ALOMA FOSTER: STRATEGIC ADVISOR

For the most part of the past 17 years I have provided technical, managerial and professional support in sexual and reproductive health programming. Given the impact of HIV and AIDS on the South African government’s transformation agenda, this has been a priority focus area of my work. My consultancy with Khomanani Communication Consortium has involved providing strategic advice on material content for Above-the-Line and Below-the-Line campaigns.

I have provided technical input to programme monitoring and research. During the training of Khomanani Community Partnerships I have assisted with the training management. I have been responsible for writing the KCC annual reports. At UNDP I was head of the department HIV and AIDS and social development. I was also the UNDP gender focal point and provided oversight for the mainstreaming of gender for UNDP activities and programming. Through the PPASA my work has focused on developing and ensuring implementation of programmes and regularly monitoring these programmes. Responsibilities included developing budgets and assist with funding strategies for programmes, monitor spending and ensure costs of programmes are analyzed. Aloma obtained an MA in Applied Population Research at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. She has a BA from the University of the Western Cape. Aloma is constantly pursuing further education and training. To this end through UNDP she completed an online course on Gender Mainstreaming and Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority. She has also participated in training for capacity Building training in Gender Mainstreaming (UNDP, Senegal). In 2004 she attended a workshop in Resource Mobilization with the Resource Alliance, Thailand. She has completed the Management Advancement Programme (WITS), in 2003. The previous year Aloma was very fortunate to be selected for an internship programme with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.