Horizons Projects | Building FBO Capacity to Deliver Mutual Monogamy Interventions to Church Members in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

HORIZONS PROJECT
Building the Capacity of Faith-based Organizations to Deliver Mutual Monogamy Interventions to Church Members in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Mutual monogamy constitutes an integral part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) balanced "ABC" strategy for HIV prevention: abstaining from sex (A), being faithful or practicing mutual monogamy (B), and using condoms (C). But there has been little research on interventions to promote mutual monogamy.

To address this gap, Horizons initiated a partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches, with the support of the South African Council of Churches, to implement a project that is aimed at exploring and increasing the involvement of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in HIV prevention activities, with a particular emphasis on the B component.

The study is taking place in two sites in South Africa's Eastern Cape, Alice and Butterworth. The main objective of the study is to develop and evaluate an FBO-based intervention package designed to promote mutual monogamy among church members in the two sites. In addition, the study will build the capacity of service providers and program managers of two FBOs—Butterworth HIV/AIDS Ministry and Alice Hospice—to deliver mutual monogamy–related programs and services to church congregations in their localities.

The study will be conducted in three phases. The intervention development phase (Phase I) will consist of (1) formative research to guide the development of the intervention; (2) development of the mutual monogamy intervention activities; and (3) pre-testing of the intervention package. Phase II will entail piloting the pre-tested intervention in four churches to determine acceptability and feasibility. Phase III will consist of using the lessons learned from the pilot to implement the intervention in a larger number of churches and conducting operations research to evaluate its effectiveness, acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability.

Location

Alice and Butterworth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Duration

February 2006–July 2007

Horizons and Population Council researchers

Nathi Sohaba, Eka Esu-Williams, Waimar Tun

Non-Council collaborators

Dorothy Nairne (consultant)

Unathi Malinzi, Pastor Sandile Mntonintshi (Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches)

Rev. T. Klass (South African Council of Churches)

Rev. Madywabe (Alice Hospice)

Pastor Boniswa Gujulwa, Pastor Mzilikazi (Butterworth Local Council of Churches HIV/AIDS Ministry)

Donors

US Agency for International Development

Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches

South African Council of Churches

Publications/Resources
Horizons and Population Council researchers' names appear in boldface type.

2007
Tun, Waimar, Nathi Sohaba, Unathi Malinzi, Bp. Matthew Nqono, Pstr. Osborne Mzilikazi, Pstr. Bonisiwa Mgujulwa, Rev. Moses Madywabe, Mbulelo Fatyeni, and Christine Fontecchio. “Building the capacity of faith-based organizations to promote mutual monogamy in South Africa,” Horizons Research Update. Johannesburg: Population Council. (PDF)