EveForLife - Supporting Women and Children Living with HIV
Services and Programmes
 
Eve for Life core services and programmes include parenting interventions, HIV and AIDS counselling, social support, training and capacity building, AIDS education and community sensitisation and mobilization and advocacy.
 
Some of our services are influenced by The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) of Uganda, a best practice in HIV and AIDS response. 
 
 
Parenting Interventions
 
Parenting is an integral aspect of the services offered by Eve for Life and the basis for the founding of the organisation.
 
Parenting is a major issue that affects the emotional well being of children living with HIV. Many parents do not know how to grow their children and as such significant emotional and physical abuse ocurrs within families affected by HIV. Training workshops and sensitisation sessions will be conducted with parents and caregivers and will include such issues as discipline, sex and sexuality, grieving and preparing for death.
 
Positive Proactive Parenting is a programme of EVE for Life, designed to empower Parents, Guardians and care givers to manage issues of parenting, self help and advocacy. There are currently four interventions in this design, (with flexibility and adaptability to target specific needs):
 
1. Parenting:
  • Proactive Parents are Positive Parents
  • Positive Parenting a Proactive Lifestyle.
 
2. Caregivers:
  • Called to Care “the child within”.  
  • Called to Care “ I am the one”
 
3. Self Help and Advocacy:
  • I am Alive
 
4. OVC’s Mentors Club:
 
Eve for Life's Parenting Programme is influenced by tested programmes and training materials found in
  • “Parenting manual trainers manual – HOPE Worldwide Jamaica
  • “ The Child Within – connecting with children who have experienced grief and loss” – Judy Rankin with Reverend Renate Cochrane and Khulakahle Child Counselling and Training Forum
  • Jamaican Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, developed by The Jamaican Task Force committee for comprehensive sexuality Education
 
Child Interventions 
 
EVE for Life will run a programme that will support the social and psychological development of  children living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. This involves counselling the children and their guardians, supporting them through providing basic education and in life skills training that enable them to live meaningful lives.
 
 
 
After School Programme 
 
EVE for Life plans to offer an after school programme for children living with or affected by HIV. It willtarget mainly children who dropped out of the formal school system or children who are having difficulty in the current school system and are at high risk of dropping out.
 
The programme will entail basic mathematics and English programmes. Other specialised teachers will be sought to assist on a voluntary basis. The organisation will liaise with HEART NTA to provide training in construction or cosmetology. Additionally EVE for Life will work with various hairdressers, barber shops and mechanic shops to encourage them to take on some of the youth to earn funds or as career choices.
 
 
Social Support 
 
Women living with HIV bear the brunt of the epidemic in Jamaica. They are the main breadwinners and usually are the heads of households. A significant number are unemployed and their  biggest challenges are providing food, clothing, finding money for their children's school fees, school supplies, uniforms and nutritional support.
 
There is concensus that if these challenges are mitigated, it would make it easier to cope with HIV.
 
EVE for Life Social Support Programme will comprise services that seek to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and their families by providing referral services for nutritional support, school support and other specified needs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HIV and AIDS Counselling
 
Counselling is also an important part of the support offered by EVE for Life.
 
EVE for Life will provide psychosocial support in all aspects of HIV from pretest to post test; prevention, care and support. HIV and AIDS counselling is important in providing accurate information about HIV and AIDS and related issues, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), human rights issues, appropriate referral services as well as encouraging positive living with HIV and AIDS. 
 
Counselling at EVE for Life will be accessible to women and members of their families, couples and children. Services will also be available to companies or organizations that request it.
 
 
Youth Support  
 
Eve for Life will start a group comprising youth aged 8 – 18 years old who are either living with or affected by HIV. It will act as a support group aimed at reducing the trauma associated with HIV.
 
Objectives:
 
  • Equip young people  with facts about HIV and AIDS through monthly sensitisation sessions
  • Encourage youth living with HIV to support one another as regards the psychosocial effects of HIV and AIDS surrounding their families 
  • Equip young people with life skills to guard against sexually transmitted infections and HIV
 
 Strategies:
 
The following strategies will be employed:
  • Peer education
  • Working with other entities to promote dialogue between young people and adults on relationships and sexuality
  • Working with the media to highlight issues of concern to youth
  • Leadership training
 
 Activities:
  • Life Skills and HIV sensitisation workshops
  •  Peer Education training
  • Leadership training
  • Monthly meeting to share experience and ideas and seek correct information on a range of reproductive health issues
  • Provide HIV and AIDS education to young people through holiday workshops and seminars
  • Network with young people infected with HIV especially those in homes.