index_taso

The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) U. Ltd was founded in 1987 by a group of 15 volunteers headed by Dr. Noerine Kaleeba. There were no direct HIV/AIDS services available prior to 1987. The founders met informally in each other's homes or offices, to provide mutual psychological and social support. Cohesion among these individuals was strengthened by the fact that they were either directly infected with HIV or implicitly affected, because close relations were infected. The founding was based on unified experiences at a time of high stigma, ignorance and discrimination in relation to AIDS and HIV.

The organisation was founded to restore hope and to improve the quality of life of people and communities affected by HIV infection and disease. Today, TASO is the largest indigenous NGO providing HIV/AIDS services in Uganda & the region. Nearly 86,000 people with HIV/AIDS are currently registered & 22,000 directly receive care and support. Those who come to TASO are encouraged to 'Live positively with HIV/AIDS'. This means that they come to accept their diagnosis, practice safer sex, continue with normal social activities. It also means to seek counselling and medical care when needed, continue to earn an income and plan for the families and dependants and much more. The support that TASO can offer reaches into all levels

Since TASO is a non–profit organisation it is funded to 90% on grant from donors, governments, individual and corporate contributions, such as USAID, WHO as well as Metrocomia East Africa and others. AIDS has been undergoing a slow but steady burn through humanity ever since it first appeared. It has turned into the modern holocaust, destroying lives left and right. Anyone can be infected by HIV and get AIDS. They could be our parents, our children, our brothers and sisters. They could be our friends and neighbours. Everyone should learn all they can about AIDS, about effective prevention, we should support others who are victims of this insidious disease and we should get involved in efforts aimed at finding a cure.

At the moment TASO doesn't provide ARVs (AIDS drugs) to its clients because they are still very expensive to be afforded and neither is TASO able to afford and sustain the monitoring of clients. Clients who can afford are usually refereed to other agencies like Mildmay Hospital and Joint clinical research centre (JCRC) for specialised treatment. TASO has several ongoing pilot projects on ARV provision such as workplace ART program, Drama group ART pilot project and different projects on research level.

Day Care Centres
Clients go to the day care centres to learn income generating skills such as income management and making handcrafts. The memory book project came into existence as a result of HIV infected parents finding it extremely difficult to communicate to their children about their illness. Other clients trained to memory book trainers guide clients in writing their stories and memories.

Nutritional support
The nutritional support project has become very important due to the food insecurity in many households mainly as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Under this project, a number of clients and 4 other family members receive annually food from TASO. The food provided is corn Soya Blend and fortified vegetables oil. This assistance is expected to help the clients take in the essential nutrients for a healthy life. The programme is funded by USAID.

Child and Youth support
Supporting children with school fees on one-hand and loaning grants to start income generating activities (IGA) to the older ones on the other supports children to become more confident and develop a sense of purpose and planning for the future. With workshops the communication between parent and child is identified and improved. The ACYC – is taking on more social problems such as family planning and sexual related issues. Workshops serve here to update the youth on HIV/AIDS issues as well as providing them with life skills.

TASO Approach
At TASO, AIDS education and sensitisation is done through drama groups at the centres. These have played a significant role in the dissemination of AIDS messages to communities. AIDS education is done through songs, drama, and personal testimonies. These activities have had a significant impact in regard to giving AIDS a face and boosting the potential for behaviour change among the public. Other than the TASO established drama groups at the TASO Centres, in Uganda other dramatists have played a great role in AIDS education, sensitisation and awareness through various songs and plays.
At personal level — It can provide help through one-to-one counselling, so that infected/ affected people can make informed decisions, improve the quality of life & die with dignity. Sensitive & compassionate care provides early diagnosis & treatment of opportunistic infections.
At family level — It helps with counselling for all family members, encourages to leave their fears of contracting HIV through casual contact, facilitates care of the infected and affected persons and prepares the family for the trauma of bereavement as well as facilities provisions of home nursing care and nutritional materials.
At community level — With counselling to help the community to organise an appropriate response to the problems generated by HIV. It can also evaluate the community's responses and the mobilisation of community resources.
At national and international level — TASO is able to sensitise the public about "Positive Living", help through the training of appropriate personnel for service delivery, mobilisation of resources for achievement of goals.

We should do all we can to stop AIDS.