VSO launches publications on networking and disability inclusive HIV programming
In a two month period Voluntary Services Overseas published two books, one on networking and one on disability inclusive HIV responses. These highly useful manuals have been developed in cooperation with partners from Kenya and South Africa.
Late November last year, VSO Netherlands launched the publication CapacityBuildinginNetworkOrganisations - Experiences from and Practical Guidelines for HIV and other Networks.
The book launch was well attended by different stakeholders form various backgrounds. Guest speaker was Cookie Edwards, Director KwaZuluNatal Network on Violence Against Women (KZNNVAW), South Africa,who gave an inspiring talk about how networks can be effective as well as what challenges they may face.
The publication looks at how HIV networks and other network organisations have strengthened their organisational capacity, which challenges they face and what lessons can be learned. It provides useful recommendations for network organisations to strengthen their capacity and overcome challenges. It is about showing how networks can be greater than the sum of their parts. Clearly this book fits in with the context of DCDD and could be useful for DCDD and its members, being a network organisation itself.
In de first week of December 2009 (both on World AIDS Day and International Day of People with Disabilities), VSO launched a second publication, this time in partnership with Liverpool VCT from Kenya: A Handbook on Best Practices regarding HIV and AIDS for People with Disabilities.
The publication promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in HIV programmes and shows how HIV services and information can be made more accessible for people with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities. It is about sharing ideas and solutions. VSO is very grateful to DCDD for writing the foreword of this publication. It is a good example of the benefits of working together in a network.
Both publications can be downloaded from www.vso.nl and www.vsointernational.org under respectively “What we do”/HIV and AIDS and “What we do”/Disability.
For more information please contact Carine Munting at c.munting@vso.nl or Jessica de Ruijter at j.deruijter@vso.nl