Family Awareness Consciousness Togetherness (FACT)

FACT began with the aim of reducing HIV infections among youths in Corriverton and its environs through assisting those at higher risk or vulnerable to infection with accessing quality health care services. The organisation later evolved into a multidimensional operation providing comprehensive family support services throughout the region in areas such as home care for persons living with HIV and the elderly, HIV education and prevention services for populations at higher risk to HIV, after school support, nutritional enhancements for vulnerable children, women and youth empowerment, parenting development, among others; all as part of efforts to ensure healthy and quality family lives

Purpose
FACT believes that strong, functional family units build a community morally, socially and economically. FACT’s mission statement expresses this belief and its staff daily illustrate this through their interactions with clients, the community, donor agencies and each other. 

Aspirations for the Future
FACT intends to strengthen its ability to serve the community by constructing a multi complex business centre that houses a comprehensive package of services tailored towards family needs and development including expansion of the daycare/playschool space and services, complete catering services (waiter/waitress opportunities, venue decorations, tables/chairs/tent rentals, meal and cake preparations), a gaming arcade and a document centre.

Skills & Strengths
All staff and volunteers are cross trained with the ability to multitask and are drawn from the target population and across the catchment area in which services are provided.

Speciality of Activities
Home-based care services for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and the elderly, after school support programs, prevention education/counselling and testing, community mobilization, facilitation, and skills development.

Eight (8) individuals who were trained in cosmetology found alternative employment, while three (3) others developed their own small business. Five (5) orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) were successful at the 2016 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations while two (2) moved on to tertiary learning with one (1) at University of Guyana (UG) and another enrolled at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).

FACT’s programmatic activities also resulted in a reduction of stigma at service points, improved relations with the service providers, and evidence of responsible health seeking behaviors noted among eighteen percent (18%) of the members of the key populations.

At FACT we facilitate:

Beneficiaries of Services
Youths (in and out of school), single parents, young men and boys, women and girls, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), persons living with and affected by HIV, female sex workers, men having sex with men (MSM), transgender persons, miners and loggers, needy families, single parents.

Locations or Reach
Region six (6) from New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek inclusive of Black Bush Polder and the Amerindian settlements including Orealla and Siparuta up the Corentyne river.

FACT has conducted HIV prevention sessions with six thousand four hundred and twenty seven (6427) members of key populations along with five hundred and sixty (569) nine miners/loggers; resulting in four thousand nine hundred twenty five (4925) key populations and three hundred and ninety six (396) miners/loggers counselled and tested. Additionally, two hundred and eleven (211) persons were beneficiaries of the organisation’s home-based care.

The following numbers show the total recipients of services provided by FACT: