Title :

Enhancing the contribution of community-based organizations working with men who have sex with men (MSM) and male-to-female transgender (TG) towards a better national responses to the HIV epidemic.

Goal:
To reduce HIV prevalence among, and improve the sexual health of, MSM and TG in India by strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations (CBO) to contribute towards the national response to the HIV epidemic.

Project duration:
April 2006 - March 2007

Funded by:
The UK Department for International Development

Summary:
CBOs have enormous potential to effectively contribute to the national response to the HIV epidemic. The Humsafar Trust, with experience and expertise in conducting interventions among MSM in Mumbai, is conducting skills-building workshops to strengthen the capacities of INFOSEM (India Network for Sexual Minorities) member organizations in program development and implementation, advocacy, grant writing and bookkeeping, and documentation and reporting.

Additionally, the Humsafar team is facilitating a process for drafting an advocacy plan for INFOSEM and a National MSM and Transgender HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment
Strategy and Implementation Plan for inclusion in the NACP III Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Outputs:

By the end of the project period the Humsafar team will have developed:
- An advocacy plan for INFOSEM.

- A National MSM and Transgender HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment.

- Strategy and Implementation Plan.

- Four guide-books on program development and implementation, advocacy, grant writing and bookkeeping, and documentation and reporting.

Community development outputs include:
- Greater consensus among MSM and TG communities on national priority areas for HIV and other sexual health issues.

- Greater organizational management skills among sexual minority CBOs for project implementation.

- A stronger national AIDS program which adequately addresses the unique needs of MSM and TG communities.