FHI - RBP+: Leading a Community Response to HIV/AIDS in Burundi

FEBRUARY 2008 — In 2006, Reseau Burundais des Personnes vivant avec le VIH Plus (RBP+) was a community-based organization trying to respond to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kirundo, a dusty Burundian town near the Rwandese border. "There were lots of people dying and we could do nothing," says Pierre Claver Nkunzimana, RBP+ coordinator.

In 2007, RBP+ entered into a partnership with the ROADS Project to strengthen its capacity and reach. Within a year the organization transformed itself. More than 100 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) have been trained as home-based care volunteers. They have made nearly 4,400 home-based care visits, referring 330 PLHA for clinical HIV services.

But the real transformation has come through the increased leadership capacity of PLHA in Kirundo. They are no longer simply consumers of health services: they are partners with three provincial health centers, and are regularly consulted on how PLHA programs can be improved, serving as essential outreach volunteers to the broader PLHA community, and accompanying PLHA as advocates in discussions with clinic staff.

Creating Livelihoods
Solidarity with members has become an important focus for the organization. RBP+ volunteers meet weekly to produce baskets sold at their headquarters to create an emergency fund for PLHA members in crisis.

And with the support of LifeWork—ROADS' private sector initiative—RBP+ is creating jobs to address the severe and chronic economic vulnerability of its members. The increased visibility and capacity of RBP+ has reduced stigma against PLHA in the community, contributing to a 700 percent increase in membership in one year.

PHOTO: ROADS' LifeWorks initiative is developing a partnership with RBP+ to create jobs for members. Baskets produced by RBP+ volunteeers support an emergency fund for PLHA in crisis. (FHI/ROADS Project)