The Department for International Development (DFID) is the initiative of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to eradicate extreme poverty throughout the world. The UK is currently the fifth largest global donor – after USA, Japan, Germany and France – and DFID has over 2 500 staff, almost half of whom work abroad.

Many of the major social problems – including the spread of diseases like HIV and AIDS – are made worse by poverty in developing countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy has gone down from 50 years to 46 years since 1990. The main reason is the high infant death rate (105 deaths in every 1000 live births compared with six in every 1000 in the UK) and the spread of HIV and AIDS.

DFID in Southern Africa
In 2006 DFID Southern Africa launched the Regional Plan for Southern Africa. This initiative responds to the recommendations from the Commission for Africa and commitments made by G8 leaders in 2005 to give better and more aid towards Africa’s development.

In partnership with Christian Aid, London, DFID supported the Anglican Church of Southern Africa's first province-wide HIV and AIDS programme, Isiseko Sokomeleza (Building the foundation),  with a grant of GBP3.45 million over three years from 2003 to 2006. DFID subsequently agreed to support the second phase of our programme, Siyakha (We are building), with a grant of GBP6 million over five years beginning in 2007.

The DFID grant is managed by HLSP, a professional services firm specialising in the health sector both Internationally  and in the UK.

PEPFAR – The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – was originally a five-year, $15 billion American Government initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The amount was subsequently increased to $18.8 billion, the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease.

President George W. Bush has since requested that Congress reauthorize PEPFAR for five additional years and $30 billion additional dollars, which would bring the American people's 10-year commitment on global HIV/AIDS to more than $48 billion.

PEPFAR focuses its efforts mainly on 15 countries: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.  There is a very strong emphasis on the provision of treatment and care for people with AIDS; only a fifth of the money is allocated to HIV prevention work.

An important aspect of the work is building the capacity of local organisations, including governments and community- and faith-based organisations, to plan, implement, and manage HIV & AIDS programmes to ensure sustainability. The fund also supports national strategies to address weaknesses and lack of human resources and capacity in such areas as health networks, physical infrastructure, and commodity distribution and control.

In 2007, our Vana Vetu programme was awarded a PEPFAR grant to the value of US$1m (just under R7m) for one year, with the possibility of further funding. This has enabled Vana Vetu to scale up its Orphans and Vulnerable Children training and implementation to eight new dioceses.

The grant to Vana Vetu is managed by AED [the Academy for Educational Development], a US�]based non profit organisation working globally to improve education, health, civil society and economic development.

AED operates HIV & AIDS programs in 25 countries to reduce stigma and discrimination, provide care for orphaned and other vulnerable children, promote nutritional care and support, prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and reduce transmission through workplace prevention and education.

Fresh Ministries is a multi-faith, non profit humanitarian organisation, created to enable youth and families of all faiths, races and nationalities to grow and thrive in their family, work, civic and spiritual lives. Its initiatives include programmes that focus on the ‘6 points’ it considers necessary for children to grow and thrive: education, affordable housing, economic development, safety & security, family strengthening, and good health.

Scripture Union South Africa sees its role as supporting the Church in introducing young South Africans to Jesus, the Bible and the Church. Its ideal is an AIDs-free generation of young people turned around by Christ and filled with hope.

Siyafundisa has partnered with SU to deliver the Scripture Union Lifeskills Education courses, which help young people develop the necessary skills for effective decision-making in the areas of sexuality and relationships. The young people are encouraged to choose a set of values and attendant behaviours that will put them at least risk of HIV infection.

This national AIDS intervention project has been running for thirteen years and reaches approximately 30 000 young people per year. It is based on an approved curriculum that is presented by a network of trained volunteers recruited from the local communities and supported by field supervisors.

The Centre for the Support of Peer Education (CSPE) is a programme of the Harvard School of Public Health in South Africa and operates from offices in Parktown, Johannesburg.

Siyafundisa formed a partnership with CSPE to develop and implement the Aribuisaneng course, based on the Rutanang model of peer education.

CABSA – the Christian AIDS Bureau of South Africa – formed a partnership with us in 2004 to facilitate the sharing of information, materials and networking contacts. We seek opportunities to cooperate and collaborate in pursuing our shared goal of mobilising local faith communities to respond effectively to HIV & AIDS.

This partnership has borne fruit in both CARIS – the Christian Aids Resource and Information Service – and the Churches, Channels of Hope training programme.

CABSA pursues a vision of a caring Christian community ministering reconciliation and hope to people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Its aim is to assist churches and other faith communities in their response to HIV and AIDS by building capacity and empowering ministers, leaders and members to demonstrate God’s love, compassion and care.