1 minute read
Community Spotlight: REFLECTIONS
written by Hazel Ivy Jeremias
The ACER project which stands for “Accelerating Community Engagement and Response on HIV-AIDS Prevention” is almost at its end. JM Maynes, ACER’s Program Manager, shared his insights on the future of the community-based organizations (CBOs) that make up the Champion Community Centers (CCC) network.
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Champion Community Centers is a national network of community-based organizations (CBO) that delivers HIV services to key populations, managed by LoveYourself as the a Global-Fund sub-recipient. CBO performance in service delivery is measured through indicators such as reach, enrollment, screening, testing, and adherence.
Like any other program, the project had its ups and downs. Maynes shared that achieving CBO targets and indicators proved to be more difficult compared to establishing the network. “Producing the target numbers was one challenge for this project. These CBOs shined on their own with their own efforts, and we had to escalate this effectively,” Maynes said.
CBOs that performed well shared their best practices to other CBOs through the network. This is one way to ensure that all members of the network learn from each other, thereby strengthening collaboration. This further highlights the importance of the network and CBOs themselves in the delivery of HIV services on ground.
When asked what lessons his team learned throughout the project’s implementation, Maynes had this to say: “For me, the collaboration of the CBOs within the network was something that inspired me. By collaborating effectively, they did not only make their efforts more effective but also sustainable. And it is their strong commitment to the advocacy that ties this solid collaboration.”
Since its inception, there are 18 CBOs that make up the network. Its reach extends from Luzon, Visayas, to Mindanao. The network is expected to expand to 30 CBOs as a call for new CBOs to join ensues with a new grant coming. Maynes looks forward to this and he sees a bright future for the program. “What I want to see from the CBOs in the future is to continue nurturing the network itself. They should continue working together as a network, championing initiatives, and inspiring other CBOs with their works,” he mused.
