How We Do It
In developing and implementing projects we are guided by the human rights based approach (HRBA) to development, United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (SDGs three, five and 16), Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe, national policies and actions plans. Further, we also tap into the latest science on HIV prevention and treatment as shared by reputable research centres and partner organisations. Above all, we respond to the concerns of the constituents that we serve to ensure that ‘no one is left behind,’ in line with the principle underpinning the SDGs.
Human Rights Advocacy
Through human rights monitoring and reporting; community education; community organizing and mobilisation; constructive engagement with duty bearers; alternative dispute resolution methods; accompaniment in legal and administrative processes; strategic litigation and the use of social and news media, CSMA advocates for the rights of minorities, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and AGYW.
HIV/Aids Advocacy
Through policy and media advocacy, we advocate for the roll-out and scale-up of biomedical HIV prevention and treatment options that have been proven by science to work, to all populations that urgently need them. We work with communities and community health centres to promote the effective Tuberculosis (TB) / HIV co-management.
We do this through community mobilisation and education. We collaboratively work with national institutions and civil society partners to bring to the attention of AGYW, national policies and actions plans on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), HIV and gender equality.
In this regard, we seek to firmly place young people at tables were decisions about their lives are made. We mobilise communities to fight HIV stigma and discrimination, by shifting negative societal attitudes against persons living with HIV and sexual minorities.
COVID-19 (Awareness raising, sharing the latest science and joining global advocacy calls for the vaccine, once available, to be availed to the marginalised and vulnerable for free)
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted community development work. The pandemic has heightened the suffering of marginalised and vulnerable communities. This has resulted in CSMA shifting it’s community development approach from advocacy, to, a multi-development matrix consisting of advocacy, education and humanitarian assistance.
We are being called upon to work with groups that we have never worked with before but are hardest hit by COVID-19, namely, Older Persons.
Our work with persons with disabilities has also been enhanced, as is the case with our work focused on key populations hardest hit by HIV.