Employment Creation for People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV)

In Nepal the estimated HIV positive in the country, according to UNAIDS is 72,000-75,000. If we analyze the reported data of about 9,000 HIV positive, approximately 94 per cent belong to the productive age group of 15-49. The HIV programmes should effort therefore focus on ensuring continuation of job after the identification of HIV status as well as creation of employment opportunities for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) who are unemployed for various reasons.

In the context of Nepal, the estimated HIV positive in the country, according to UNAIDS is 72,000-75,000. If we analyze the reported data of about 9,000 HIV positive, approximately 94 percent belong to the productive age group of 15-49. The HIV programmes should effort therefore focus on ensuring continuation of job after the identification of HIV status as well as creation of employment opportunities for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) who are unemployed for various reasons.

At the national level, efforts to assist persons with HIV improve their livelihoods have been undertaken mostly at the community level, by non-governmental organizations and to some extent by private financing organizations and development banks. These are all important initiatives and need to be encouraged. However, these efforts are happening on a small scale and there is a need for the expansion of such efforts at the national scale. Furthermore, assuring a livelihood for PLHIV has been reflected in the National Strategy on HIV/AIDS (2006-2011) but the action plan does not include anything to support this, thus livelihood interventions still remains as a gap for PLHIV.

To fill this gap, the ILO office in Nepal is therefore planning to implement a pilot project Employment Creation for People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) (October 2008-November 2009), funded by UNAIDS Programme Acceleration Fund (PAF). This project will be implemented in coordination with ILO Nepal’s next projects “Employment through Local Economic Development (EmpLED)” which aims at creating employment and building peace through local economic development and “Skill Enhancement for Employment Project (SEEP)” which aims at increasing livelihood options through improved employment opportunities of youths in Far Western districts of Nepal.

Outcomes

  • Resource Centre for Employment and Entrepreneurship will have been established;
  • Assessment of employment opportunities and individual skill and interest of PLHIV will have been conducted;
  • Trainings for PLHIV will have been conducted.

Objective

  • The main goal of the programme is to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods of HIV positive persons through creating employment opportunities for people with HIV.

Activities

  • Establish the Management structure of the Centre, convene an Advisory Board and identify a location/hosting institution;
  • Develop a communications strategy to inform people of the Centre and for purposes of resource mobilisation;
  • Undertake a mapping exercise to identify existing employment–related services in the community, including vocational training institutes, employment referral centres, job training and retraining;
  • Solicit curriculum vitae from PLHIV, ensuring that women are included, in the respective areas of interest expressed by potential employers and existing skill sets in the PLHIV group. Based on this information, develop a roster of individuals and job/business opportunities;
  • Undertake individual assessments with interested PLHIV to establish their interests, skill sets, availability, and accordingly advise them on direct employment, vocational training or entrepreneurship;
  • Identify programmes on confidence-building, fighting stigma and discrimination in the workplace;
  • Design a capacity building programme, based upon the assessment, including, for instance, skills building, C.V. preparation, interview guidance, start your own business training, writing business plans;
  • Build linkages with local institutions for trainings and services related to business development;
  • Proactively assist with placement, based on available jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, for men, women and young people;
  • Develop a business plan for the continued sustainability of the Centre, including through its own income generating activities funded through micro-credit and mobilising resources;
  • Involvement of trade unions to promote their participation and strengthen their engagement with the PLHIV groups;
  • Interface with entrepreneurs to mentor and assist PLHIV to establish small businesses.