INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

Name of the organization: Healthy Options Project Skopje
Address: Ul. Hristo Smirnenski 48-1/6, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Contact person and his/her function: Vlatko Dekov, Executive Director
Phone number: +389 (0)2 3 246 205
Phone / Fax number: +389 (0)2 3 246 210
Email: hops [at] hops.org.mk , vlatkod [at] hops.org.mk
Web site: www.hops.org.mk
Year of establishment: 15/03/1999

HISTORY OF THE ORGANISATION

Profile of the organization:

Healthy Options Project Skopje is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-partisan organization that started operating as a project supported by The Lindesmith Center and The Open Society Institute Macedonia in 1997. During this period it has successfully implemented programs for reduction of drug related harm, prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases, as well as programs for social reintegration and re-socialization targeting young people and vulnerable groups (drug users and their families and sex workers and their families) in Skopje, Macedonia.

Closely working with media, governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as with international agencies HOPS has become member and partner of different initiatives on national as well as on the regional/international level.
- Member of National Expert Group for Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction - Ministry of Health;
- Member of National Commission for HIV/AIDS within the Government of R. of Macedonia;
- Member of the Technical Working Group within the UN Theme Group for HIV/AIDS in R. Macedonia;
- Coordinator of the Harm Reduction Working Group within the City Coordinative Body for Fight Against Drugs in Skopje, 2000;
- Organizer of the First Harm Reduction Conference for South-Eastern Europe, held in Skopje, 10 December, 1999;

In the year 1997 HOPS implemented the first needle exchange project in the region for HIV/AIDS prevention among IDUs.
In the year 1999, HOPS developed and organized the Second National Campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention in Macedonia.
In 2000 HOPS implemented the first project for HIV/AIDS prevention and social assistance for commercial street sex workers and their families in Skopje.

In 2001/2002, HOPS has expanded its activities in other three cities in Macedonia (Strumica, Bitola, and Ohrid), starting outreach activities for HIV/AIDS prevention among drug users. It has also initiated the establishment of Macedonian Harm Reduction Network that should continue working in the field of advocacy for Harm Reduction, resource mobilization and development of the civil sector in R. Macedonia.
The Macedonian Harm Reduction Network with 20 initial members was established at June, 2005.

In 2002 HOPS and two partner organizations NGO Art Forum and NGO Lim Pid started the global initiative “What every adolescent have right to know” with main goal to involve youth aged 13 -18 through participatory active research and creative workshops to learn how to prevent HIV/AIDS and reduce risky behavior.

In 2003 started a project for mapping and preventing commercial sex and risks of trafficking among youth aged 14 -18.

In November, 2004 in partnership with Ministry of health and five other NGOs (HERA, MIA, Trust, Choice and Via Vita) started with implementation of the National program for prevention on HIV/AIDS financially supported from Global Fund for fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In this project HOPS is responsible for opening and developing of 5 new Harm Reduction programs (needle exchange program with medical and social assistance) in 5 cities in Macedonia: Kumanovo, Stip, Kavadarci, Ohrid and Gostivar.

Hops have realized a lot of researches and some of them are published:
- