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HIV/AIDS Affected Individuals and Business Development Services
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Small Enterprise and Education Promotion (SEEP) network hosted a 10-day
virtual information gathering session from April 19-30 to learn from practitioners
about existing Microenterprise Development (MED) strategies of working
with HIV/AIDS affected households. Mary Morgan moderated the discussion,
which was made possible by support form USAID’s Microenterprise
Division and its Accelerated Microenteprise Advancement Project (AMAP).
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The Small Enterprise and
Education Promotion (SEEP) network hosted a 10-day virtual information gathering
session from April 19-30 to learn from practitioners about existing Microenterprise
Development (MED) strategies of working with HIV/AIDS affected households. Mary
Morgan moderated the discussion, which was made possible by support form USAID’s
Microenterprise Division and its Accelerated Microenteprise Advancement Project
(AMAP).
The focus on HIV/AIDS arose
when SEEP members raised the issue at the 2002 Business Development Services
Working Group (BDSWG) meeting. They struggled to apply the BDS market development
approach when working with very poor and marginal populations, which included
HIV/AIDS affected households. Although members recognized the value of the market
development approach, they felt it needed an adjustment for people facing more
significant barriers to MED.
HIV/AIDS affected people are those
who are HIV positive or have had their lives changed as a result of someone
close to them dying of AIDS. They are often ideal caregivers for someone dying
of AIDS, and caretakers for orphans whose parents have died of AIDS. Despite
being infected with HIV/AIDS, people still often have the capacity to be economically
productive. HIV/AIDS affected households face the burden of caring for ill family
members or additional dependents. In addition, funeral costs can rival the costs
of medical expenses. These hardships, compounded by low mobility, limited cash
and assets, affects the nature of economic activities in which HIV/AIDS affected
individuals can, and will, engage.
Over 145 people subscribed to participate
in the discussion. The subscribers were comprised of BDS practitioners, microfinance
institution staff that service HIV/AIDS affected individuals, HIV/AIDS programs
that operate economic development projects, private sector business people,
and donors.
Over the course of the 10-day virtual
discussion, the following questions were posted to solicit participation and discussion:
- What microenterprise development
initiatives have managed to stabilize or improve income levels in HIV/AIDS
affected communities
- How can BDS practitioners package
initiatives to enhance their reach to those affected by HIV/AIDS, without
exacerbating stigma on the one hand, or breaching sound enterprise development
practices on the other?
- What needs to be taken into consideration
regarding physical security for female caregivers and youth (18-25) when developing
a BDS intervention? Are there additional considerations for youth who are
also orphans, and those under 18 years of age?
- What are the unique issues that
HIV-affected households consider when making decisions about linking into
new markets and value chains, and how do these unique issues affect their
willingness to participate in new market opportunities?
- In communities where the prevalence
of HIV/AIDS is high and there is an existing production or manufacturing cluster
of MSEs, what sort of capacity building is needed to facilitate the formalization
of a relationship between the cluster and a supplier within a value chain?
- What employment initiatives of
small firms have been successful in hiring, training and maintaining HIV/AIDS
affected individuals as employees? How could these same initiatives be transferred
to a subcontractor relationship between a large firm sub contracting to a
cluster of HIV/AIDS affected MSEs?
- How can Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) be utilized to encourage suppliers in commodity value chains to outsource
to MSEs affected by HIV/AIDS? What examples exist where CSR has been a key
factor in closing a deal between a supplier firm and a cluster of HIV/AIDS
affected MSEs?
- What examples are there of successful
market linking between large firms and smallholder farmers or manufacturing
MSEs? Why are they successful?
- HIV/AIDS affected families have
low mobility, very limited cash and assets, limited time for productive labour
and are risk adverse. If this is the case, then what kind of enterprises is
HIV/AIDS affected individuals operating? And in what sectors?
Below are some of the
lessons learned which emerged from the discussion:
- When working with HIV/AIDS
affected communities, it is important to work with entire families. If someone
is ill, the family still needs a means to generate income. If the caregiver
cannot attend to the HIV victim’s business, another family member must
be able to instead.
- Nutrition is key for
HIV/AIDS infected individuals. Participating in healthy eating programs reduces
food costs and provides a means for the family to save money.
- In agricultural production,
labour-saving devices like drip kits, ensure a higher yield while reducing
labour, which permits a [caregiver] to attend to someone who is ill or to
care for young orphans. It also provides work opportunities.
- Linking NGOs that specialize
in HIV related issues with MED initiatives ensure higher success of the MED
programs. It is important that the NGO with HIV/AIDS expertise should comprehend
MED practices and that the MED program staff have knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
- Those with HIV/AIDS affected
are economically vulnerable. They often self-select into MED programs when
the program offers products and services directed toward the economically
vulnerable.
- Protecting the assets
of women and orphans who have lost a husband or father is critical for the
households of HIV/AIDS victims. Advocating government policies to protect
property is necessary for economic development among HIV/AIDS affected women
and youth.
- Linking legal services
that assist the preparation of wills with MED projects is a way to protect
the assets of female-headed households.
- Scarce assets (liquid
and fixed) endanger HIV/AIDS affected households because of their economic
vulnerability. If these households are going to enter new markets, they need
to be assured of selling. This requires making contacts with consumers in
foreign markets, securing contracts, and understanding quality control, standards
and product specifications desired by the final market.
- Trusted intermediaries,
such as NGOs which work with HIV/AIDS households, can make links with new
markets and reduce the perceived economic risk. They can achieve this by brokering
a business relationship between a private sector firm who will buy and MSEs
who can sell. In many circumstances, the buyer provides embedded BDS in the
form of capacity building, technical assistance, and, where appropriate, the
introduction of labour saving technology.
- Meeting the demand and
production yields of new (agricultural or industrial) markets cannot be achieved
at the MSE household level. Organization is required to meet demand and to
set up catchment areas for produce and manufactured goods to be collected.
If you are interested
in reading further about this discussion, you can access a compilation contributions
grouped by topic and the list of lessons learned and BDS strategies identified
at: http://www.seepnetwork.org
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