Amity Foundation Training in Nanning, China

In April 2009, Global Health Action partnered with China's Amity Foundation (an independent, non-denomination Chinese Christian organization) to train 45 leaders, project managers, and coordinators from a wide-variety of Chinese organizations and entities that work with Amity. The group, which included participants from provincial and municipal governments, women’s federations, and local CDC, as well as church-based organizations and Amity project staff, came from eight different provinces.

The five-day Design, Management, and Evaluation of Community-Based HIV/AIDS Programs course was presented in the city of Nanning, Guangxi Province, in south China, near Vietnam. It was co-facilitated by GHA Executive Director Robin Davis and INSA/India training Director Edwina Pereira, with Helen Zhao as the key organizer on the Amity side.

The course content was developed collaboratively in advance, based specifically on the situation in China and the needs of the participants. The course introduced key planning and management tools and concepts, and used exercises, case studies, and other small group work to practice and learn them.

These tools and concepts included: SWOT analysis; use of the OMR (Outcomes, Methods and Resources) model; needs assessment & stakeholder analysis; developing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound) objectives; strategic planning; Problem Tree Analysis and political mapping; and monitoring & evaluation.

The participants were divided into five rotating groups: Thinkers, Implementers, Leaders, Entertainers, and Documenters, each with specific daily responsibilities. Five days in the classroom were followed by a day of local project site visits near the Vietnamese border.

Afterwards, Robin remarked, "Forty-five participants is a lot to handle, but the Amity staff were wonderful, and the group was really committed to learning everything they could. We worked hard, had fun, and kept things moving. There's a big need in China both to address the issue of AIDS and to give these types of front-line leaders the tools and knowledge they need to succeed."

As part of the graduation ceremony, the Women's Federation group wrote and sang a song about the course.

The training provided the managers/coordinators with the knowledge and skills to implement effective HIV/AIDS programs and taught them to lead and empower their communities to become active partners in improving their own health and well-being. In addition, the opportunity for participants from such diverse backgrounds to work together, share information, compare challenges, and coordinate program efforts was particularly valuable.