WAT - HUMAN SETTLEMENTS TRUST P.O. Box 5914,Dar-es-Salaam, TANZANIA. Tel:

OVERCOMING BARRIERS: HOUSING AND HIV/AIDS IN SUB SAHARA AND ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES IN CANADA By: Tabitha Siwale Chief Executive WAT- Human Settlements Trust.

PRESENTATION OUTLINE (I)Definition (II)Vision and Mission statement of WAT Human Settlements Trust. (III)HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (IV)Target groups (V)Key issues related to HIV/AIDS and housing in WAT- Human Settlements program. (VI)Key strategies used to respond to the issues (VII)Activities carried out (VIII)Training WAT Staff (IX)Tool Used (X)Challenges (XI)Future challenges and possible responses.

DEFINATION AIDS : Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome HIV : Human Immune Deficiency PLWHA: People living with HIV/AIDS TACAIDS: Tanzania Commission for AIDS WAT : WAT- Human Settlements Trust WAT- SACCOS: Women Advancement Trust Saving and Credit Cooperative Society.

WAT-Human Settlements Vision and Mission Statement.  Vision: To see a society living in improved human settlements as a result of WAT-Human Settlements activities in low and middle-income areas by  Mission Statement: To promote adequate and affordable shelter with secure tenure of low and middle income earners particularly women.

HIV/AIDS  Tanzania Population 35.5 Million (2002 census)  First cases of AIDS appeared in 1983 in Kagera Northern Region.  2.2 Million people are living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)  25.3 Million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Sub- Sahara Africa  37.8 Million PLWHA world wide  56% of PLWHS in Tanzania are women compared to 60% in Kenya and 65 in Uganda  HIV/AIDS has been declared a crisis issue in Tanzania since early eighties  National target is to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015

TARGET GROUPS  Housing coops/groups  Women groups  Policy makers.  Activists groups  Representatives of International bodies.  Neighboring community to WAT office(two sub wards):  Male - 6,877  Female - 7,180  Affected – 17  Widows – 14  Orphans – 62  Widowers - 5

KEY ISSUES RELATED TO HIV/AIDS AND HOUSING IN WAT-HUMAN SETTLEMENTS TRUST PROGRAM.  HIV/AIDS is not considered a Human Settlements issue by many people.  Poverty  In adequate housing/shelter poverty  Inheritance rights for women  Empowering communities to find solutions for prevention of spread of HIV/AIDS and on how to deal with HIV/AIDS cases.  Lack of Housing policy.  Lack of funds.

KEY STRATEGIES USED TO RESPOND TO ABOVE STATED ISSUES  Creation of awareness on the spread of HIV/AIDS  Creating awareness on how adequate and affordable housing can be part of a solution to dealing with HIV/AIDS epidemic.  Teaching on affordability in relation to housing.  Linking issues of HIV/AIDS and inheritance.  Networking with other civil society organizations.  Collaborating with Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS)  Dissemination of information.  Distribution of fliers brochures, posters.

ACTIVITIES  Organizing workshops/meetings for  WAT target groups and the neighboring community.  Nominated members from some villages or wards.  Awareness creation on:  Situational analysis of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania  How HIV/AIDS is transmitted  Housing and HIV/AIDS  Prevention of spreading HIV/AIDS  Stigmatization  Networking  WAT is a member of the ward HIV/AIDS committee.

Activities Cont….. Organizing campaign on Inheritance Rights Widow face a number of problems exuberated by customary and statutory practices which includes:  Denial to inherited the husbands property  Being inherited  Stigmatization  Lack of care and support N.B. The objective is to lobby and advocate for change of customary law on inheritance.

Training WAT staff  HIV/AIDS at work place  How to prepare a HIV/AIDS policy at work place  Monitoring and evaluation : One member of staff attended training conducted by TACAIDS)  Peer educator: One member of staff trained as a peer educator.  Community Capacity Enhancement: Two members attended the training course in Mombasa.

Tools Used 2 Videos  1 st video produced by government on sexually transmitted diseases  2 nd video on life worries produced by WAT Actors members of Nalamakazi housing group.  Training Manual on HIV/AIDS  Posters  Fliers  Brochures

CHALLENGES THAT WERE FACED IN THIS PROCESS Some people do not take the disease seriously Poverty among young girls Religious stand on using condoms Lack of funds Lack of housing strategies prepared by local authorities Shelter poverty. Outdated laws of inheritance. Some people do not want to reveal that they are HIV/AIDS positive.

FUTURE CHALLENGES Poverty among community members. Construction of adequate and affordable shelter. Lack of insufficient funds Law on HIV/AIDS Inheritance Law Education on writing wills

POSIBLE RESPONSES Encourage members to save through savings and credit societies Train and advise members of coops/groups on different techniques of building adequate and affordable shelter. More people will be responding to advice given