| ||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TASO Service Center
Training Centre today
Background
TASO was founded out of a need to respond to a crisis that was spreading like a wild fire. Therefore, there was no time to plan and develop activities that were springing up to deal with this crisis. The boat was built while sailing and the training program was no exception to this scenario.
A counselling centre was started at the Old Mulago hospital-Kampala as a model, which was later replicated to districts of The first need to be identified in training was to demystify HIV/AIDS through holding a one-day sensitisation seminar to disseminate facts about HIV/AIDS.
This was followed by a 3-day AIDS Care Orientation Workshop (ACOW) to provide a forum to discuss facts about HIV/AIDS, with an aim to examine people's attitudes towards AIDS, introduce the concepts of positive living and helping skills. Primarily, these seminars and workshops were intended to sensitise and improve the attitudes of health workers, but any institution or community that wished to be sensitised about HIV/AIDS, were catered for.
The primary aim of this was to provide accurate information on the subject to help persons to make an informed decision especially for testing, emotional support to those people undergoing a crisis and help them examine the implications around their situation and the possible course (s) of action. All this would not be possible without undergoing training in counselling. Hence, topics were put together and a training program gradually evolved, based on facts as information trickled in.
Importantly, based on the experience of interacting with the affected individuals and families, the first people to get involved with the Organisation were part time workers. Training was started on a sandwich and apprenticeship model until today.
Later in 1987, TASO received its first funding from Action Aid-Uganda and in December of the same year its first training in form of a sensitisation workshop for Mulago hospital staff was held, in which 35 Participants attended. In January a second sensitisation workshop for another 50 hospital staff also took place.
In June 1988, Mrs Jane Lindsay from Voluntary Service Organization (VSO)- United Kingdom was requested to come and train Uganda in HIV/AIDS counselling. She laid the foundation of our counselling training programme.A management review workshop held in August1988, led to the evolution of the new management structure with the aim of enhancing the implementation of project activities. New premises were hired at Kabakanjagala road to house the TASO Community Initiatives (TC-I) and the Training unit of the service department.
A grant of US$ 94,550 for three years was approved by USAID for TASO to provide; Counselling services, Counsellors Training and Community Outreach to assist persons with HIV/AIDS, their families and Communities.
The TASO Community Initiative, which called upon community involvement in HIV/AIDS care and presentation was introduced. Communities established were:
TASO Mulago - Seeta Nazigo, Kyanja, Bbira, Bombo , Namasagali - June 1989.
TASO Masaka - Kakungu, kilinya, Nkoni, Matete and Kyambogo- October 1988. TASO Tororo - Kirema Busia Malaba, kagoro and kiyei-1989.
TASO Mbarara - Kaberebere, Kamushiko, Biharwe, Nyeinge and Buzibwera- January 1989.In 1992, 7 Acres of land were purchased at Kanyanya (13 Km) from Kampala city centre for the construction of TASO Training Centre. In the same year, the first graduation of 120 counsellors was held on 30th April at TASO Mulago counselling centre.
TASO has provided technical support in financial/organizational management and Training to many up coming TASO like initiatives. The outstanding ones included;MAPSO (Mityana), KASO (Kumi), PASO (Pallisa) in Uganda.
In 1993, the 2nd graduation of 205 Graduants was held. It included; Counsellors, Counsellor Supervisors, TASO Community Initiative-Trainers and AIDS Community Workers at the Development Unit, Yusuf Lule Road.
In the same year, the Japan's Embassy in Uganda granted US$48,134 towards the construction of the current TASO Training centre. A curriculum for the training counsellor trainers was developed. A UN Volunteer Mrs Florence Opadia joined the Training Department.
TASO's Board of Trustees in 1994 approved the first counsellors and TCI training charges and SIDA through STI-Uganda started funding TASO's core activities.
In 1996, the construction was completed and Headquarters shifted to the new and present building structures. The Danish Ambassador to Uganda then His Excellence Thomas Schjerbeck officially inaugurated the premises. The construction was co-funded by the Japanese Embassy, SIDA and DANIDA. TASO was requested to provide Institutional capacity building for the districts of; Kasese, Masindi, Ntugamo, Kamuli, Luwero and Sembabule in order for them to establish Community based TASO-like services integrating Family planning information and STDs diagnosis and treatment with counselling.
Back to Top
The Training Centre today
The AIDS Support Organization Training center is the capacity building arm of TASO (U) Limited. It is a non-profit making pioneer training institution that was founded in 1988 to respond to the need for specialized care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and deal with the dynamics of HIV/AIDS in Uganda and beyond.
Mission
TASO (U) Ltd was founded to contribute to the process of restoring hope and improving the quality of life of persons and communities affected by HIV infection and disease. TASO exists to offer counseling, medical care, social support, advocacy and consultancy.
One other way in which TASO fulfils this mission is by building the capacity of individuals and institutions to provide specialized HIV/AIDS care.
TASO trains from curricula developed largely from its 14-year experience in care and support of over 73,000 PLWHA, as such TASO's training has unparalleled relevance to most African settings. The training methods are participatory, field-based and backed by a well-equipped resource center. TASO believes in quality care and can tailor courses to suit a variety of training request for specialized HIV/AIDS care.TASO has trained over 3,500 individuals and staff of government and non-governmental establishments in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe Nigeria and other African countries. Most of who are serving as HIV/AIDS counselors, HIV/AIDS community trainers, consultants and HIV/AIDS specialists.
HIV/AIDS Counseling Course
Aim
To equip participants with knowledge and skills in HIV/AIDS counseling
Objectives
- To enhance participants understanding of the practical implications of HIV infection and disease.
- To identify practical ways of preventing HIV infection and disease.
- To facilitate understanding of practical strategies for implementing behavior change
- To promote adoption of relevant HIV/AIDS Counseling models
© Copyright 2003. The AIDS Support Organisation |
