There are four main directions of our
activities:
Prevention-education-communication-peer education from
social workers and psychologists to youngsters in high school
concerning HIV/AIDS/drugs/reproductive health. Also raising the
awareness of general public for these problems (Social Youth
Center and other branches of Aksion Plus in other towns of
Albania). Peer education is one of the most important tools we
use to build life skills/capacities, and to modify the risky
sexual behaviors.
Service and treatment for vulnerable groups – implementing
a holistic program in order to reduce harms that are related to drug
use, prevention of HIV/AIDS/STIs among the injecting drug users and
other consequences, both individual and social (training, peer
education, individual and group counseling, outreach in the drug
scene, research, condom distribution, advocacy, protection of human
rights, referral to other services etc).
Capacity building and advocacy. Aksion Plus trainers are
capable to deliver training sessions to various targeted groups:
students in high schools, Social Work and Psychology students,
teachers, journalists, police officers, parents, health
practitioners, volunteers and other care givers. Advocacy is also
one of the main components of our work. Advocacy is implemented in
two levels: 1- Governmental and policy makers 2- Foreign agencies,
UN agencies and other national/international networks. Aksion Plus
is a member of regional and international networks: CEEHRN, SWAN,
IHRD, SEEA-Adriatic Network on Harm Reduction and Addiction,
CRANSTOUN.
Publication, research Aksion Plus is a specialized
organization in producing Training Modules, Guidelines, posters,
brochures, leaflets, newsletters and other informing materials. We
are capable to conduct our own researches and studies with targeted
groups: youth in high schools, drug users and sex workers (certified
by UN agencies). Very often we cooperate with other specialized
structures to conduct research and evaluation interventions (UNICEF,
UNFPA, WHO, Institute of Public Health).
The first area is supported by:
ICCO, a Dutch donor. A team of five social workers are providing
education, life skills information and counseling in high schools on
daily bases. Aksion Plus is advocating STI/HIV/AIDS prevention and
behavior change communication through establishing relationships
with policy makers, governmental officials and local authorities.
SIDA, CIDA, SDC, UNICEF, UNFPA – are funding complementary projects.
Following our example the Regional Directorate of Education is
replicating this project to other high schools in Tirana. The
project is building the capacities of students, peer educators,
staff members, health practitioners and other NGO members. Social
workers are using drama and role plays to convey the message to
other youth.
The second direction is developed by these projects:
The Center for Harm Reduction and Resource Center The goal of
the program is: “To enhance the quality of life of drug users in
Albania through improved Healthy Lifestyles education and behavior
change communication, by creating an enabling environment for the
promotion of young people’s health/RSH and healthy lifestyles“. This
project is targeting mainly drug users (capacity building, extension
of the harm reduction activities in other towns, advocacy and
influencing policy makers pertaining to drug use).
Methadone substitution Therapy
The first community based center for 110 veterans users of heroin.
GFATM is supporting this project. At present we are striving to
extend the methadone program in other towns of Albania where the
drug use phenomenon is taking dramatic levels. In Albania there are
altogether 20-30000 drug users, 5000-6000 out of them are
intravenous drug users.
The methadone treatment and other harm reduction activities are
extended to drug users who are in prisons and in pre-trial settings
(a special agreement is signed with the Ministry of Justice). Aksion
Plus is licensed by the Ministry of Health to provide services in
the field of drug use.
Develop a comprehensive model of out reach through Peer
Counseling for young injecting drug users, street kids, sex workers
and Roma individuals. The objective of this Network of Peer Leaders
is to provide Risk Counseling and Peer Education sessions on
HIV/AIDS related to drug use. A comprehensive Training Curricula on
Peer Outreach activities and needle exchange is developed and
adopted by other national partners.
Supported by UNICEF and GFATM
Aksion Plus is a member of SWAN (Sex Workers Advocacy
Network) based in Hungary whose goal is to protect the human rights
of sex workers in Albania. Some preliminary activities have been
initiated with sex workers who also use drugs (mapping of sex
workers in Tirana and other services provided to them).
Aksion Plus resources and partners:
Aksion Plus has qualitative human and material resources. The human
resources consist of: local and foreign consultants, trainers,
volunteers, social workers, doctors and paid staff. Material
resources are different: computers, communication systems, office
equipment etc.
Our partners are: local organizations (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO,
Youth Parliament, National Center for Community Services, National
Youth Council, STOP AIDS association, ALGA, ACPD, People Living with
HIV Association, Young Christian Women of Albania, other NGOs
working in the field of child trafficking, Albanian Group of Human
Rights, Albanian Helsinki Committee) and international NPOs,
governmental structures, Ministry of Health, Institute of Public
Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, other private and
donor agencies.
Plans for the future, sustainability:
Aksion Plus intends to expand its activities to other parts of the
country concerning HIV/AIDS/Drugs and reproductive health. Regional
projects between Albania, Macedonia and Kosova are designed
particularly to address drug users, their siblings and other
stakeholders around them: health professionals, social workers, NPO
members, police, human rights associations. Other vulnerable groups
will be targeted.
Already our trainers and volunteers have launched a campaign in the
high schools to openly talk with adolescents about drugs, the
so-called light drugs, harm reduction (including methadone), issues
of human rights, and other topics related to reproductive health
(HIV/AIDS/STIs). We have targeted teachers, police officers, health
practitioners, NGO members, students, parents, drug users and
outreach workers.
The Albanian Government has granted Aksion Plus a piece of land
(close to the US Embassy) where we intend to build a new
multifunctional center to better serve to our targeted groups. At
present we are in the process of obtaining a building permission
from the Tirana Municipality
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