PAST 

Ottawa Conference

PECAN was invited by Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) to nominate speakers for its public engagement conference.  Several round tables were held in 2004 to prepare for this event, which took place in May, 2005.  The PECAN presentations are available on the Download page of this website. 

Global Fund Round 5

PECAN applied as a regional organization on behalf of 40 faith-based organizations in three countries (South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique).  The proposal ran aground because not all of the CCMs (country coordinating mechanisms) were in favour of such a large allocation for faith-based organiztions, and refused to provide the written concurrence required.  The proposal was aptly named “The Eye of the Storm”. 

Orchard Camp

Through PECAN linkages in Canada, funds were raised for the construction of a camp facility in South Africa.  This replicated the “gold standard” of Masiye Camp in Zimbabwe, modified to fit the South African context.  The first psycho-social support camps for orphans were held in December 2005, followed by two further sessions in July and December 2006. 

PRESENT 

ACTS 2 Clinic in Swaziland

Through PECAN contacts, a member organization in Swaziland has been funded to construct an ARV (anti-retrovirals) clinic in central Swaziland, near Manzini.  Construction begins in 2007, and the clinic should be operational before the end of the year.  Further funding is required, but enough has been secured to make a start.

 PEPFAR proposal

A group of 8 PECAN members has submitted a joint proposal to PEPFAR for a bundle of projects in South Africa and Mozambique.  Processing of the application has been delayed by the “Continuing Resolution” in US Congress, in the wake of a Democrat majority being elected.  However, it is hoped that in spite of the new austerity measures, PEPFAR funding will still be allowed to increase according to plan. 

FUTURE 

Global Fund Round 7

PECAN members are discussing whether to take another run at this in 2007.  Round 6 was missed as attention was focused on tapping funds from PEPFAR in 2006. 

Book publishing

PECAN's technical advisor Chuck Stephens is working on a manuscript calling for AIDS to be regarded and treated as a major emergency, instead of “mainstreaming” (which means it belongs to everybody, so nobody takes ultimate responsibility).  He applies lessons learned from emergency management related to the Asian Tsunami in 2004 and from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to handling of the AIDS pandemic.

Points and
Counterpoints

The PECAN Coordinator in South Africa visits Canada once a year.  These visits are vital in terms of PECAN’s functioning and resource mobilization.

One way of contributing to PECAN is to transfer some of your air miles to her account:

Heather Stephens:
Lufthanza Miles and More 

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