Below is a list of the current projects run by TVG. Please contact us with questions or for further information.
TVG is directly and indirectly impacting ~100 people through Care and Aid and Economic Empowerment programs, and over 1,000 people through education and training in schools and communities. TVG currently operates in 6 communities in the Upper West region of Ghana.
Care and Aid
Each child that True Vision Ghana supports has been identified and selected in collaboration with a public health nurse from the Voluntary Counseling and Testing Unit of the Wa Regional Hospital. In keeping with cultural norms, orphans are placed in homes with their extended family.
TVG provides care and aid for the children in a variety of ways, including medical support, food aid, and access to education. TVG provides medical support for all of its children in the form of enrollment for the municipal health insurance scheme, and sponsorship for antiretroviral therapy for those who are HIV+. Critical to a child’s well-being and development is adequate food and nutrition. As such, TVG provides food aid for each child, distributed quarterly. Protein, such as beans and fish, carbohydrates, and other foods essential for a healthy diet are included in food aid. In addition to medical and food aid, TVG ensures that every child has access to education by covering all school-related fees, such as registration, uniform and Parent Teacher Association costs. School supplies, such as pens, pencils, and exercise books are also provided to each child. TVG makes efforts to see that its children are successful in school, by performing regular progress checks with the children and their headmasters.
Community Outreach
The stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS is an enormous barrier when advocating for the realization of the rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Misconceptions regarding people with HIV/AIDS often lead to discrimination and marginalization. Many of these misconceptions are due to a lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. TVG has initiated community-based education in the 5 villages it currently works in. With the chiefs‘ permission, monthly meetings are held in the villages, which include men, women, children, and elders. The purpose of the meetings are to discuss and educate on issues such as HIV/AIDS, domestic violence and other relevant health topics. In discussing the nature of HIV and methods of transmission with the community, TVG aims to open lines of communication to allow for more aggressive prevention campaigns. It also aims to debunk the myths that lead to HIV+ individuals being excluded from their communities.
Computer Skills and PhotoVoice
TVG provides resources for its children to learn computer skills, such as word processing and typing, as well as digital photography skills. The objectives of both the PhotoVoice and Computer Skills Programs are as follows: improve self-esteem, foster self-expression, and teach valuable life and/or work skills.
The PhotoVoice program involves teaching the students the parts of the camera, how to take a photo, what makes a good photo, and how to reflect on their photos. The program provides the children with a sense of pride and ownership that they may not have experienced in the past. The children feel empowered when they are able to express themselves through photography. They are given the opportunity to reflect on their feelings and the issues in society that are raised by their photographs.
The Computer Skills Training Program involves teaching the students how to operate a computer, what each part of the computer does, how to use a word processing program, as well as developing proper typing skills. Information and Communication Technology training is a crucial tool for youth as it provides more opportunities to enter the work force, where it is a valuable employment skill. Through the Computer Skills Training Program, TVG aims to provide its children with skills that can enable them to support themselves, once they are no longer under TVG’s care.
Education and Training
It is imperative that HIV/AIDS education and reproductive health programs target youth in order to stop the spread of both HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Sexual health programs taught by government schools rarely provide a complete education, often advocating for abstinence without education about contraception. Youth also tend to show a lack of awareness or misunderstanding of HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the external education programs provided by TVG are necessary.
TVG has facilitated the organization of sex education clubs in Junior High Schools in five different communities. Each club meets at least once a week, with TVG fieldworkers serving as the facilitators. The students are encouraged to take an active part in their learning, and an open environment is provided, in which students can be free to seek the answers to any questions they might have. On World AIDS Day, students from each school come together to showcase what they have learned, and compete to have the chance to lead a youth-run radio program on HIV/AIDS issues.
Economic Empowerment
Poverty can be an enormous barrier to good nutrition, education, clean water, health insurance, and other factors that affect one’s quality of life. This is especially true for those affected by HIV/AIDS. For patients, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is even more essential to reduce the risk of opportunistic infections. However, families affected by HIV/AIDS have more difficulty achieving the financial means necessary to achieve this ideal quality of life.
TVG aims to alleviate this barrier through the economic empowerment program. As a micro-finance initiative, it is self-sustaining and helps families become more independent. Families supported by True Vision Ghana are empowered through the use of micro-loans. These interest-free loans provide more economic freedom, empowering the families supported by TVG. With more financial aid, families can choose to purchase healthier foods, expand their business, or gain access to better education. Caregivers can learn how to make smart financial choices, and further improve their economic status. This program has helped and will continue to help our twenty-seven HIV/AIDS-affected families achieve an improved quality of life.