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Our Current Projects

Global Fund Project

Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health and Community System Strengthening

June 2024 to December 2026

Based on gaps identified in the HIV, TB and Malaria end-of-term review, the NSF recommended Strengthening Community Systems to ensure improved community outreach, sustained demand creation, as well as adherence and retention of ARV treatment and TB medication. The Global Fund awarded Tonata funding under the HIV Treatment & Care Cohort of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), in order to implement Building Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health and Community Systems Strengthening. This project aims at reducing human rights-related barriers to HIV/TB services in six regions—Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omusati, Zambezi and Kavango Eastern Namibia—for a period of three years (2024-2026). The primary objective of the project is to ensure that civil society organizations and community groups and networks are supported to better organize and coordinate themselves for strengthening resilient and sustainable systems for health and community systems, under the following expected outcomes:

Improve access to information related to HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination, and violence, including the use of the new technologies
Improve access to information related to reducing human right related barriers to HIV/TB services
Develop and disseminate IEC materials on HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination and violence
Improve and increase community engagement dialogues with traditional Leaders and faith-based institutions on stigma and discrimination and violence
Increase the establishment of support groups for equal rights of AGYW who are PLHIV, LGBTQI, and PWD. Improve equal rights for women especially those living with HIV

Key Interventions & Activities:

improving laws, regulations, and policies relating to HIV/TB through undertaking community engagement dialogues with faith-based and traditional institutions on stigma, discrimination, and violence
reducing HIV-related gender discrimination, harmful gender norms and violence against women and girls in all their diversity through ensuring equal rights for women, especially those living with HIV, and promoting female-led health initiatives
pre-exposure prophylaxis programming for sex workers through training health extension workers, other community workers, and peer service providers on ARV-based prevention.

UNDAIDS Project

Gender Project

April 2024 – July 2025

As part of the ongoing implementation of the Gender Assessment of the National HIV and TB response, UNAIDS Namibia awarded Tonata funding for the Gender Project. This initiative focuses on strengthening male involvement in the HIV/TB response and empowering women-led organizations in Ohangwena and Oshikoto (April 2024 to March 2025) and Zambezi (starting may 2025). Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pressing issue in these regions, often intertwined with the HIV epidemic. High rates of domestic violence, particularly by intimate partners, reflect deeply entrenched harmful gender norms that also hinder men’s access to healthcare, including HIV and TB services. Structural barriers such as stigma, discrimination, and societal expectations around masculinity prevent men from seeking timely healthcare services.

This project aims to enhance community engagement, raise awareness about GBV, HIV, and TB, and alleviate poverty, especially among women and youth living with HIV. Through this program, Tonata seeks to create safer communities and families, end GBV, and address unemployment through Village Savings and Loan (VSL) systems and other income-generating activities (IGAs). The project emphasizes a gender-transformative, equitable, and rights-based approach to health and economic empowerment, fostering male participation in HIV-related activities and economic strengthening initiatives within support groups and communities.

Key Interventions & Activities:

Community Outreach: conducting awareness programs on HIV/TB prevention, testing, treatment, and the
impact of harmful gender norms on health access
Health Education: educating both men and women on the importance of early healthcare-seeking behaviors, such as HIV testing, TB screening, and adherence to treatment; challenge harmful gender norms
Village Savings and Loans (VSL) Training: Training support groups in VSL to enable members to save money, access loans for business startups, and improve their access to healthcare services
Community Dialogues: Facilitating community forums to address stigma, discrimination, and GBV; promote the role of women in leading health initiatives and advocate for male involvement in health and economic development
Capacity Building: Providing training and orientation for mobilizers on GBV prevention, stigma reduction, VSL strategies, support group leadership, and counseling

DAPP Project

The SG/CAG Strengthening Project

April 2024 – September 2025

The Support Group & Community Adherence Group Strengthening project, funded by CDC through DAPP Namibia, was implemented in two regions of Namibia, Oshana and Omusati. This project aimed to enhance community engagement, raise HIV awareness, and alleviate poverty, particularly among women and youth living with HIV. The program consisted of training support groups and Community Adherence Groups (CAGs) in Village Saving and Loan (VSL) systems to enable members to save money and offer loans for business startups. The project also encouraged VIA screenings among women living with HIV (WLHIV). Additionally, it emphasized male participation in HIV-related activities and economic strengthening initiatives, ensuring a holistic approach to health and economic empowerment within support groups and entire communities.

A key aspect of the project involved engaging with support groups members and various community leaders, such as traditional authorities, church leaders, and political figures, through meetings and dialogues. These discussions focused on improving economic status of our communities through VSL and other IGAs, creating demand for WLHIV to be screened for cervical cancer and prevention, reducing stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence (GBV) within the community and meaningful participation for men.

UNDAIDS Project

CECAP

October 2024 – January 2025

The Cervical Cancer Prevention (CECAP) project, funded by UNAIDS through the MoHSS, was implemented in two regions of Namibia, Omusati and Zambezi. Cervical cancer remains one of the most significant health challenges faced by women, particularly among Women Living with HIV (WLHIV), who are at a higher risk due to their compromised immune systems. Recognizing the critical need for prevention and early detection, this initiative aimed to raise awareness, create demand for cervical cancer screening services, and promote healthy lifestyles through community mobilization and male involvement.

The project specifically focused on increasing access to Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screenings among WLHIV, a key strategy in cervical cancer prevention. In addition, the project emphasized engaging men as active partners in health promotion, fostering male support for women’s health and reducing stigma associated with health and HIV-related activities.

Implemented by Tonata PLHIV Network in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), the project adopted a multifaceted approach. This included in-service training for community mobilizers, targeted outreach to WLHIV, and regional-specific strategies to address logistical and systemic challenges. By strengthening the skills of mobilizers and leveraging community partnerships, the initiative sought to improve health outcomes and empower communities to take proactive steps in cervical cancer prevention. Omusati and Zambezi were chosen for implementation due to their unique demographic and healthcare challenges, including the prevalence of HIV, limited access to screening services, and a need for increased awareness around cervical cancer prevention.