Africa AHEAD is a non-profit organisation and association formed to promote the Community Health Club (CHC) approach as a vehicle for development particularly, but not exclusively in Africa. The CHC approach is based upon the AHEAD Model of Development, which aims to develop a sense of identity amongst health club members (like the Boy Scout Movement or a church congregation), together with a dedication to a certain set of standards recognised and endorsed by the group. The strength of this approach is that when an entire group or community participates in the decision making process and endorses the results of that process, the individual risk of ‘going it alone’ is removed. The result is a new set of community norms and practices designed and agreed upon by the community as a whole.
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The Challenge:
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were created as a ‘blueprint’ for assisting developing countries in achieving sustainable development. However, many goals continue to evade our reach, in particular Goal 7, which has challenged us to reduce by half the number of those living without safe water and sanitation. This requires assistance to 2.5 billion people world wide by 2015.
The Problem:
Past and current programmes have largely failed to engage the people who stand to benefit and unless a new strategy is found, the water and sanitation targets of the MDGs will not be achieved.
A Solution:
It has now been demonstrated by experience rather than theory that CHCs can empower the poorest of the poor to alleviate their own suffering and find sustainable solutions to the problem of water and sanitation. In addition, this approach contributes to decreases in morbidity and mortality from preventable diseases like diarrhea, malaria and HIV/AIDS, empowering women, and the alleviation of poverty through small-scale income generating projects.
As such, the CHC approach directly contributes to meeting Goal 7 (Ensure Environmental Sustainability), while indirectly contributing to Goals 1 (Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger), 3 (Empower Women), 4 (Reducing Child Mortality), 5 (Improve Maternal Health) and 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases). It is for this reason that Africa AHEAD believes that only when development agencies are in true partnership supporting community efforts will the Millennium Development Goals be met by 2015. In a reflection of this belief, the delegates and Ministers of Health from all over Africa who met in Durban, South Africa for the 2nd Africa San Conference developed an Action Plan to meet Goal 7, which emphasized the importance of three health promotion techniques: Community Led Sanitation, Public-Private Partnerships and the CHC approach.
Mission:
To meet the demand from local and international NGOs, agencies and government ministries in developing countries for a more holistic, community driven approach to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the CHC approach.
Vision:
To create a global association of partners dedicated to implementing and promoting the CHC approach, to sharing lessons learned and best practices, and to increasing the empirical evidence so as to enhance the overall effectiveness of the CHC approach, thereby providing every country the best chance possible of achieving the MDGs as well as their own self-identified goals.
Services:
Through training of trainers (TOTs), the development of visual aids and health education materials, and technical expertise in hygiene promotion, water (rural and peri-urban), sanitation (rural and peri-urban), and research and evaluation, Africa AHEAD is dedicated to assisting those interested in using this cost-effective, results based approach to health and development. Please read more About Us for specific details on our areas of expertise.
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Africa AHEAD is actively seeking implementing partners and long term funding. Our goal is to scale up the CHC approach and assist local NGOs, agencies and government ministries that want to start health promotion programmes using this unique approach. If interested, please Contact Us.
In addition, to meet the demand for training for the scaling up of this strategy in the foreseeable future we are calling on all those trained in the CHC approach, either by Zimbabwe AHEAD or Africa AHEAD, to register with us so that we can set up an accredited database of CHC trainers throughout Africa.
