FHI Partner Helps Former Users Stay Drug Free, Find Employment
JANUARY 2008 — USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Kent Hill toured the nonprofit Community Health Rehabilitation, Education and Awareness (CREA) facility in Dhaka last month. With support from FHI and funding from USAID, CREA provides a residential detoxification service to street-dwelling, needle-sharing, injecting drug users who, on their own, never could afford such treatment. The program, called Modhumita ("sweet friend," logo pictured at left) has linked up with an organization originally funded by USAID to develop business and expand employment in Bangladesh.
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A Woman Finds Her Voice, Protects Self and Others from HIV
JUNE 2007 — Through its partner, Light House, FHI reaches out to sex workers in Bangladesh, providing counseling, health services, condoms, and strategic behavioral communication training. Read about Lovely, one of many impoverished rural woman who came to the city seeking work but ended up on the streets. Though speech-impaired, Lovely has become an effective peer educator.
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Religious Leader Opens Communication, Key to HIV Prevention
NOVEMBER 2006 — Enayet Hossain, 34, an influential religious leader in Bangladesh, was furious when he learned that a local NGO discussed STIs, HIV and AIDS. As a former student of a madrassa, or religious school, he found this contrary to Islam. To voice his opposition, Hossain attended a community advocacy meeting hosted by the Association of Voluntary Action for Society. As a result, his views began to change. Hossain realized that he had a responsibility to educate others about the risk of HIV.
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Widow Opens a Window of Hope
SEPTEMBER 2006 — "When I lost my husband to AIDS, I felt immense uncertainty. I was hopeless and helpless," recalls Habiba Akter, an outspoken advocate for PLHA in Bangladesh. "A widow at age 25, my dreams were shattered. At that time, there were no peer-led support groups. A physician at the hospital was a great support, but I realized that he may not always be available to do the same for others. So I joined an NGO and started working as a voice for people affected by HIV and AIDS."
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Bangladesh Recognizes FHI's Work in Reducing Illicit Drug Use
NOVEMBER 2005 — The Department of Narcotics Control of the Government of Bangladesh recently honored FHI/Bangladesh for its efforts to build awareness about the risks of injection drug use.
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IMPACT, Peace Corps Support HIV Prevention in Bangladesh
MAY 2005 — A new collaboration between Peace Corps and the Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care (IMPACT) Project is strengthening HIV prevention organizations throughout Bangladesh. The project pairs Peace Corps volunteers with IMPACT's community-based partners to improve their operations and programming. Volunteers help build the skills of staff and peer educators in English, computers, report writing, office organization, and monitoring and evaluation.
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IMPACT Activities in Bangladesh Build Capacity for Harm Reduction, BCC Programs
OCTOBER 2004 — FHI/IMPACT sponsored Bangladesh's first Multisectoral Advocacy Meeting for Harm Reduction. The September gathering in Dhaka launched a groundbreaking national discussion about how best to develop a collaborative national strategy for harm reduction and HIV prevention interventions for injection drug users. IMPACT also recently conducted a five-day workshop on behavior change communication and peer education for local nongovernmental organizations participating in the HIV/AIDS Prevention Project.
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