FHT in Zambia
The Family Health Trust (FHT) occupies a unique space in the landscape of Zambian HIV and AIDS relief. As the nation’s longest-running non-governmental organisation in the field, FHT pioneered the community’s response to HIV and AIDS and remains at the forefront of service provision.
Established in 1987 in swift response to the first Zambian diagnoses of HIV and AIDS, FHT has worked for over twenty-five years to realise its vision of, “a Zambia free from the threat of HIV and AIDS.”
From conceptualising intensive, grassroots programmes such as AIDS Action Clubs to steering the national HIV and AIDS agenda, FHT continues to set industry standards for care and advocacy.
A committed Zambians-for-Zambia work ethic underpins FHT’s three major programmes, through which vast numbers of individuals living with HIV and AIDS are cared for every day. This is complemented by an emphasis on HIV and AIDS prevention activities, along with the support of orphaned and vulnerable children and women.

Background
Family Health Trust (FHT) was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit Non-Governmental Organisation that provides a holistic response to HIV and AIDS in Zambia. It was one of the earliest AIDS Service Organisations in the country established just few years after the first case of HIV/AIDS was diagnosed in Zambia. Since then, FHT has made considerable contributions to improve health care service provision and response to HIV, STIs, teenage pregnancy, child marriages and sexual and gender based violence in Zambia. FHT has also inculcated the reading culture in schools through text books distribution throughout the country, supported OVCs with educational materials, empowered orphans and vulnerable youths and widows in life skills and income generation activities. FHT contributed significantly in the establishment of the National AIDS Council and in the formulation of national guidelines and other AIDS Service Organizations in Zambia. FHT has a compliment of full-time members of staff, full time volunteers and part-time community volunteers.
Operationally, FHT carries out its activities as an umbrella organisation of three distinct programs namely:

The AIDS Action Programme (AAP) is an education for prevention programme whose goal is to promote safer lifestyles among children and young people in order to contribute to the prevention of further spread of HIV. The project targets youths and children both in and out of school. This programme was formerly known as “Anti-AIDS Programme”. The programme also houses the dance4life project which aims at pushing back HIV and AIDS through music and dance. The Programme has recently begun the rebranding exercise called “AIDS ACTION CAMPAIGN” aimed at re-activating the Anti-AIDS Clubs to AIDS Action Clubs in all schools in Zambia. This was launched in October 2011.

FHT also plays a significant role in influencing policies around SRHR which benefits young people in Zambia. The organization empowers young people to advocate for their own SRHR through capacity building trainings. FHT has been implementing its SRHR policy advocacy strategy, aimed at improving meaningful and inclusive youth participation and sexual and reproductive rights of young people in international and national policies.

Home Based Care (HBC) Programme - The Home-Based Care programme facilitates provision of physical and psychological care to people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in partnership with the community for improved quality care. The programme offers holistic clinical care, social support, counselling and nutritional support through provision of nutritional, psychological and social support to PLWHA who are on Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART). The programme also carries out sensitisation of Tuberculosis.

Children and Women in Distress (CWINDI) Programmes. The goal of the Children and women in Distress Programme is to intervene in partnership with the community, to enable them realise their potential. Recognising the burden of orphan-hood, child vulnerability and widowhood in general, CWINDI helps build capacity in families and communities to absorb the extra burden of care for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).

Vision and Mission
FHT Vision’s is “A nation free from the threat of HIV and AIDS” Mission is “To contribute to the prevention of the further spread of HIV and AIDS and to the provision of an integrated care and support response to the infected and affected persons in Zambia.”

Goal/ Objectives
To promote safer lifestyles among children and young people in order to contribute to the prevention of the further spread of HIV and AIDS.
To promote reading culture among the youths in and out of school.
To empower youths in life skills education
To promote the provision of Youth Friendly Health Services Home Based Care (HBC)
To facilitate the provision of physical and psychological care to HIV and AIDS patients in their homes
To provides nutritional support, medical and psychosocial care direct to those infected and affected and to those not receiving treatment in partnership with the community.
To offer holistic clinical care, social support, counselling and nutritional support to the clients registered by the programme. Children and Women in Distress (CWINDI)
To improve the quality of life of children and women in distress and enable them to realize their potential in partnership with the community.
To empower OVCs with educational support
To build capacity in OVCs
To empower widows with Income Generation Activities
To build capacity of widows in the communities.
To advocate for the rights of women and children

Programmes
developed with All-Round approach to provide effective solutions
Production dissemination and sharing of IEC materials
Social Behavioural Communication Change among children and youths
Peer Education and Life Skills
Provide health services and counselling through the Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) in schools
Providing Computers, TV, DVD to YHFC in schools
Children and youths borrowing books and browsing on internet in the Knowledge Network Centre (KNC)
Inculcating reading culture in schools through the book distribution to various schools, colleges, universities and public libraries
Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) among youths through Youth Friendly Health Services.
Dance4Life is a youth based programme designed to push back HIV and AIDS through the power of music and dance.

Partners
Family Health Trust is thrilled to be a member of the Partners in Sexual Health "Because-We-Can! Movement for Youth-led Organisations". We have joined like-minded organizations and we are advancing our efforts to support UN Sustainable Development Goals of Good health and Well-Being for all and Gender Equality!

Officially launched on the 24th May 2021 the Movement is currently comprised of 75 sub-Saharan based organisations, and growing. The aim of the Movement is to empower and guide youth-led organisations as they advocate for the inclusion of comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights interventions of the youth within their local communities. Through collective action we seek to build an Africa regional movement that meets the SRHR needs of young people.

Partners in Sexual Health (PSH) is an evidence-based, non-profit organisation that provides and advocates for Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) services - including HIV/AIDS - to women, men and in particular adolescents and the youth. Formally established in 2009 its Head office is located in Cape Town, South Africa.

PSH implements various SRHR programmes that are inclusive, rights-based and addresses the needs of young people in a holistic manner. It also prides itself of the fact that all its programmes and services are accessible and appropriate for the most marginalised in society e.g. young people with disabilities. Key focus areas include: (1) Prevention; (2) Treatment, Care and Support; (3) Research, Monitoring and Evaluation; and (4) Advocacy and lobbying on SRHR including HIV/AIDS.

Projects and services include: Youth Friendly Clinics; A mobile Clinic; SRHR and HIV Prevention Programmes for In and Out of School Youth; Wellness Screening and Counselling Centres; Adolescent Girls and Young Women Programme; Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Young People with Disabilities; Gender Based Violence and Victim Empowerment Programme; Siyakwazi Youth Network; Leaving No One Behind Project; and the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Teen Parenting Support programme, to name a few.

Most recent highlights include the launch of the state of the art in-house online radio station (PSH Radio) and the SRHR Chatbot - both vehicles used to amplify the voice of youth on SRHR across Africa.
The PSH Because-We-Can! Movement for Youth-led Organisations, born out of the Because-We-Can SRHR Advocacy Campaign, but now expanding beyond Southern-Africa to other African countries.
Officially launched on the 24th May 2021 the Movement currently comprise of 75 sub-Saharan based organisations, and growing. The aim of the Movement is to empower and guide youth-led organisations as they advocate for the inclusion of comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights interventions of the youth within their local communities. Through collective action we seek to build an Africa regional movement that meets the SRHR needs of young people.
For more information on the above and all other projects please visit our websites. https://www.psh.org.za/
https://www.siyakwaziyouth.net/