The Health Outreach and Peer Education (H.O.P.E.) Initiative

Mission

The H.O.P.E. Initiative is part of GMRP's commitment to health promotion and disease prevention. Our first project site is near Ho, a town in the Volta Region near Ghana 's eastern border with Togo . The Initiative's three main goals are to:

• Prevent the continued spread of HIV, Malaria, and Typhoid fever in the Volta Region

• Reduce stigma surrounding HIV and build community support networks for AIDS victims

• Improve the quality of life of victims of HIV, Malaria, and Typhoid

The H.O.P.E. Resource Center

The most logistically substantial part of the H.O.P.E. Initiative will be the construction of a resource and support center near Ho. The center will be a multifaceted community resource with a forward thinking approach to new projects and opportunities that expand its operations. During the first year of operation, the center will serve as a space for H.O.P.E. on-site programming, with space for support groups and educational seminars, one-on-one counseling, testing and treatment referral programs, and distribution of preventative and educational materials. It will also serve as a training facility and meeting base for community outreach programming, some of which will take our volunteers into remote areas outside Ho for days at a time. The center will be located just outside the city limits of Ho, within walking distance of an existing volunteer housing center maintained by our Ghanaian partner, Ghana Outlook. The site will also be within one mile of the local Polytechnic University , which will provide a reliable volunteer base.

Construction Photo Journal

Long-term (two or more years) objectives for the center include adding testing and treatment capabilities, a paid administrative staff, part-time paid doctors and nurses, and a small pharmacy. Sustained support paired with new partnerships will make this a possibility.

Outreach Programming

In collaboration with Ghanaian and U.S.-based partners, NGO workers, and a panel of experts, GMRP is designing educational outreach programming targeted at HIV and tropical disease prevention. While the principal focus will be on youth and mothers, H.O.P.E.'s outreach programs will affect people of all ages and genders. The programs will be designed to tap into existing social networks to maximize efficacy and scope; additionally, they will rely in large part on peer-to-peer interaction, which has proven very successful in other HIV prevention programs worldwide.

GMRP will also incorporate Malaria and Typhoid prevention into its HIV outreach programs. Initially, this will take the form of counseling about disease prevention and distribution of certain preventative materials, such as mosquito netting and sanitary food handling instructions. After at approximately one year, Malaria and Typhoid outreach initiatives will be extended to include diagnosis and treatment or vaccination.

The H.O.P.E. Initiative in Three Phases

Development and execution of GMRP's H.O.P.E. Initiative will consist of three distinct phases:

• Construction and Development (duration: 9 months)

a. Construction of the center

b. Research and development of specific outreach and onsite program components

c. Recruitment of staff

• Initial Operation (duration: 12 months)

a. Program implementation

b. Close observation and modification of program where necessary

c. Development of program expansion plan and preliminary fundraising

• Long-Term Operation (duration: 5 years)

a. Addition of sustainable HIV testing capabilities

b. Development of Malaria and Typhoid diagnostic and treatment program

c. Development of Typhoid vaccination program

By the end of five years, GMRP hopes to have a significant presence in the Volta Region with the possibility of opening new facilities in other areas of the country. Frequent evaluation both onsite and off will be an important part of the initiative's first years to ensure program efficacy and reproducibility.

Volunteerism: Our Commitment to Youth Leadership

In keeping with GMRP's tradition of youth leadership, a majority of volunteers for the H.O.P.E. Initiative will come from the nearby Ho Polytechnic University. Several Polytechnic students have volunteered with other local NGOs and have expressed enthusiastic interest in working for the H.O.P.E. Initiative. GMRP will also arrange for its U.S.-based student members to travel periodically to perform onsite volunteer service, and several GMRP partners have expressed interest in organizing youth service trips. The programs of the H.O.P.E. Initiative will rely on this peer-to-peer cooperation as part of its efforts to facilitate meaningful dialogue about HIV prevention strategies among community members.

Partners

Marley AIDS Advocacy ( Philadelphia ): www.marleyaids.org

Rotary Club of Evanston , IL : www.lighthouserotary.org

For more information, please contact us at hope@globemed.org