Freedom Foundation: - The Partnership Initiative

[Guest guest]

India is a resource poor country and hence most of the people living with HIV

come from poor socio-economic backgrounds. In a disease like AIDS, which has

implications that are health related, social & financial, it becomes imperative

that any institution that volunteers to provide care & support for people living

with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs), look at a holistic approach.

In the Indian scenario, HIV/AIDS is today an epidemic that has crossed over all

social & gender demarcations. Under these circumstances, it becomes all the more

important to look at a multi-disciplinary approach where each unit complements

the other.

Today we have over 6 million people infected with HIV in our country. Prevention

efforts are on, but all predictions so far point towards the numbers growing

over the next few years. At some point of time these people will require care be

it medical or psychological. It seems more appropriate to say that people living

with HIV/AIDS need to be treated within general hospital settings. But with more

and more people accessing the private sector for health care services, the

reality is that today HIV/AIDS prevention and care in India is becoming a

specialization of sorts and PLHAs/ community members do get better information,

care and related services when they approach NGOs and other private institutions

that are actively working in this area.

Freedom Foundation has in many ways been responsible for some of the pioneering

intervention in the HIV/AIDS & Substance Abuse sector in India, especially in

the area of comprehensive care & support.

Freedom Foundation is credited to have set up the first comprehensive Community

based comprehensive care and support center in India at Bangalore and is

recognized as a model by NACO and other UN agencies. The foundation has since

then has developed a multi-disciplinary approach, which covers the entire

spectrum of the Prevention/Care/Prevention dynamics; this has been further

enhanced to address livelihood issues (income generation projects/ self-help

groups, work place interventions, etc) and Health Insurance for people living

with HIV/AIDS.

During a time when HIV meant shame & silence, Freedom which was working in the

field of de-addiction, opened its doors to people infected with HIV. Today the

Freedom Foundation operates from 31 sites at various locations in the 4 states

of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, & Goa with future plans to set up its

interventions in Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland. Each location has a series

of interventions linking up the continuum of Prevention to care (HIV/AIDS &

Substance Abuse) with a wide spectrum of services. The Freedom Foundation's head

office is located at Bangalore, India

Today the Freedom Foundation is considered to be one of the largest service

delivery NGO in the Substance Abuse/HIV/AIDS sector in India. The foundation has

a plethora of very successful intervention covering a wide spectrum of

activities; the foundation caters to an all India clientele. At its Substance

Abuse facilities the foundation also attracts clients from various countries

around the world. Freedom Foundation is the recipient of many International

awards for its work in the Substance Abuse / HIV/AIDS sector.

Having developed a specialization in some key interventions like care and

support for infected children, PMTCT & PMTCT plus, ART etc; the foundation is

now involved in operational research / pilot projects in partnership with a few

local state governments / international agencies / donors and universities. The

foundations PMTCT intervention is seen as a classic public/private partnership

initiative.

The Freedom Foundation is one of the recipients of The UN Global Fund for

TB/AIDS & Malaria. GFATM - round 2 & GFATM - round 4 of the India grant. In

round 2, Freedom Foundation along with YRG Care (Chennai) & ARCON (Mumbai) is

setting up a graduated cost recovery process to enable thousands of clients to

access ART at Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore & Hyderabad. The Freedom Foundation has

a rich experience of ART management from the last 5 years. This initiative was

made possible in the year 2000 by an in-house free ART policy with an emphasis

on ensuring more women and children can access ARV drugs.

In round 4, Freedom Foundation along with INP +, Engender Health, PFI, & CII

(PFI is the principle recipient of this round and are the fund managers) will

address the care and support needs of 1,37,000 clients in the six high

prevalence states of Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur,

& Nagaland who will be eligible for the Government of India's ART roll out plan.

Freedom Foundation along with INP + will be the principle service providers at

all locations.

The Freedom Foundation in partnership with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation -

Nigeria, have recently been contracted by the government of Nigeria to replicate

the Freedom Foundations strategies and model.

Freedom Foundation has started its work in Nigeria, (in partnership with TCF and

the Government of Nigeria - NACA & SACA). The first operational comprehensive

initiative will be at Calabar, Cross River State Nigeria. By the end of 2006,

the Freedom Foundation has a mandate to replicate its comprehensive

interventions at Ibadan, Oyedeji, kafanchan, Owerri, Yola, Kachia, &

Birninkebbi, in Nigeria.

A similar initiative is being planed at Botswana.

The Freedom Foundation's senior management team and its 312 full time staff have

managed to achieve a lot with limited resources. Though the foundation receives

financial some support from NACO/SACS and other international donors, many of

its initiatives are not supported by any committed grants or donors. The

foundation's annual approved expenditure budget for 2005 in India is approx INR

7,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees)

The Freedom Foundation is looking for support and service delivery partners to

sustain and further expand its activities (HIV/AIDS / Substance Abuse sector) in

India and other countries, especially in Nigeria and Botswana.

A brief expression of specific interest and intent may be sent to:

Dr. Ashok Rau - Executive Trustee/ CEO

Freedom Foundation,

Email at freedom@... or freedom_admn@...