Southern Africa Aids Training Program II
Project / Program Summary

1. Objectives
   
   The Southern Africa AIDS Training Program, known as SAT II, aims to improve the capacity of community organizations in southern Africa to develop and deliver effective and efficient programs that serve the needs of those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the thematic sectors of HIV prevention, community migration, and gender and human/child rights advocacy.
2. Activities / contents
   
   Activities include the provision of direct support in the form of financial assistance, traditional technical assistance, and training and education through "School Without Walls" (SWW), a highly innovative mentoring program whereby local, national and regional organizations are matched with emerging groups in need of training. The Program supports and networks with a diverse range of partners including universities, trade unions, hospitals, AIDS service organizations, city health directorates, city councils, youth organizations, the Salvation Army, the YWCA and women's associations. Women's equality is promoted along with their participation in HIV/AIDS prevention and community care.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   
   Within the scope of the project, an expected long-term result is relevant programming and more effective utilization of local resources by SAT partners. Increased access to services for the most vulnerable HIV/AIDS populations is also expected in the long-term. In short-term, there is an expectation that SAT partners will be better able to respond to the changing needs and circumstances of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Progress in the short-term will be measured by: the level of sub-project performance; the ability of partners to manage community participation; the levels of access to services for the most vulnerable groups.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   
   Throughout the region, HIV/AIDS is striking unskilled, highly trained, and well educated members of the work force during the peak of their productive lives. The cost in social and financial terms is already severe, and is projected to worsen. Overall human capital will deteriorate due to illness and death. Levels of education and skills will decline as fewer families can pay school or training fees and the numbers of experienced teachers and trainers dying of AIDS increases. Key firms and industries throughout Southern Africa, from commercial farms, to mines, to large diversified corporations, are already reporting widespread illness and death due to HIV/AIDS. By the end of the decade, HIV/AIDS will depress production, taxes, savings, national revenue, exports, investment, and undermine efforts at economic reform. By 2010, the World Bank has projected that GDP will likely fall up to 24% in several countries.

Jennifer Thomson, Senior Development Officer
Southern Africa Program, AMEB 997-1930