CCA Organizes Skill-Building Training for HIV and AIDS Advocacy Facilitators
The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) organized a skill-building training for prospective Facilitators of HIV and AIDS advocacy from churches and related organizations in six countries in Asia.
The training held from 14 to 16 March 2018 at the CCA headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand was part of the new initiative of CCA, Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia – ATCHAA.
In his introductory remarks at the opening of the training, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of CCA said that “CCA has been journeying with the member Churches and Councils in Asia for more than twenty five years in addressing the menace of HIV and AIDS, ever since CCA started its ministry sensitize the Asian churches on HIV and AIDS, and subsequently assisting churches to strengthen capacities to deal with HIV and AIDS”.
The CCA General Secretary further outlined CCA’s plans for embarking new initiatives to intensify involvements in advocacy efforts and advancing the capacities of member churches and councils.
“The most recent initiative of CCA in developing collaboration with the UNAIDS will be beneficial for Asian churches to enhance capacities to address the HIV and AIDS situation in many parts of Asia”, added Mathews George.
The participants shared experiences from their own settings and emphasized that Churches can play key roles to be instruments of healing for people living with HIV and AIDS.
The training focused on participatory learning process followed through Knowledge Quiz, Attitude exercises, Assessments and Exposure visits to HIV and AIDS programme Centres in Chiang Mai.
The participants from Thailand mentioned that “Thailand has been addressing the HIV and AIDS issue for a long time, and have made lots of advancements in eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV and also addressed issues related to key affected people.
Twenty participants from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand attended the workshop together with CCA staff members in charge of the programme and Kathrin Theurer of the Bread for the World.