TB

Facilitators of Community Transformation (FACT) is an NGO based in Lilongwe  with Satellite Office in Machinga, working on Health, Education, Women and Girls, Agriculture and Development research. FACT envisions a developed, just society, free from  poverty and human suffering. The organization exists to promote sustainable national development in all sectors of the public in Malawi, by ensuring that people are accorded the right to equitable economic, health and education opportunities through research, social mobilization, capacity building, networking and advocacy.

We are therefore inviting applications for a Field Facilitator tenable at our Lilongwe  Offices.

JOB SUMMARY:  

The Field  Facilitator reports directly to the  Monitoring and Evaluation Manager and is responsible for project implementation including planning and delivering on training related activities, mentoring and coaching, monitoring and reporting. He/she ensures the accountability of the project results on the covered implementation district of  Lilongwe.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Activity planning and implementation

• Ensures participation of partners, and stakeholders in the process of project planning and implementation of the proposed activities.
• Supports Volunteers/ TB Focal Persons in developing their activity plans and schedules, encourages their initiatives while ensuring alignment with project proposal, facilitates their activities and reports to the  Monitoring and Evaluation Manager.
• In coordination with partners, evaluates implementation of activities on monthly basis and, provides updates of lessons learned and best practices and reports on progress and challenges as they arise.
• Manages the logistical arrangements for training workshops and events.
• Assesses needs of Volunteers, TB Focal Persons, and partners, recommends the suitable intervention and works with them to develop training schedules.
• Organizes and facilitates training workshops conducted by other program staff and participates in the training as required.
• Handles equipment (enablers) management and distribution in the assigned  CSCPs and communities.
• Handles advance payments and manages cash money used for the activity implementation.
• Conduct regular field visits with partners and FACT Staff to follow up and provide support needed and mentorship to volunteers.

Educational Qualifications

M.S.C.E with Diploma in Community Development or any relevant qualification. Motor Cycle License is a Must, if not he/she must work towards obtaining it in 2 Months period.

Mode of Application

Interested candidates should hand deliver  their applications, CVs  and a cover letter not later than 30^th November,  2022 to:

The Office Manager,

Facilitators of Community Transformation (FACT)

Top Floor, Cresswell House, Opposite Chimutu CDSS

Along M1 Road Area 18

P.O. Box 30407

Lilongwe

FACT-oriented 15 Media Houses on Covid19, Childhood TB policies, 3RH, TPT, and existing policy implementation challenges. The aim of the orientation was to guide media houses to better understand the gaps that exist in the country in as far as 3RH and TPT is concerned, especially for children.

FACT will then work hand in hand with media houses on tailored programs that will create awareness on 3RH and TPT, as well as create demand to scale up access to 3RH and TPT, as it is common knowledge that if the community affected by TB had adequate information they would be able to lobby for strong TB policies, adequate resources and development of effective community-oriented programs, sufficient to addressing the needs of people affected by TB, particularly children. This activity took place in Blantyre at Grace Bandawe Conference Center on 11^th March 2021, from 9:00 am to 13:00hrs.

FACT Staff Group Photo

FACT Staff observing a Moment of Silence during the Candle Light Event

The Executive Director presenting a keynote address during the candlelight event

The Executive Director and an Official from JournAIDS lighting a candle for the candlelight ceremony

On the 24^th of March 2021, FACT honored the WTBD commemoration to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no public events organized. FACT, therefore, held a ceremony at the office premises with delegates from partner organizations such as JournAIDS and COWLHA. The ceremony involved speeches from officials of all organizations and a candlelit service that observed a moment of silence in honor of the lives lost due to TB and the COVID-19 pandemic.

By: Wanangwa Sichinga

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Group photo between FACT, NTP, KNCV, EGPAF and media house representatives

TB continues to be a major challenge in child health in Malawi. Over half (55%) of the estimated 1 million children with TB of age 0-14 years were reported in 2017.  In 2016, Malawi registered 16,959 TB cases and childhood TB made up 8.6% of these cases.

Childhood TB policy is available and the world health organization oversees the implementation of the policy, however affected communities and CSOs were not fully engaged in the policy development process, which has created a gap in the implementation. The policy stipulates the need to diagnose TB in children earlier enough for early treatment initiation using child friendly formulations. The NTP rolled out GeneXpert machines, recommended by WHO as the initial test for pediatric TB diagnosis, which will significantly improve diagnosis of TB in children compared to the old and less sensitive method based on microscopy, however this is failing to reach optimum utilization and scale up due to domestic financing challenges and weak policy implementation mechanisms, compounded by the lack of demand for accountability by the affected communities.

In addition, the Ministry of Health plans to progress the current first-line formulation of pediatric TB drugs to a new, child-friendly formulation. However, additional support is needed to rollout these innovations, including ensuring new pediatric formulations both for active and latent TB infection are ordered, available in clinics and used.

In line with that, FACT is implementing a project with support from EGPAF that aims at strengthening Civil Society Organizations and Parliamentarians in response to effective TB management. As part of the project, FACT organized a training with Media houses with the aim of orienting them on the importance of 3RH and IPT in the fight against pediatric TB on 11th March, 2021 at Grace Bandawe Conference Centre, Blantyre.  This orientation aimed at guiding media houses to better understand the gaps that exist in the country as far as 3RH, and IPT are concerned, especially for children.

FACT then liaised with the media houses on tailored programs that will create awareness on 3RH and IPT, as well as create demand to scale up access to 3RH and IPT. This follows the common knowledge that if the communities affected by TB had adequate information, they would be able to lobby for strong TB policies, adequate resources and the development of effective community-oriented programs, sufficient to address the needs of people affected by TB, particularly children.  It was noted during the training that all media houses have health programs that are broadcasted which was a starting point for the roadmap development.

PROJECT GOAL

FACT proposed to carry out a demand creation and advocacy project to address the gaps that have been highlighted above with the goal to:

• Strengthen development and implementation of effective TB policies on management of Childhood TB, TPT implementation and scale up through implementation of tailored demand creation strategies among parliamentary committees, TB CSOs and affected groups by end of the project.

The objective of the activity was to;

• Increase Public Sensitization on Covid19 and TB policies, especially 3HR and TPT scale up towards generating demand for services through effective Media engagement.

Media houses which were invited for the training were; Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Times Group, MBC, Nations Publications, Mibawa TV, Blantyre Synod Radio, Transworld Radio, Kuwala Radio, Neno FM, Mzati Fm, Yoneco FM, Chanco Radio, Joy Radio and Capital FM.

By: Wanangwa Sichinga

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Platinum Hotel, Lilongwe

3^rd December 2018

TB in Prisons has been marked with numerous Human Rights concerns both among prisoners, civil society and TB stakeholders. Recent MDR TB outbreak in prison has created an urgent need for collaboration and partnership among key players in Malawi that are working on TB to intervene in ensuring comprehensive MDR TB and TB programming at a national level with a human rights approach. FACT and the Tuberculosis CSO network conducted a workshop for CSO members in collaboration with CHREA (Network Member), SALC, ARASA and its partners to enable relevant stakeholders to develop an advocacy strategy for the TB in Prison Human Rights Campaign and assign responsibilities amongst the organizations involved.

Some of the key issues that have been raised are concerns around increasing overcrowding in prisons, lack of a plan for mitigating TB outbreaks, continued detention of MDR TB patients in prison which predisposes other inmates to infection, poor nutritional support for people with TB.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

To engage CSO network members and other relevant stakeholders in developing a national CSO advocacy campaign around Human Rights and TB in prison.