SMILE FOR HIV/AIDS GROUP YEARLY REPORT

From Feb. 2004 to Feb. 2005

I. Back ground:

Smile group is a nongovernmental organization to promote young people effected and affected with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam to promote their better lives, education, happiness, and rights. The organizational goals are to build capacity for these young people in order to participate in their communities activities, promote the awareness of HIV/AIDS, reduce to communities discrimination. Smile group was established in Feb 2004 after the need assessment with the young people living with HIV/AIDS in District 1, 3 and Binh Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The founders are Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Ms. Pham Thi Thu Trang, Mr. Cao Son Than, and Mr. Huynh Hai Thanh. There are a number of volunteers young people living with HIV/AIDS such as Sang and Hoang who have great willing, commitment and compassion to help HIV/AIDS people.

II. Smile Objectives- Main Activities:

- Capacity building for HIVAIDS young people as the Smile educators to take care, counsel, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and children effected with HIV/AIDS more effectively. The Smile volunteers are young people as their mentors to guide their methods to achieve their daily work as the good strategies as well as ask for community participants for helping their patients.

- Maintaining and improving the effectiveness of counseling and support people living with HIV/AIDS at their communities via out reach program, mental and physical supports.

- Creating a healthy environment for people living with HIV/AIDS to meet, share, and support each others to cover the hard lives especially to update the HIV/AIDS information. Providing trainings for capacity for young HIV/AIDS educators in order to take care, counsel for people living with HIV/AIDS and children effected with HIV/AIDS more effectively; providing the communications and HIV/AIDS knowledge for HIV/AIDS at the communities.

III. Activities:

1. Reports:

1. Out reach activities: 72 cases (adults: 35 males, 22 females; children: 10 males and 5 females). Working areas: Districts: 1,3, 4, 8, 10, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Le Lai and 23/9 Parks.
2. Take care of AIDS patients at homes: 18 times including 9 cases (8 males and 1 female)
3. Regular health check and treatment: 234 times including 27 cases (19 males, 4 females; children 3 males and 1 female). Health care centers: Clinics of Districts 1 and 8, Tropica and Thien Phuoc hospitals, Dr. Truong Ngoc Tien, and Dong Hanh mobile clinic.
4. Referral centers : 22 times, including 8 cases ( 3 males and 1 female; 4 children: 2 males and 2 females.) Referral centers: Mai Hoa, Tam Binh Centers. Thao Dan Program and Nutritional Center, 38 Tu Xuong.
5. Family counseling : 60 times for 32 cases
6. Counseling, support, and introduce to the HIV/AIDS tests: 32 times for 13 cases (adults: 4 males, 5 females, children: 2 males and 2 females.) Test centers: Pasteur hospital, health clinic of District 10, Counseling and test center of 53 Vu Tung Street, Binh Thanh District.
7. Social services introduces: 28 times for 18 cases (adults: 9 males, 7 females; children: 2 males.) Areas: Dong Hanh mobile clinic of District 6, Children hospital No.1, Health Clinic of Districts 1 and 8.
8. Legal support and introduce: 9 cases (adults: 2 males, 2 females; children: 2 males and 3 females.)
9. Small capital, medical treatment, nutriation support, school fee: 20 times for 16 cases (aduls: 7 men and 5 women; children: 2 boys and 2 girls. The total support in cash is $1,835,000VND ($120US).
10. Drug rehabilitation at home: 96 days for 15 cases ( 9 males and 6 females)
11. Weekly outside activities : 46 times ranging form 10 to 15 participants/time.
12. Training : 10 workshops for core members ( from 3 to 5 days/workshop or training). Topics: counseling skills, basic health care and prevention STDs and how to use ARV. m. Other activities : presented gifts for children in poor communities and on the streets (326 gifts), shared and exchanged life experiences with the nuns at churchs: 15 Tu Xuong, Note Dames, Bishop, Hanoi, and Dalat ( 9 times). Organized English class for 5 regular members. Participated the ideas to the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Laws....

2. Suggestions:

- Improve the number of members of permanent staff and volunteers.

- Provide vehicle for transportation.

- Long term donors.

3. 2005 Plan:

- Counsel, and increase the out reach activities at the communities and on the streets.

- Introduce the social services especially the health and social centers.

- Create more innovative activities for the weekend meetings in order to promote the the young participants in the Smile activities.

- Provide more job and education introduces to encourage young HIV/AIDS to have higher education.

April 15, 2005
Nguyen Van Hung (Mr.)
Smile for HIV/AIDS Director