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A program that includes local villagers in the change process

The Need
Stigma exists within most communities affected by the HIV epidemic in Malawi.

UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) cites fear of stigma and discrimination as the main reason why people are reluctant to get tested, disclose their HIV status and take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

This needs to change. Enter... 
Together! ACT Now

What T!AN is Doing

We are educating groups of Village Advocates in each village on HIV and how they can best educate their own community on HIV. Putting the change process in each villagers hands.

Through the creation of Stronger Together Community HIV Village Groups, T!AN provides educational workshops, weekly group meetings, and facilitates monthly HIV education performances for the community group.

Keep reading to learn more.

Which Villages & Villagers

It takes an entire community to create change and break down stigma. Our community group members become passionate Village Advocates, who we supply with HIV education and programming guidance to help them be successful. We accept all people, no matter their HIV status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

We choose what villages to support based on data of HIV rates, distance from medical centers, and ARV defaulting rates. 

We then work with the chief and village elders to select the 20 Village Advocates.

HIV Week long Workshop

​Our first visit to the village will be with the Theatre to End AIDS program to build a reputation and kickstart our work and relationships within the village.

​Once a group of 20 Village Advocates is established within a village, T!AN provides a week long HIV educational course to those who have joined.

This course goes into depth around what HIV is, how it affects their community, and what support exists.

Weekly Group Meetings
After graduating from the education course, this group of Village Advocates meets weekly with T!AN. During the weekly meetings we start co-creating their own plays, songs, poems, dances, and other performing arts pieces that they will use to educate their village with.

Every village has their own specific struggles with HIV and this approach really allows for a tailored message and a grassroots approach to change.

*Novel coronavirus update: we have expanded to providing COVID-19 education as well. We are also providing free face masks and hand washing stations to all villages and villagers we work with.

Village Performances

Once the Village Advocates have created content, these village groups start performing within their own communities. This is an important step because this is where stronger conversations can really start and where stigma can be torn down from directly within their community. 

T!AN will be present at all village performances to support our Community Groups in their important work.

This will happen once a month, ongoing.

Testing & Mobile Health Clinics
2-4 times a year T!AN coordinates both HIV testing days as well Mobile Health clinic days for each village. These work in tandem with the Community Group's performance days.

Equal Access to ARV medication is a huge problem in Malawi. Many villagers can't afford the $1.25 it costs to get in the back of a truck to get to the nearest Community Health Center.

That's why we're bringing the medication to them.

​Learn about our Equal Access to Medicine Program

Annual HIV Performing Arts Festival

​At the end of every year Together! ACT Now hosts a HIV Performing Arts Festival with all village volunteers coming together to perform their favorite songs, plays, and poems for all other groups.  

This is an opportunity for communities to share ideas and messages across the district, while learning about the similarities and differences in each others struggles.

Cost

The Stronger Together HIV Community Village Group's will provide a well rounded approach to village outreach, where we will enable each individual village to act as their own advocates for change. 

$70

Covers the cost per month per village for multiple outreaches. Consider giving monthly to support a village.

$300

Cost for the week long HIV Education Workshop.
Donate to Village Groups

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Highest Transparency Level


501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
​EIN: 27-3011543
Email:
[email protected]

Address:
Together! ACT Now
10420 Lone Tree Dr.
​Anchorage, AK 99507 USA
Copyright © 2024 Together! ACT Now. All Rights Reserved.

The Need

Stigma exists within most communities affected by the HIV epidemic in Malawi.

UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) cites fear of stigma and discrimination as the main reason why people are reluctant to get tested, disclose their HIV status and take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

...This needs to change. Enter Together! ACT Now.

What T!AN is Doing

We are going to put the power to educate their own community in each villagers hands.

Through the creation of Stronger Together Community HIV Village Groups, T!AN will provide educational workshops to those who want to join the group.

This group will then hold monthly HIV educational performances for their own village.

Which Villagers & Villages
​*Novel coronavirus update: we have expanded to providing COVID-19 education as well. We are also providing free face masks and hand washing stations to all villages and villagers we work with.
It takes an entire community to create change and break down stigma. our community group members become passionate Village Advocates, who we supply with HIV education and programming guidance to help them be successful. We accept all people, no matter their HIV status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

...It takes a village.

We choose what villages to support based on data of HIV rates, distance from medical centers, and ARV defaulting rates. 

We then work with the chief and village elders to select the 20 Village Advocates.

Education Workshop

Weekly Group Meetings

Our first visit to the village will be with the Theatre to End AIDS program to build a reputation and kickstart our work and relationships within the village.

​Once a group of 20 Village Advocates is established within a village, T!AN provides a week long HIV educational course to those who have joined.

This course goes into depth around what HIV is, how it affects their community, and what support exists.

Village Performances

After graduating from the education course, this group of Village Advocates meets weekly with T!AN.

During the weekly meetings we start co-creating their own plays, songs, poems, dances, and other performing arts pieces that they will use to educate their village with.

Every village has their own specific struggles with HIV and this approach really allows for a tailored message and a grassroots approach to change.

*Novel coronavirus update: we have expanded to providing COVID-19 education as well. We are also providing free face masks and hand washing stations to all villages and villagers we work with.
Once we've created content, these village groups start performing within their own communities. This is an important step because this is where stronger conversations can really start. Where stigma can be torn down from directly within their community. 

T!AN will be present at all village performances to support our Community Groups in their important work.

This will happen once a month, ongoing.

Testing & Mobile Health Clinics

2-4 times a year T!AN will coordinate both HIV testing days as well a Mobile Health clinic days. These will work in tandem with the Community Groups performance days and education will center around going for testing as well as taking the medication.

Equal Access to ARV medication is a huge problem in Malawi. Many villagers can't afford the $1.25 it costs to get in the back of a truck to get to the nearest Community Health Center.

Annual HIV Performing Arts Festival

​Learn more about our Equal Access to Medicine Program.
The Stronger Together HIV Community Village Group's will provide a well rounded approach to village outreach, where we will enable each individual village to act as their own advocates for change. 
​At the end of every year Together! ACT Now will host a HIV Performing Arts Festival with all village volunteers coming together to perform their favorite songs, plays, and poems for all other groups.  

This is an opportunity for communities to share ideas and messages across the district, while learning about the similarities and differences in each others struggles.

Cost

​Village Group per village 
$30 Monthly
Testing & Mobile Health Clinic Days
​Learn more on Equal Access Page
HIV Education Week per village 
​$300 One time

Consider donating $30 per month to sustain a village
By supporting a village for a month you will be supporting weekly group meetings facilitated by T!AN. These meetings will lead to in-village performing arts shows, where villagers will be educating their own community on HIV.

Donate to Village Groups