Abstract
Organisations remain exposed to risk and are vulnerable to HIV and AIDS impacts for as long as they are unprepared to mainstream HIV and AIDS. Certainly without infusing sustainable strategies for the HIV and AIDS pandemic into day to day operations there would be considerable waste of resources. This study sought to establish the level of internal mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS in an international NGO operating in Zimbabwe. Questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of employees of the NGO, while senior managers were interviewed. Relevant internal documents were also reviewed to help ascertain the extent of internal mainstreaming in the NGO. The main finding was that HIV and AIDS internal mainstreaming had not been successfully done. While the organisation had certain comparative advantages, these were not harnessed to address the causes and effects of HIV and AIDS in an effective and sustained manner within the NGO. The major barrier was lack of commitment by senior management of the NGO. While management were aware of the impacts of HIV and AIDS, there were no tools to enable them to quantify the effect on the NGO. Getting it right for this NGO does not require more financial resources but a paradigm shift and modifying or realigning what is already on the ground for an effective and sustained response to HIV and AIDS.
Highlights
Sub-Sahara Africa is heavily affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) more than any other region of the world (UNGASS, 2010)
An estimate of 22 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007 and approximately 1.9 million additional people were infected with HIV during that year while by 2008, the AIDS pandemic in Africa had claimed the lives of an estimated 1.5 million people in the region, leaving more than 11 million children orphaned by AIDS (UNAIDS 2008)
It is in light of this that this study sought to assess the success of HIV and AIDS internal mainstreaming in one Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe
Summary
Sub-Sahara Africa is heavily affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) more than any other region of the world (UNGASS, 2010). Tackling the impact of HIV and AIDS on productivity of the workforce and enterprise efficiency in all sectors of economic activity and development should be a major concern Interventions by both government and the international community and local players have yielded positive results. Most workplaces in Zimbabwe are characterised by high staff turnover, frightening loss of critical skills and specialist knowledge, millions of lost man-hours and an accelerated reduction in productivity because of the impact of HIV and AIDS on employees. NGOs in Zimbabwe and elsewhere have and continue to play a leading role in mitigating the effects of HIV and AIDS in the communities they operate Despite this they are not sacrosanct and are affected by the pandemic like the general populace in which they operate. It is in light of this that this study sought to assess the success (or lack of it) of HIV and AIDS internal mainstreaming in one NGO operating in Zimbabwe
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