Local civil society organisations (such as non-government organisations or NGOs) are critical to a country’s HIV response. However, NGOs are relatively new in Mozambique as the country only gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The first Frelimo government faced an enormous challenge to bring the country back from the brink of complete economic collapse after the end of Portuguese rule, through Marxist socialism. Its early successes in health, education and other sectors were soon reversed by overt and covert political destabilisation which evolved into a brutal, 16-year civil war between the Frelimo Government troops and the Mozambique National Resistance or Renamo guerrilla fighters backed by South Africa and others such as the United States and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). A peace accord was signed in 1992. The combination of a number of factors such as ongoing destabilisation and civil war, severe drought, a starving population, emerging donor dependence and the death of Samora Machel (the country’s first President) paved the way for a shift towards the West, IMF imposed structural adjustment and quasi democracy.
The protracted civil war fractured Mozambique as millions left the country as refugees (many fleeing to already high HIV prevalent countries such as Zimbabwe). For those who stayed, movement throughout the war years was severely constrained and many families in rural areas left their farms to seek refuge in the cities and towns, from the Renamo raids in which many men, women and children were killed or injured. Importantly, all of the above factors, also combined to increase poverty, fuel the HIV epidemic and inhibit the development of civil society in Mozambique. Mozambican NGOs started emerging in the 1990s, some have come and gone, some have survived and new ones are emerging on a daily basis. The majority, however, still have limited organisational and technical skills and struggle to mobilise resources and deliver quality prevention, care and support services to HIV affected communities. The reality is that many are working with little or no funding, equipment or infrastructure doing whatever they can to assist their communities. In addition, the national umbrella organisations that represent HIV focused NGOs in Mozambique also want and need to increase their technical knowledge and organisational management capacity so they can better support their member NGOs.
Given the high and increasing HIV prevalence, pre-existing poverty and the now many serious social, cultural and economic problems that are emerging or being exacerbated by HIV and AIDS, the Mozambican government simply cannot respond effectively or comprehensively to the epidemic on their own. They need the support and active involvement of a strong civil society. In fact, their National Strategic Plan clearly outlines the leading role required of civil society in the national response.
Our Program
In 2003, Burnet and another Australian NGO, Plan International, were jointly awarded almost 10 million from the Australian Government (AusAID) program Australian Partnerships with African Communities [APAC] to implement a program we had collaboratively designed to reduce community vulnerability to HIV and AIDS in five countries - Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia. Burnet is responsible for the Mozambican component, as we have been working in Mozambique, through a local partner organisation, since 1999.
Burnet’s work in Mozambique now has three distinct but interrelated components. These include:
- Capacity development of local organisations (HIV focused NGOs and key national umbrella organisations)
- HIV prevention
- STI treatment
Other information about this program
- Year 3 Report
- Recent Achievements
- Special Report on Advocacy Campaigning [Miss Positivo]
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