Comforting Hearts

GENERAL INFORMATION

Comforting Hearts is a non-governmental organization that provides HIV/AIDS services to adults, children and youth in regions 5 and 6. The idea of forming an organization came about after nineteen (19) persons, who were trained as counsellors by the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), decided that they wanted to do a lot more for Berbicians who were either infected with or affected by HIV. The idea at the time was to work in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness and counselling. The organization was launched on the 10th of December 1998 and registered on 2nd March 2000 under the Friendly Societies Act, Cap 36:04. The organization operates according to approved by-laws, boasting a robust governance structure that sets forth operational policies and procedures, values, and long-term planning to meet the mission of the organization. Guiding the implementation of planned activities is an annual work plan which outlines how tasks are going to be accomplished within a given time-frame and in compliance with an agreed upon budget. Comforting Hearts currently employs a workforce of twelve (12) employees possessing the required background, training and capabilities/expertise for the positions held. The organization has established policies for personnel management, staff development, benefits, compensation, hiring and promotion, grievances, sexual harassment and work hours. Further, there are entrenched workplace policies addressing the protection of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Additionally, the implementation of technical activities is guided by standard operating procedures in accordance with national and international criteria.

There were positive changes in her personality. The staff at Comforting Hearts described her as open and aspiring. In April 2015, TL led the Vryman’s Erven Training Centre’s debate team in a competition held by the (then) Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Her team argued that young people with excessive tattoos should not be barred from employment in the public sector.

TL graduated from the Centre in July at seventeen (17) years old. She was awarded best student due to her outstanding performance. She is now a telemarketer with Nand Persaud International Communications Inc and hopes to own her own business one day.

Inclusiveness and diversity

Empowering clients

Confidentiality and honesty

Networking, partnership, and collaboration

At Comforting Hearts we:

Facilitate access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS
Provide voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) outreach
Support services for men having sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers (FSWs), specifically socio-economic empowerment and literacy classes

Beneficiaries of Services
People living with HIV (PLHIV), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, survivors, perpetrators of gender-based violence, and the general population.

Locations or Reach
Regions 5 and 6.

Comforting Hearts over the course of eighteen (18) years has managed a sum of two hundred and sixty-two million, one hundred and sixty four thousand, seven hundred and eighty seven dollars ($262,164,787.00). Programmes have been implemented that address: home and palliative care, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), positive health dignity and prevention, gender-based violence, prevention of stigma and discrimination. Services include –

Home and community visits to OVC and People living with HIV (PLHIV)
Job readiness training for OVC and PLHIV
After school programmes for OVC
Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) based age appropriate small group education sessions for OVC
Counselling on personal safety for OVC (aged 5-9)
Support group for OVC
Vocational and job readiness training for clients
Referrals and linkages to other HIV related services
Small group educational sessions on gender-based violence (GBV)
One-on-one psychosocial counselling for survivors and perpetrators of GBV
OVC parenting skills workshop

Social services and partnerships
Comforting Hearts has cultivated a strong network and partnership with Government Ministries and other stakeholders which helped to facilitate information sharing among partners, in the areas of HIV and other social issues. There are systematic procedures for involving stakeholders in formulating organizational strategies for delivery of impactful services. Comforting Hearts maintains good referral practices and possesses Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key subnational service providers. The organization has adequate office space and equipment appropriate for the implementation of project activities.

During its existence, the NGO has successfully implemented a number of projects including the Guyana HIV/AIDS/STI Youth Project, the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Project, the Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project and currently, Advancing Partners and Communities HIV project.

In fiscal year 2014/2015, Comforting Hearts provided care and support to three hundred and twenty two (322) clients in over forty-eight (48) communities in regions 5 and 6. Just over half (50.3%) of those served were adults. The organization’s care and support programme addressed the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs of clients. Secondary prevention was an essential area of the services offered which included health management in asymptomatic and symptomatic phases of HIV infection. Comforting Hearts was able to screen one hundred and eight-six (186) persons for gender-based violence and provide additional support to approximately thirty percent (30%) of those screened. In addition, the home-based HIV testing and counseling (HBHTC) programme which was piloted in June 2015 saw Comforting Hearts reaching over one hundred and seventy (170) members of the key affected populations with HIV prevention education and other supportive services.

Additionally, Comforting Hearts provided one hundred and sixty (160) orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) with care and support services that were vital to their growth and development. All OVCs had access to psychosocial counselling, through group therapy, art therapy, one on one counselling and peer support. Fifty four (54) of the OVCs received remedial classes from the after-school programme, sixteen (16) OVCs aged 5-9 were equipped with the relevant information for their personal safety in order to prevent child sexual abuse of all forms, seventy-seven (77) OVCs were provided with life skills, eighty-five (85) OVCs benefitted from support group activities, and seven (7) of our OVCs were provided with legal and social protection which included registration of birth. Fifteen (15) HIV positive OVCs were retained on the antiretroviral therapy treatment. One (1) OVC successfully completed job readiness training and received the best-student trophy.

Finally, the organization was able to collaborate with stakeholders within the community to create an environment to improve the well-being of OVCs, people living with HIV (PLHIV) and other vulnerable groups.