CARE India, through SAKSHAM Grant Supplement project works with 42 Community Based Organizations (CBOs)/  NGOs implementing HIV Prevention programme with FSWs and MSMs in 7 districts of Andhra Pradesh with goal of enhancing community response to HIV. SAKSHAM has been successful in promoting development of CBOs through a blended approach of Community-to-Community learning based on SALT as a way of working and thinking.

Sixty Community Resource Pool from the…

Padmavathy is working as a Manager-Capacity Building in CARE-SAKSHAM team for the past six years. SAKSHAM project works with Community Based Organizations of female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh. During these six years she created many leaders through her art of ‘Appreciating’ the community and helping them believe in their ‘strengths’ to deal with their problems. Many community leaders owe their gratitude for Padmavathy for inspiring them to become great leaders through her…

Asha Rekha Mahila Mandali (ARMM) is a CBO of sex workers based at Chirala,  Ongole District, Andhra Pradesh. Vibrant CBO leaders of ARMM attended onsite capacity building programme facilitated by CARE-SAKSHAM at Prema Sangham Mahila Mandali (PSMM)-Chittore. Five executive board members and three NGO staff attended four day immersion programme at PSMM-a Learning Site.

Female sex worker’s community of PSMM shared on how they collectivized themselves to find solutions to the…

Bujji, a member of Jhansi Lakshmi Mahila Mandali (JLMM) promoted by CERA-NGO based at Ananthapure shares her journey of overcoming intimate partner violence with the help of CBO and police personnel.

Bujji hails from a small village in Ananthapure district from a big lower middle class family of four elder brothers and three elder sisters. At the age of 14 she falls in love trap  of a handsome boy ‘Raju’ from a small town. Bujji by then was lured into sex work and her lover…

Sangha Mitra Welfare Society (SWS) is a CBO of Men having Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgenders (TGs) based at Kakinada, in East Godavari District at Andhra Pradesh, India. Environment Centre, local NGO promoted SWS as part of its HIV prevention programme with MSM and TGs. SWS is now declared as a Learning Site for HIV prevention with MSM and TGs in Andhra Pradesh State. SWS shared the testimony on how they have gained the confidence of TGs by being positive and supportive to people who…

Chaitanya Mahila Mandali (CMM) is a CBO of Female Sex Workers (FSW) based at Hyderabad implementing Targeted Intervention with sex workers. In one of the visits, Ms.Sunitha, Peer Educator (PE) shares how death of a peer brought conviction among the CBO members to grow as a strong force with visitors who have come to learn from them.

Rani, FSW based at Hyderabad caters to high end clients in the city and makes reasonably good money. Sunitha, PE working in CMM provides her…

During theSALT visits in Rajamundry in the month of November 2010, Baby, President of Nari Saksham shares her story to stimulate sex workers to talk. I am glad to share this simple but very inspiring story.

Baby is a very simple and shy woman hailing from a small village in Rajamundry. She has been in sex work profession for the past 20 years and is just a literate. She happened to attend one of the meetings facilitated by K.Padmavathy, Manager-Capacity building. Baby introvert by…

As part of SALT visit, I had accompanied a group of sex workers to a village near 'Godavari River' at Rajamundry in Andhra Pradesh. We visited 'Meghamala Sangham' CBOof sex workers and a member of 'NARI SAKSHAM-a Federation of sex workers of CBOs. One of the sex workers facilitating SALT visit asked to share what they are proud of as Meghamala CBO. CBO members started telling an inspiring story. And the story is......

Lakshmi, a sex worker based at Yeluru town is…

Let me share a moving and heart touching story of a true disciple from SALT visits facilitated by The Constellation, India Community Life Competence Group and SAMRAKSHA on 25^th October 2010 at Koppal in North Karnataka, India.…

I am glad to share an inspiring story learnt during SALT visits facilitated by The Constellation, India Community Life Competence Group and SAMRAKSHA on 24^th October 2010 at Koppal in North Karnataka, India.…

‘As a child I am a mother of two children and as a sex worker I am sister of thousands of sex workers’. My journey from a sex worker to Traing faculty Afsari Begum…

NARI SAKSHAM is a CBO promoted by CARE India in SAKSHAM (Strengthening Awareness, Knowledge and Skill for HIV/AIDS Management) Project. The project served as the implementation and learning site for a Community Led Structural Intervention in Andhra Pradesh in India. This project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation was implemented during 2004 to 2009 in Rajamandry town with over 1800 sex workers. The project was successful in reducing the HIV/AIDS vulnerabilities and enhanced rights…