Ashodaya Academy

1. Ashodaya Academy South to South Collaboration

2. Our Growth Journey • Important aspect: Academy • Capacity Building takes into consideration how SW learn • CB beyond just condoms, HIV, STI • Principle of community to community • Tailor made curriculum • On-site support

3. States where Academy Supported Exposure Visit to Academy Onsite Hand holding Site Assessment Done

4. Academy in Asia Pacific • Afghanistan, • China, • Indonesia • Malaysia • PNG • Myanmar • Thailand • Vietnam • Bangladesh • Pakistan • Sri lanka • Maldives • Nepal • India

5. Academy in Africa • Kenya • South Africa • Mozambique • Zimbabwe • Nigeria Handholding on site support Exposure Visit to Academy

6. Work done so far : DIFFER • Working in Durban, Mombasa & Tete through MATCH ICRH-K, and ICRH-M • Understanding the community and CB needs using multiple methods • Questions during situational assessment • Prelim visit to the sites and interaction • Extensive interaction over telephone • Draft curriculum, shared with partners and finalized it • Training workshop where 80% of the participants were SW, rest are non-community who work with them • Had African SW faculties apart from Indian SW faculties • Mix methods adapted for facilitation • Work plan with on-site TA plan developed (example) • Mix methods were adapted for facilitation • Participants developed country wise work plan and a technical assistance plan was finalized • Work plan

8. Work done so far: NSWP-SWAA • Discussion with NSWP and visit by African SW to Ashodaya and VAMP • African SW desired to develop their Academy with support fro NSWP • Indian faculties visited Kenya to understand setting and plan FD program, assisted in developing curriculum • Supported in identifying learning elements • Provide support for faculty development

9. Work done so far: UM-CIHR • Partnering with HOYMAS with support from UM • Idea is to develop and strengthen community based research • Provide support to develop community led intervention

11. Our early impression • Learning to be bi-directional (both ways) • Community and aspiration building is critical • Enabling learning of focused prevention • (STI, community led other service delivery etc.) • Violence and stigma continue to be very critical. All courses need to address it • Cannot just replicate, but need to contextualize keeping the principles • Need to develop local community faculties

12. Challenges • Stakeholders do not recognize our potential; uncomfortable when they see us driving community led processes • Legal environment in some countries create difficulties to implement what’s being taught • Funding agencies keep on changing their priorities, don’t understand the processes but only want product leading therefore can lead to resource crunch

13. Lesson for us sex workers • Sex work and sex workers are the same world over • We learn from each other because we respect ourselves and our profession. The learning is quicker because we trust each other even if drawn from different countries and cultures • The South to South in reality is two way and gathers momentum if it is community to community as well

14. Acknowledgement • My friends….. Sex workers from Africa and India • The DAC, India and KSAPS • NSWP, APNSW • EC, University of Ghent, MATCH, ICRH-Kenya, ICRH-Mombasa • Avahan Program • The University of Manitoba • UNAIDS, UNFPA, ADB

15. Thank You