In 1999, USAID began supporting a core of NGOs involved in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support activities. These NGOs formed the National Coordinating Committee, now called the National Coordinating Coalition Inc (NCC), with responsibility for oversight, coordination, and monitoring of project results. However, decreasing USAID financial support through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) along with Government’s inability to fund NGOs will jeopardize the sustainability of the national HIV/AIDS response in the future. While the NGOs are essential to extending the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support services, they are not equipped to be financially independent; and remain heavily, if not solely, dependent on donor support.
Recognizing the unique and critical role NGOs play in complementing the National HIV response and the need to ensure the sustainability of the NGOs and the services provided, USAID created the Guyana Civil Society Leadership (GCSL) project. Initiated in June 2015, through a three (3) year cooperative agreement between the Volunteer Youth Corps Inc and USAID, one of the project’s objectives was to create an enabling environment for the National Coordinating Coalition Inc. and its membership to sustain their health and social service interventions in communities. On 6th November 2015 NCC was registered as a not-for-profit entity under the Companies Act No. 29 of 1991 (Cap 89:01). and the Secretariat was established in June 2017.