Advocacy Navigator

Preparing the next generation of HIV prevention advocates
Using training and mentorship from AVAC Fellow Alumni to prepare the next generation of HIV prevention advocates.

Support for Advocates is Essential

Since 2009 and the beginning of the AVAC Fellows program, AVAC has recognized the imperative to support HIV prevention advocates. They represent a global movement of seasoned veterans and passionate newcomers, who call out neglect, insist on equity, monitor commitments and identify solutions. Now the Advocacy Navigator program is leveraging the strength of this extraordinary Fellows alumni community to expand to a larger number of people and continue to support and engage advocates for the long-term.

About the Project

The Advocacy Navigator mobilizes the expansive AVAC fellow alumni network to serve as mentors for a broader group of interested advocates. Individuals who join the program gain access to the vast knowledge and experience of the alumni network while also participating in online coursework and advocacy strategy.

Who's This For

This initiative is designed for early-career professionals looking to jumpstart or strengthen their HIV prevention advocacy.

What This Program Entails

Curated coursework
Personalized mentorship
Intentional networking
Experiential learning

How The Advocacy Navigator Program Works

In collaboration with their mentors, the participants, will:

Connect with AVAC’s growing global network
Bolster existing HIV prevention campaigns
Fuel advocacy efforts

The first three months include structured, self-paced coursework, followed by a Community Advocacy Project for the following three months. The focus of the project is decided by the participants in consultation with their mentors in order to match their interests with community needs.

Tapping into AVAC Alumni

Participants will work directly with previous Fellows. Here are some of our notable alumni:

Winifred Ikilai
National Forum of People Living with HIV & AIDS Networks in Uganda

During her time as a fellow, Wini successfully spearheaded a campaign to secure ARVs, food, hygiene packs and other services and supplies for 2,700 households in 115 districts during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Her advocacy earned her the 2021 Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy while also garnering opportunities to collaborate with IAVI, aidsmap, Al Jazeera, and others.

Clever Chilende
Programs Manager with the Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC)

Clever was fighting for recognition in spaces where decisions were made when he joined the Fellows program in 2012. Now, he informs national policy on voluntary male medical circumcision. His project increased community participation in the health budgeting process and was directly involved in drafting Zambia's Country Operating Plan for PEPFAR. He joined key national working groups and formed a civil society coalition on HIV prevention.

Josephine Aseme
Greater Women Initiative for Health and Right (GWIHR)

Josephine is steering Nigeria’s key population community to accelerate PrEP rollout. Her work training key population champions in peer-to-peer PrEP education led to an increase of over 23,000 PrEP referrals. She successfully worked with the Ministry of Health to secure PrEP inclusion in the National Consolidated Service Delivery Guidelines on HIV and STIs for Key Populations, in Nigeria’s National HIV/AIDS Prevention Plan, and in Heartland Alliance’s Peer Educators’ Manual, a nationally recognized compendium.

Featured Resources

“The Advocacy Navigation program was very influential in my quest of becoming a Fellow. It was only after going through the course that I was able to pull out an advocacy proposal to earn the award of the Fellow for 2022-2023. If not for the program, I could not have made it as a Fellow. The mentorship increased my knowledge and understanding of the HIV landscape in terms of understanding what advocacy is— priorities, HIV prevalence, and new HIV prevention technologies, including CAB for PrEP, which I am now championing for its introduction in Malawi. I was mentored by the best advocates, and through the program I learnt that sometimes “advocacy is like madness.” I want to urge young, and upcoming advocates who have aspirations of becoming a Fellow like myself to apply for the program.”
- Prince Mikel Juao, 2022-2023 Fellow

Contact

Interested in joining the next group of Navigators or want to learn more about the project? Contact hnelson@avac.org.

An Initiative of the Coalition to Accelerate and Support Prevention Research (CASPR)
CASPR is a network of thirteen partner organizations with a shared goal of supporting the development and sustainability of an Africa-centered network dedicated to accelerating biomedical HIV prevention research and equitable access and introduction of HIV prevention products. This work was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of PEPFAR, USAID or the United States Government.

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