INCREASED FUNDING FOR AIDS-ENGAGED FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN AFRICA?

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size

Notes

1. Parts of this article are adapted from working papers in Olivier and Wodon (2012b). The original research benefitted from funding from the World Bank, however the findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this article are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent.

2. There are on-going and as yet unresolved concerns about terminology in relation to “faith-based organizations” (also called religious entities, faith-inspired initiatives or institutions, or the like). In this paper, we utilize the term FB-CSO to indicate a classification in this particular dataset under discussion—between those CSOs who self-identify as “faith-based” and those that do not (non-religious CSOs).

3. We are especially grateful to Kevin Kelly (CADRE) for sharing the dataset used in this paper, and for resulting discussion and comment. This paper also benefited from discussion and comments from Rosalia Rodriguez-Garcia and René Bonnel.

4. For example, the World Bank has held several international workshops to help FB-CSOs access funding from national HIV/AIDS programs including the World Bank MAP program—such as the one in Addis Ababa in 2003, then in Accra in 2005 (Keough and Marshall 2007). UNAIDS holds many consultative programs with FB-CSOs—as can be seen in the report Partnership with faith-based organizations: UNAIDS strategic framework (UNAIDS 2009). The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has similarly held several workshops and meetings expressly to facilitate FB-CSOs access to Global Fund resources, as is expressed in the Report on the involvement of faith-based organizations in the Global Fund (GFATM 2008). PEPFAR and USAID have similar statements on their websites.

5. It might even be argued that the HIV/AIDs response has helped form multisectoral collaboration more broadly. Those countries with more prevalent HIV/AIDS epidemics now have more mechanisms for interfaith collaboration in place than those that do not. Certainly countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, and Uganda now have several mechanisms (such as Interfaith AIDS Councils) to better strengthen the national “faith sector” response and representation. On the other hand, while funding has helped many FB-CSOs in expanding their services, it also has created tensions. Haddad, Olivier, and De Gruchy (2008) note obstacles to effective interfaith and multi-sectoral collaboration including in some countries a lack of real representation (for example on interfaith AIDS councils); competition for funding between FB-CSOs; interfaith rivalry; and the sometimes dogmatic and conservative attitudes of FB-CSOs.

6. See http://www.pepfar.gov/budget/partners/index.htm.

7. This particular quote from the CIFA report, which addresses the percentage of services provided by the “faith sector” versus the percentage of funds provided, raises however another key concern. As we have argued elsewhere (Olivier and Wodon 2012b), broad generalizations about the percentage of services being provided versus the percentage of funds being allocated to “FBOs” or the “faith sector” generally is a common advocacy device in this field of research. We have argued that most market share estimates are often biased on the high side, and not only problematic, but also counter-productive given the inadequate information available and the heterogeneity of the “faith sector.” The broad and complex nature of the “faith sector” means that making any broad statement about services provided or funding flows can be challenged.

8. Details on the methodology are available in the detailed report prepared by these authors, so that only a few pointers should be necessary here.

9. There are in the literature no standardized typologies for FBOs and this gets particularly messy when looking at the local-community level, where there are complex arrays of international (INGOs), national NGOs, local CBOs, networking bodies, intermediaries, congregational initiatives, and informal care groups in operation—and about which we know substantially less than those operating at a national level (Olivier 2011). The classification of whether something is faith-inspired or not is especially difficult at the level of local communities where religion is part of everyday life and action. Most classification strategies (including self-identification as “faith-inspired” in surveys) have weaknesses and different studies employ different schema for inclusion or exclusion of FB-CSOs, making comparison risky.

10. Although for the number of grants from different sources, S-CSOs were better placed in 2001; by contrast, on the odds rations, FB-CSOs were better placed throughout the period under review, with very few exceptions. Out of 30 potential comparisons of odds rations (six donor types and five years of data), FB-CSOs fare worse on likelihood of funding on only two occasions—the funding from national, provincial, or district HIV/AIDS structure in the last two years of data, with the difference being small.

11. In countries where Islam is prevalent, Zakat and other direct payments from Islamic communities play a large role in the funding of FB-CSOs. In Chipata, Zambia, the local Muslim community did not have many associations engaged in HIV and AIDS response, but was financing a wing of the local government hospital as part of their social responsibility (ARHAP 2006). Yet these types of payments are rarely accounted for or recognized.

Additional information

Jill Olivier is a lecturer at the University of Cape Town in the Health Policy and Systems Division. She is the research director for the International Religious Health Assets Programme, and has operated as a researcher and research manager in Southern, Western and Central Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, and the USA. Dr Olivier's current focus is on health systems research, the interface of religion and public health, interdisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration, and community engagement.

Quentin Wodon is an adviser in the Education Department of the Human Development Network at the World Bank where he serves as cluster leader for equity, resilience, and early childhood development. Previously, he managed the Bank's unit working on faith and development, served as Lead Poverty Specialist for West and Central Africa, and as economist/senior economist in the Latin American region. He holds graduate degrees in business engineering, economics, and philosophy, and PhDs in Economics and in Theology and Religious Studies.