Current Projects Fons Against Aids (FAA-NGO) This is a non-profit apolitical organization of Cameroonian Traditional rulers dedicated to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the rural areas of Cameroon.  Daniel Anagho serves as the US Director for FAA-NGO More on the project   HIV/AIDS was discovered in Cameroon in the mid 1980s. At that time many people thought it was a foreign disease and that it will never reach them.  When it did, many refused to accept the veracity of its existence.  This early denial has been very instrumental in causing the rapid spread of the disease in the country.   Figures from the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health reveal the rate of infection in the rural parts of the country is growing rapidly that is the case with the urban centers.  The population of Cameroon today stands at about 20million.  Close to 14%of these people live with HIV or AIDS.   Cameroon also has a peculiar situation where the greatest portion of its people inhabit the rural parts of the country (about 70%)  Again, the greater portion of this rural population is illiterate and usually poor subsistence farmers, craftsmen, and petty traders.   Most if not all of these people live below the poverty line, and confronted with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, they find themselves in a state of defeat.  This is because they have no clear understanding of the pandemic and when there is a small measure of understanding, surrounding customs and practices still make them very vulnerable.   In Cameroon, Traditional Rulers (Fons or Chiefs), an auxiliary of the state usually are the main regulators of everyday life. In some areas, there are virtually no government official.  Thus, the task of administration of such areas is the obligation of the traditional ruler and his traditional council.   These Traditional rulers of Cameroon are usually referred to as Fons, thus the name, Fons against AIDS.  This is a non profit making and apolitical organization of Cameroonian Traditional Rulers dedicated to the control of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon and sworn to provide assistance to Cameroonians infected and affected by the HIV/AIDS Pandemic.   As mentioned above, the prevalence rate of HIV in Cameroon since its discovery in 1985 has continued to rise.  Today, it is estimated that 900 people get infected everyday with the HIV virus.   The government, national and international organizations have done a lot to curb the spread of this disease but they have not succeeded to extend their impact to the rural parts.  The government recently declared HIV/AIDS; a national emergency in Cameroon with its impact continually to be felt heavily in the rural parts.  The reason for this lies principally in the approach it employs for instance, sensitization for prevention is usually done in health centers or hospitals, on radio, television, billboards and newspapers.   But very few of the rural areas possess health units, even hospitals.  People have to travel over long distances in order to meet with health officials.  With the over 75 % of the people living below the poverty line, very few can afford a transistor radio let alone buy newspapers or a television, billboards.  Thus information that is supposed to reach these people never gets to them but remains only within the periphery of urban centers. The bit that reaches them usually not well assimilated because of the illiteracy rates. It is therefore very common in such areas to hear people say very ignorant things about HIVAIDS.  For instance, Cameroonians in the rural areas say they do not believe in eating candy with the wrapping still on it.   To overcome the ignorance and poverty which predisposes rural Cameroonians to increasing HIV contraction, FAA-NGO has the following objectives; To reach the 70% of Cameroon’s population which inhabits the rural areas with HIV/AIDS prevention and management information disseminated in the various local dialects by locals themselves. Advocate that Traditional and institutions in their control discontinue customs and practices which predispose their populations to HIV contraction. Collaborate with the Ministry of Public Health and other internal and external organizations in identifying frontline workers on information, communication and education on HIV contraction. Provide assistance and support to infected and affected persons most of whom live below the poverty level. Facilitate the conveyance of initiatives of other organizations intervening in the same domain in the rural areas. Mobilize in sustainable manner resources of the accomplishment of the organizations objectives. Strategy Established to bring HIV/AIDS under control in rural Cameroon, the project is rural orientation with Traditional Rulers and their subjects as the main actors. nformation on HIV/AIDS prevention and management will be disseminated in local dialects by locals trained and supervised by FAA-NGO. Communities will be encouraged to participate in HIV screening exercises so s to preclude situations of late discovery of the disease. Information from other organizations intervening in the same domain will be made available to rural populations in the languages they understand best. Communities will be encouraged to adopt self Project Description The project will be completely decentralized with provincial units called upon to manage their activities with FAA-NGO supervision. It will seek to cover the entire Republic of Cameroon with an emphasis on the vulnerable rural parts It shall be driven by multi-disciplinary teamwork It shall be managed at the village level by Traditional Rulers with FAA-NGO supervision. It shall be transparent, accountable and open to public auditing. Back to Projects