National Coordinating Coalition » Comforting Hearts (CH)

General Information

Strategic Direction

Strengths & Specialities

Success Story

HIV/AIDS Services

Community & Social Services

Community Impact

Overview
Comforting Hearts is a non-governmental organization that provides HIV/AIDS services to adults, children and youth in regions 5 and 6. The idea of forming an organization came about after nineteen (19) persons, who were trained as counsellors by the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), decided that they wanted to do a lot more for Berbicians who were either infected with or affected by HIV. The idea at the time was to work in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness and counselling. The organization was launched on the 10th of December 1998 and registered on 2nd March 2000 under the Friendly Societies Act, Cap 36:04.

The organization operates according to approved by-laws, boasting a robust governance structure that sets forth operational policies and procedures, values, and long-term planning to meet the mission of the organization. Guiding the implementation of planned activities is an annual work plan which outlines how tasks are going to be accomplished within a given time-frame and in compliance with an agreed upon budget.

Comforting Hearts currently employs a workforce of twelve (12) employees possessing the required background, training and capabilities/expertise for the positions held. The organization has established policies for personnel management, staff development, benefits, compensation, hiring and promotion, grievances, sexual harassment and work hours. Further, there are entrenched workplace policies addressing the protection of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Additionally, the implementation of technical activities is guided by standard operating procedures in accordance with national and international criteria.

Years of Service
Seventeen (17) years

Geographic Reach/Location
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Partners
Scotiabank, Bricklayers, Family Awareness Consciousness Togetherness (FACT), National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS).

Purpose
The main goal of Comforting Hearts is to provide care and support services for persons infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in regions 5 and 6.

Mission Statement
An empowered and healthy Berbice.

Vision Statements
To provide comfort and care for at-risk families and those impacted by social ills in Berbice.

Values statements
Inclusiveness and diversity
Empowering clients
Respecting the dignity of all
Confidentiality and honesty
Networking, partnership, and collaboration

Summary of Strategic Goals
Goal 1: Continue to deliver Comforting Hearts’ quality programmes for at-risk children, youth and adults in New Amsterdam.

Goal 2: Develop new programmes and services to meet the needs of at-risk children, adults and families in New Amsterdam.

Goal 3: Maintain, steward and expand partnerships to increase Comforting Hearts’ reach.

Goal 4: Expand awareness of Comforting Hearts and its programmes in the community and among local, regional and national government and business leaders.

Goal 5: Diversify revenue sources to promote self-sufficiency for Comforting Hearts.

Aspirations for the Future
With the decline in HIV/AIDS related funding Comforting Hearts hopes to sustain its programmes to continue providing HIV/AIDS education to promote responsible sexual lifestyles, expand voluntary counselling and testing, and create an enabling environment that leads to the ultimate provision of hospice services inclusive of palliative care.

HIV testing and counselling (HTC)

HIV prevention, education, and awareness

Life skills training

Psychosocial counselling

Care and Support for People Living with HIV (PLHIV)

Orphan and other Vulnerable Children (OVC)

Gender-based violence (GBV) screening, counselling, and support

Suicide prevention counselling and support

Linkage and referral for health related services & socio-economic support

Community outreaches

Workplace HIV counselling and testing

Family Planning and other social services

TL was an orphan and vulnerable child born to a low income family. When she was six (6) years old both of her parents died from AIDS related illnesses.

Comforting Hearts Intervention
In 2007, TL enrolled in Comforting Hearts’ orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) programme which became a source of psychological, nutritional, spiritual, and academic support to her for several years. She subsequently joined the organization’s job readiness programme where she began training in cosmetology at the Vryman’s Erven Training Centre.

Outcomes
There were positive changes in her personality. The staff at Comforting Hearts described her as open and aspiring. In April 2015, TL led the Vryman’s Erven Training Centre’s debate team in a competition held by the (then) Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Her team argued that young people with excessive tattoos should not be barred from employment in the public sector.

TL graduated from the Centre in July at seventeen (17) years old. She was awarded best student due to her outstanding performance. She is now a telemarketer with Nand Persaud International Communications Inc and hopes to own her own business one day.

At Comforting Hearts we:

Facilitate access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS

Provide voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) outreach

Support services for men having sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers (FSWs), specifically socio-economic empowerment and literacy classes

Beneficiaries of Services
People living with HIV (PLHIV), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, survivors, perpetrators of gender-based violence, and the general population.

Locations or Reach
Regions 5 and 6.

Comforting Hearts over the course of eighteen (18) years has managed a sum of two hundred and sixty-two million, one hundred and sixty four thousand, seven hundred and eighty seven dollars ($262,164,787.00). Programmes have been implemented that address: home and palliative care, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), positive health dignity and prevention, gender-based violence, prevention of stigma and discrimination. Services include –

Home and community visits to OVC and People living with HIV (PLHIV)

Job readiness training for OVC and PLHIV

After school programmes for OVC

Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) based age appropriate small group education sessions for OVC

Counselling on personal safety for OVC (aged 5-9)

Support group for OVC

Vocational and job readiness training for clients

Referrals and linkages to other HIV related services

Small group educational sessions on gender-based violence (GBV)

One-on-one psychosocial counselling for survivors and perpetrators of GBV

OVC parenting skills workshop

Social services and partnerships
Comforting Hearts has cultivated a strong network and partnership with Government Ministries and other stakeholders which helped to facilitate information sharing among partners, in the areas of HIV and other social issues. There are systematic procedures for involving stakeholders in formulating organizational strategies for delivery of impactful services. Comforting Hearts maintains good referral practices and possesses Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key subnational service providers. The organization has adequate office space and equipment appropriate for the implementation of project activities.

During its existence, the NGO has successfully implemented a number of projects including the Guyana HIV/AIDS/STI Youth Project, the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Project, the Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project and currently, Advancing Partners and Communities HIV project.

In fiscal year 2014/2015, Comforting Hearts provided care and support to three hundred and twenty two (322) clients in over forty-eight (48) communities in regions 5 and 6. Just over half (50.3%) of those served were adults. The organization’s care and support programme addressed the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs of clients. Secondary prevention was an essential area of the services offered which included health management in asymptomatic and symptomatic phases of HIV infection. Comforting Hearts was able to screen one hundred and eight-six (186) persons for gender-based violence and provide additional support to approximately thirty percent (30%) of those screened. In addition, the home-based HIV testing and counseling (HBHTC) programme which was piloted in June 2015 saw Comforting Hearts reaching over one hundred and seventy (170) members of the key affected populations with HIV prevention education and other supportive services.

Additionally, Comforting Hearts provided one hundred and sixty (160) orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) with care and support services that were vital to their growth and development. All OVCs had access to psychosocial counselling, through group therapy, art therapy, one on one counselling and peer support. Fifty four (54) of the OVCs received remedial classes from the after-school programme, sixteen (16) OVCs aged 5-9 were equipped with the relevant information for their personal safety in order to prevent child sexual abuse of all forms, seventy-seven (77) OVCs were provided with life skills, eighty-five (85) OVCs benefitted from support group activities, and seven (7) of our OVCs were provided with legal and social protection which included registration of birth. Fifteen (15) HIV positive OVCs were retained on the antiretroviral therapy treatment. One (1) OVC successfully completed job readiness training and received the best-student trophy.

Finally, the organization was able to collaborate with stakeholders within the community to create an environment to improve the well-being of OVCs, people living with HIV (PLHIV) and other vulnerable groups.