WE ARE ACCHO

The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) provides leadership in the response to HIV/AIDS in African, Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario. We are a provincial coalition of organizations and individuals committed to HIV prevention, education, advocacy, research, treatment, care and support for African, Caribbean and Black communities. ACCHO and its members strive to reduce the incidence of HIV among African, Caribbean and Black people in Ontario, and to improve the quality of life for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS through the implementation of the Ontario HIV/AIDS Strategy for African, Caribbean and Black Communities 2013-2018 (the ACB Strategy). This is done through coordination of the implementation of the ACB Strategy, capacity development and community engagement, as well as research and advocacy. ACCHO is not an AIDS service organization (ASO).

Vision

ACCHO envisions for African, Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario, an environment that is supportive of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and free of new HIV transmissions.

Mission

ACCHO provides leadership in the response to HIV/AIDS in African, Caribbean and Black communities.

Prioritize self-care through #TheCareCollective

STATEMENT OF solidarity

We, along with the communities we exist to serve across Ontario, continue to watch in horror and grief at the events taking place south of our border. And we are reminded that this deadly collision of race, power and rights is not restricted to south of our border: anti-Black racism is alive in Canada as well. Our work responding to HIV in Ontario’s African, Caribbean and Black communities has us walking at the edge of the margins of our society on a daily basis. We see what racism and violence do to communities, to generations, and we denounce it vehemently.

Enough is enough!

We stand in solidarity with all those who are speaking out and are acting with hope and dignity. We are tired of praying that victims rest in power; we demand that all people of colour in our province and in our country live in power; it is overdue.

ACCHO – African Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

OUR HISTORY

The report ACCHO – Engaging Communities and Supporting Action on HIV/AIDS among African, Caribbean and Black Communities in Ontario documents the history of ACCHO from our beginnings to 2010, and highlights some of our key milestones along the way. We are proud to have come from African, Caribbean and Black communities to address our own needs. For Us, By Us, About Us – Always!

This ACCHO Legacy video showcases ACCHO, while highlighting issues related to HIV/AIDS affected African, Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario.

Our Role

Coordinate and support Strategy implementation, revision/renewal, monitoring and evaluation.
Advise and advocate on HIV/AIDS-related issues affecting African, Caribbean and Black communities.
Promote greater and meaningful involvement of African, Caribbean and Black people living with HIV/AIDS in the response.
Engage African, Caribbean and Black communities in the response to HIV/AIDS.
Ensure and maintain the relevance, effectiveness and impact of ACCHOP

OUR 6 Guiding Principles

The work of ACCHO is guided by the belief that:

ONE

HIV infection among African, Caribbean and Black people is an urgent issue that requires immediate attention and dedication of resources towards prevention of HIV transmission and towards the care, treatment and support of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS..

TWO

Efforts to address HIV among African, Caribbean and Black people requires consultation and collaboration with community members and with service providers working with and within these communities

THREE

Community-based responses to HIV/AIDS among African, Caribbean and Black communities call for acknowledgement of the diversity within and between African, Caribbean and Black communities across Ontario. This diversity includes, but is not limited to national origin, language, culture, religion, immigration status, area of residence, gender, age, class and sexual orientation.

FOUR

Programs and services for African, Caribbean and Black people should involve them in decision-making roles; be culturally competent; and be accessible and relevant to all African, Caribbean and Black people including children and youth, women, gay men, lesbians, bisexual men and women, transgender men and women, heterosexuals and people who use injection drugs.

FIVE

HIV programming needs to work within a broad social framework that addresses the determinants of health, and systemic issues such as racism, homophobia, and gender inequity.

SIX

Research with African, Caribbean and Black communities should address community needs, and must be respectful and ethical.

MEET OUR DIRECTOR

KY'OKUSINGA KIRUNGA

Ky’okusinga has worked in the HIV/AIDS sector for over 12 years. This includes extensive field experience as well as policy, programmatic and communications work. Most recently, she was the Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at the Stephen Lewis Foundation where she worked for 10 years. Her professional experience is rounded out by her communications work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), years spent working in theatre, as well as being a senior team member contributing to the success of world-class international festivals. For the last 10 years, she has been a Board Member of 60 Million Girls – a public foundation with the objective of financially supporting at least two major education projects annually in developing countries with the greatest gender disparity in school enrolment. Ky’okusinga is also an active Board Member of Mburara International School, a school established by her mother in Uganda over 15 years ago. Fully bilingual, Ky’okusinga has a degree in Languages from the University of Toronto, a certificate in Communications from McGill University, and is currently a candidate for a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Concordia University. Ky’okusinga is an activist, feminist, human rights defender, and internationalist.