training
While working among HIV/AIDS after care I have closely worked with children infected and affected, as well I have worked with women infected and affected. Stigma and discrimination makes things difficult for them. The population with whom I was working is living below poverty line; most of them are migrant daily wageworkers. The family consists of 4 to 5 people minimum and bread earner is one and how much does he earn 80 – 100 Rs. Per month if the spouse works as household maid then the total income of the family increases but not sufficient to raise a family of 4 or 5 people.
These people are always in stress, depression, worried and feel insecure. Poverty, risky behavior and drug abuse can be considered as a major problem as all of this increases the chances of HIV/AIDS infection. Risky sexual behavior and sexual abuse due to drug abuse leads to tension among the community.
This community is worst affected as they are excluded, they live below poverty line they cannot afford a days meal how are they going to have ART therapy. Stigma and discrimination keeps them below the dirt and they suffer to death. They cannot even afford to send their children to school or educate themselves.
We face lot of difficulties while working with them. Anyways, the solution that I find is to set up an vocational training. How is this going to help?
Vocational training – makes the target group financially independent, motivates them and their family, lowers down tension and promotes better mental health, they afford ART therapy, makes social inclusion easier, community health workers can closely work with them, the single parent can take care of his/her child and afford him/her for education, getting proper education during training they understand the virus thus helps fight stigma and discrimination.
The entire process of vocational training would be divided into subsections, at every level proper required education is provided. (required – about health and hygiene, importance of balance diet and how to have balance diet in 50rs., HIV/AIDS awareness, STI and other valuable information) this is a package of the training. This definitely works as with training and counseling the motivation level increases. The psychological perception towards life changes and they understand that they have to live with this infection and control it with ART therapy. During this process providing valuable knowledge helps in making them understand the need of education and caution. In return they understand everything and see life in a different ‘positive’ way. They talk with their friends and family, neighbors, other infected or affected person who needs emotional support, it becomes a chain that fights stigma and discrimination.
In the start of the training after the need assessment is done and looking at the potential buyers for the end product the training begins. Providing vocational training is technically very difficult, there are ‘n’ numbers of things that needs to be taken care of; product, availability of raw material, place (this is the most important as stigma and discrimination is so high that you can stick to a place for long time, the society will tell you to move out or a mob will just ransack it), training, cost of production, storage, marketing, potential buyers, and selling of the product. As a trainer we have to make sure that we already have potential buyers. The government does provide support.
Another thing that we have noticed is that it’s important to introduce the members. They feel shy or guilty to meet another infected or affected member – the reason for this is lack of education, they don’t know what is HIV/AIDS so they have a feel of guilt. Majority of people have guilt due to lack of education. Proper marketing of HIV/AIDS is required. That can reduce the stigma; not make it difficult.
Once when all the members are comfortable among themselves, they form a team and work together. This increases their self-confidence, motivation, they find emotional support within the group this again promotes mental health. At the end of the training program, they are highly motivated, emotionally strong and above all independent group of people.
Making them independent makes inclusion easier and the society slowly starts to change its view, as you all know change is always difficult to accept.
The training is provided after making proper need assessment, this helps in making group easier and work process becomes faster. Children are also included, special attention is provided to them. They are other worst affected young hearts. We provide support in their education, pay their fees and give them required lessons. The hidden skills are nourished; proper grooming is given so that they can compete with others.
I do see vocational training as a very powerful tool to fight stigma and discrimination and making social inclusion easier. It all depends upon how you use this tool.
Community health workers, psychologist, counselors and society do play a very important role it making it successful.
In Love,
Anand
While working among HIV/AIDS after care I have closely worked with children infected and affected, as well I have worked with women infected and affected. Stigma and discrimination makes things difficult for them. The population with whom I was working is living below poverty line; most of them are migrant daily wageworkers. The family consists of 4 to 5 people minimum and bread earner is one and how much does he earn 80 – 100 Rs. Per month if the spouse works as household maid then the total income of the family increases but not sufficient to raise a family of 4 or 5 people.
These people are always in stress, depression, worried and feel insecure. Poverty, risky behavior and drug abuse can be considered as a major problem as all of this increases the chances of HIV/AIDS infection. Risky sexual behavior and sexual abuse due to drug abuse leads to tension among the community.
This community is worst affected as they are excluded, they live below poverty line they cannot afford a days meal how are they going to have ART therapy. Stigma and discrimination keeps them below the dirt and they suffer to death. They cannot even afford to send their children to school or educate themselves.
We face lot of difficulties while working with them. Anyways, the solution that I find is to set up an vocational training. How is this going to help?
Vocational training – makes the target group financially independent, motivates them and their family, lowers down tension and promotes better mental health, they afford ART therapy, makes social inclusion easier, community health workers can closely work with them, the single parent can take care of his/her child and afford him/her for education, getting proper education during training they understand the virus thus helps fight stigma and discrimination.
The entire process of vocational training would be divided into subsections, at every level proper required education is provided. (required – about health and hygiene, importance of balance diet and how to have balance diet in 50rs., HIV/AIDS awareness, STI and other valuable information) this is a package of the training. This definitely works as with training and counseling the motivation level increases. The psychological perception towards life changes and they understand that they have to live with this infection and control it with ART therapy. During this process providing valuable knowledge helps in making them understand the need of education and caution. In return they understand everything and see life in a different ‘positive’ way. They talk with their friends and family, neighbors, other infected or affected person who needs emotional support, it becomes a chain that fights stigma and discrimination.
In the start of the training after the need assessment is done and looking at the potential buyers for the end product the training begins. Providing vocational training is technically very difficult, there are ‘n’ numbers of things that needs to be taken care of; product, availability of raw material, place (this is the most important as stigma and discrimination is so high that you can stick to a place for long time, the society will tell you to move out or a mob will just ransack it), training, cost of production, storage, marketing, potential buyers, and selling of the product. As a trainer we have to make sure that we already have potential buyers. The government does provide support.
Another thing that we have noticed is that it’s important to introduce the members. They feel shy or guilty to meet another infected or affected member – the reason for this is lack of education, they don’t know what is HIV/AIDS so they have a feel of guilt. Majority of people have guilt due to lack of education. Proper marketing of HIV/AIDS is required. That can reduce the stigma; not make it difficult.
Once when all the members are comfortable among themselves, they form a team and work together. This increases their self-confidence, motivation, they find emotional support within the group this again promotes mental health. At the end of the training program, they are highly motivated, emotionally strong and above all independent group of people.
Making them independent makes inclusion easier and the society slowly starts to change its view, as you all know change is always difficult to accept.
The training is provided after making proper need assessment, this helps in making group easier and work process becomes faster. Children are also included, special attention is provided to them. They are other worst affected young hearts. We provide support in their education, pay their fees and give them required lessons. The hidden skills are nourished; proper grooming is given so that they can compete with others.
I do see vocational training as a very powerful tool to fight stigma and discrimination and making social inclusion easier. It all depends upon how you use this tool.
Community health workers, psychologist, counselors and society do play a very important role it making it successful.
In Love,
Anand
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