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Rwanda is among the least developed countries in the world, with 60% of a population of almost 8.5 million living in poverty. Currently, Rwanda is fighting to make headway against the AIDS epidemic, while grappling with severe poverty, other public health crises, chronic food insecurity, and the impact of the 1994 genocide. HIV/AIDS has wiped out a large number of Rwanda's productive workforce, leaving behind orphans, widows and other vulnerable populations, who now shoulder the burden to serve as primary caregivers and breadwinners.
"Rwanda benefits from a dense network of grassroots associations [and] the extraordinary dynamism of various women's groups..."
However, Rwanda benefits from a dense network of grassroots associations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the extraordinary dynamism of various women's groups and associations, most of which were created after 1985. The disruption caused by the 1990-1994 war and genocide led to a sharp decline in the activities of these development NGOs, although many have since rebuilt successfully. CHF International will work side-by-side with these organizations to build their capacity to help the hundreds of thousands of Rwandans living with HIV/AIDS.
Our CHAMP strategy is three-pronged:
- to provide community-based preventive, care, and non-medical treatment services to at-risk populations, such as orphans and other vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS, and to people living with AIDS;
- to increase the linkages between such community-based services, public and private clinical, and other services that support community efforts; and while so doing,
- to increase the capacity of the Government of Rwanda and its decentralized local government structures, and Rwandan NGOs, CSOs, CBOs, FBOs and public and private clinics to provide such prevention, care, and treatment services over time.
CHAMP will create and strengthen structures to pass lifesaving information and services to those who need it—Rwandans dependent upon local clinics for health care.