The Rapid Funding Envelope for HIV/AIDS (RFE) is an innovative partnership between the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), the Zanzibar AIDS Commission (ZAC), nine bilateral donors, and one private foundation. Established in 2002, the RFE's purpose is to enable civil society institutions in Tanzania to participate fully in the national multi-sectoral response to the AIDS epidemic. To do so, the RFE provides grants to Tanzanian non-profit civil society organisations, academic institutions, and civil society partnerships for essential, short-term projects aligned with the National Policy on HIV/AIDS and the National Multi-Sectoral Strategic Framework. Urgent, best practice, or innovative projects are funded in six priority areas:
- Prevention, advocacy, information/education/communication, and behavior change communication
- Care and support for HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections
- Impact mitigation of the effects of the epidemic, including orphans and vulnerable children
- Research to provide baseline information or assess effectiveness
- Institutional strengthening, including capacity building in monitoring and evaluation
- Interventions for children aged 0—8 years who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS
RFE sponsored projects must lead into, contribute to, or be complementary to longer term efforts in the national response. The RFE generally conducts one or two rounds of grant making each year. Each round is announced in various local English and Swahili newspapers. The two-step grant making process is described fully in the Funding Application page where application forms can also be downloaded. The RFE uses a paperless system. Applicants send their Concept Letters and proposals through email. The Grants Manager communicates directly with grantees to inform them of Steering Committee decisions and sends announcements to the media as well. Check the Upcoming Events box on the RFE home page for the date of the next Call for Concept Letters.
As of January 2009, the RFE has made 138 grants totaling Tsh. 21.4 billion (US$ 18.3 million). Some of the grantee results include:
- Developing HIV education materials in Braille
- Providing food security to people living with AIDS
- Imparting legal advice for wills and inheritance
- Opening new HIV voluntary counseling and testing sites
- Communicating to at-risk youth through community theatre
- Developing a curriculum to train pharmacists on dispensing anti-retrovirals
- Scaling up a holistic approach to AIDS care
- Evaluating the impact of HIV/AIDS on elderly Tanzanians
The RFE is governed by a Steering Committee comprised of three TACAIDS Commissioners, one ZAC Commissioner, and four donor representatives. Together, they define criteria for eligible institutions, set priorities for grant making, and select projects for funding. Grant management and financial oversight is provided by Deloitte & Touche, a leading international accounting and management firm. Technical oversight and screening is provided by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a U.S.-based nonprofit organisation working to improve access to and management of health programmes around the world.
The Rapid Funding Envelope sponsors and staff are delighted to assist other countries, Commissions, and donor groups regarding the possibility of creating their own RFE. If you are interested in RFE replication, please contact the RFE at rfe@deloitte.co.tz. If your agency or foundation is interested in becoming an RFE donor in Tanzania, please contact Mrs. Rustica Tembele, TACAIDS’ Director for Districts and Community Response; and Chair of the RFE, at tacaids@raha.com or rfe@deloitte.co.tz.
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