01. Reaching out to minority populations
Kasenyi landing site, a community of an estimated 2,000 people at the shores of Lake Victoria is dominated by commercial sex workers and small scale business women, largely involved in fish selling alongside the fishermen. Evidence has since shown that young people within key populations, the sexual minorities, commercial sex workers and high-risk locations like landing sites are more disproportionately affected than other segments of young people.
Access to and uptake of SRH services remains a challenge too among this segment of the population due to hate, discrimination, rigid cultural beliefs and restrictive legal regime.
According to a recent study on the fisher folk at Kasenyi, the findings show HIV prevalence is particularly high among women with levels of 33% for commercial sex workers and 18% among their partners. Together with our partners we’ve in the past two years enabled 350 commercial sex workers access sexual reproductive health services, stigma free
02. The Caravan to Kasenyi Landing Site…
FMP Cancer Screening on World AIDS Day, 2019 at Kasenyi Landing Site in Wakiso District
With an opportunity offered by the International World AIDS Day, Family Medical Point conducted free voluntary HIV / AIDS testing and counseling, delivery of family planning services, cervical cancer screening, dental services and basic treatment to the communities at Kasenyi Landing site.
“Our Know your Status NOW!” campaign encouraged key populations to come out, test and know their HIV status. The focus was to sensitize the target populations, encourage adoption of safer behaviour, referral for treatments as may be applicable and debunking myths. Additionally, Hepatitis B tests will also be offered among the target population.
We learnt in the course that, communities will always be positive towards correct information and working with the community at the landing site, we were able to mobilize 500 women to turn out to attend the health education and uptake family planning.
It is also possible to do more with less and in this regard, FMP team was able to serve 872 people with a meager budget while involving the community in planning, design and execution of the activity.
