After attending the RATN sponsored course on Management and Administration of HIV and AIDS Programmes in Africa at Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (EASAMI), I can confidently say that the training has been the foundation on which I have been able to spearhead the project director s docket which has led to the growth of Matibabu Dr. Fredrick Okango, Director Health Services and Programmes, Matibabu Foundation
programmes. They also have significant reach to AIDS Service Organisations in their own countries and beyond. RATN is a network of 35 Member Institutions from 11 countries and includes International NGOs, National and Local NGOs, Management Institutions and University Departments.
Our work Instant Projects The Initiative for Strengthening HIV/ AIDS Networking and Training (INSTANT) is a grant-giving programme of RATN that supports the implementation of capacity building initiatives. INSTANT is designed to strengthen the abilities of RATN Member Institutions (MIs) in identification, design and implementation of relevant and innovative interventions that strengthen the capacity of institutions and individuals to effectively respond to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region. INSTANT enables MIs, through the provision of a small grant, to propose and execute small projects aligned to RATN’s strategic programme areas.
RECABASO The Comprehensive Results Based Management Capacity Building for HIV and AIDS Service Organisations (RECABASO) is an RATN initiative funded by Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and implemented in collaboration with the Eastern Africa National Network of AIDS Service Organisations (EANNASO). The programme identifies and addresses RBM capacity gaps among organisations implementing HIV and health in order to strengthen their effectiveness and performances in achieving MDGs numbers 4, 5 and 6. The programme attains sustainability and impact by empowering and then requiring beneficiary organisations to become mentors and pass along knowledge to other individuals or organisations.
RAIG RATN Alumni INSTANT Grants (RAIG) is an initiative of RATN that funds innovative and viable projects by RATN Alumni. RAIG ensures that innovative ideas are turned into tangible projects. The initiative endeavours to ensure ideas, thoughts and plans of innovations are tapped and
implemented to benefit the populace. Projects funded under RAIG are original, sustainable and of great impact. RAIG, therefore, seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and execution by ensuring that the knowledge and skills alumni acquire during their training is well utilised to improve and scale up the quality of service provision among AIDS Service Organisations and institutions where they are based.
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Where we work
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Regional AIDS Training Network
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RATN works across the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region in 11 countries, namely Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, South Africa and Kenya (where its secretariat is based). Currently, RATN has 35 full members and one Associate member.
RATN Member Institutions: 1. Kenya • African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) • Centre for African Family Studied (CAFS) • Gertrude’s Pediatric Training Centre • Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment (LVCT) • Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) • Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors (KAPC) • Network For Researchers in Eastern and Southern Africa (NARESA) • University of Nairobi, Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU) 2. Uganda • AIDS Information Centre (AIC) • Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) • Mildmay Uganda (MU) • The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) • Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners Together Against AIDS (THETA) • Uganda National Health Consumers Organisation (UNHCO)
3. Tanzania • Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) • Tanzania Gender Training Institute (TGNP) 4. Rwanda • Kigali Health Institute (KHI) 5. Zambia • Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) • In-Service Training Trust (ISTT) • KARA Counselling and Training Trust Ltd • The Salvation Army, Chikankata Mission Hospital 6. Malawi • Malawi College of Health Sciences (MCHS) • Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) 7. Zimbabwe • CONNECT Institute of Systemic Therapy • Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT) • Genitourinary Centre (GU) • Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) 8. Botswana • Institute of Development Management (IDM) 9. South Africa • Health Economic and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu Natal • Institute of Health Programs and Systems (IHPS), South Africa • Regional Psycho-Social Support Initiative (REPPSI) • Soul City, South Africa • Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information and Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS)
For More Information Contact: The Executive Director, Regional AIDS Training Network • P.O. Box 16035, 00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254 020 263 5929, 263 5938 • Mobile (Office): +254 734 999 975, 724 255 849 Email: ratn@ratn.org • www.ratn.org
Developing Capacity of HIV and AIDS Programmes in Eastern and Southern Africa
Our mission: To strengthen the capacity of organisations and stakeholders to respond to STDs/HIV and AIDS in the Eastern and Southern Africa region About Us The Regional AIDS Training Network (RATN) is a Kenya-headquartered NGO representing a consortium of more than 35 Member Institutions (MIs) from 11 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa where it fosters south-south capacity building of individuals (men, women, boys and girls), organisations, governments and other stakeholders to effectively respond to HIV and AIDS. RATN has long-term experience in developing and delivering contextspecific capacity building that responds to emerging issues and tailored to the needs of targeted audiences. RATN’s vision for local capacity development
includes a strong emphasis on ResultsBased Management (RBM) in an effort to increase accountability, internal management learning, and decision making and reporting. Established in 1997 as a project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), RATN’s status changed from a project to an NGO in 2003 with its secretariat office in Nairobi, Kenya.
