Organisation and human agency : a comparative study of challenges faced by fieldworkers in NGOs working to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Uganda
Abstract
As a devastating disease with bad long-term predictions and often with limited mponse,
HIV/AIDS has cxeated health, social, economic and cultural crisis that requires a multiplicity
of responses. There is increasing literature on the impact of HN on the community, but little
on the actual experiences and challenges of those who attempt to mitigate its impact. in light
of this, this study intended to analyse the challenges of working for HN/AIDS NGOs in
Uganda. To compare the chailenges faced by fieldworkers, the study interviewed fieldworkers
korn TASO-Uganda and CCF-Uganda. A qualitative study was conducted and anaiysis of the
data was based on groded theory. Results are therefore discussed in terms of their
implieation to the work of fieldworkers and their perceptions towards the organisations
The findings suggest that work in the organisations especially those that endeavour to miwate
the impact of HN/AIDS is very demanding for fieldworkers. There are many difficulties, and
resouces within the organisations are far less than what is necessary to meet the existing
needs. Both TASO and CCF work to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS but they are als0
different in mmy respects. TASO and CCF differ in size and structure. Significant also to
note is that, TASO is a pioneer organisation in the fight against HIV/AIDS and may have
more resources than CCF. The study however reveded that most of the experierices and
successes of fieldworkers in the two organisations were relatively similar, differem were
only emerging prnibly in the number of people supported and in few programs that could not
exist in either organisations. The study reveded that it was the internai differenca within the
two organisations, which was the mod distinguishing element in the study.
Description
Mastergradsoppgave i "Comparative social work" - Høgskolen i Bodø, 2006