What we do RATN exists to build, develop and strengthen the capacity of individuals and organisations towards an effective response to the HIV pandemic. This is achieved through the delivery of projects in its key areas namely:
Training and Capacity Building As the demand for quality human resources skills continues to outstrip the capability of many organisations responsible for HIV responses, RATN has doubled its effort in the implementation of training and capacity development by scaling up training and capacity development
programmes focusing on new and emerging issues within HIV prevention and other co-infections. In collaboration with its Member Institutions, RATN facilitates design, development and delivery of both long term and short term training courses. Every year, RATN and its MIs deliver both short term and longterm course with up to 50 short courses on different HIV response areas. Capacity building (also referred to as capacity development) is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organisations and nongovernmental organisations from realising their developmental goals while enhancing the abilities that will allow them to achieve measurable and sustainable results. RATN’s role is to facilitate capacity building by being a catalyst in the process.
Knowledge and iInformation Management Accurate and timely communication of information is critical to knowledge building as well as empowerment of individuals and organisations working in the area of HIV and AIDS. RATN continued to create opportunities and platforms to support Member Institutions and other strategic partners to engage and share information on HIV and AIDS to enable them to provide prevention, treatment, care, support and mitigation effectively.
Advocacy, Partnership and Networking
Grants and Business Development
RATN Member Institutions and other institutions in countries where RATN operates are uniquely placed to influence policies that will increase support towards training and capacity development for HIV response. However, due to the lack of the technical capacity and skills needed to effectively respond to, and advocate for these issues, the network can never be as strong.
RATN is dedicated to building a powerful network to support the capacity development of organisations, health workers, government officials and other stakeholders in the response to the HIV pandemic. RATN focuses on strengthening the network and achieving organisational sustainability through both the provision of grants and the development of funding resources. RATN relies on a variety of resources to support its activities and is constantly developing and executing fundraising strategies that keep the RATN network strong. To this end, RATN cultivates mutually beneficial partnerships with bilateral and multilateral funders, foundations and corporations that share our vision of a society with the capacity to respond effectively to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Through its advocacy, Networking and Partnership activities, RATN has stepped up its activities towards expending the network strategically to ensure effective HIV response in the ESA region and beyond. RATN advocacy efforts focuses on influencing the coordinated scaleup of quality HIV training and capacity development at both the national and regional level in order to achieve improved programming in HIV and AIDS and realising the Universal Access targets and MDGs.
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation RATN aims at ensuring that HIV training and capacity development programmes in the region are evidence-based and reflective of emerging trends and lessons learnt. It does this by strengthening mechanisms to effectively research for, monitor and evaluate training and capacity development interventions for impact and effectiveness.
Our Approach RATN functions as a catalyst and facilitator to strengthen the HIV and AIDS curriculum development and training capacity of member training institutions and as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences. We collaborate with our Member Institutions, government institutions and other partners in the countries where we work to deliver impactful trainings and share information and ideas.
RATN not only recognises the need for individuals to be able to respond effectively to the pandemic, but also gives key importance to the need for capacity building of the institutions that play a role towards the response. Through innovative projects and small grants to its MIs and Alumni, RATN ensures that capacity building is facilitated. RATN’s capacity building programmes revolve around the four facets of HIV response: • Prevention • Treatment Care and Support • Impact Mitigation • Institutional development
Our strength RATN’s work is fortified through its network. RATN operates through its Member Institutions, all of which have recognised competencies in delivering capacity development services through their training
Our vision: A society with the capacity to respond effectively to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.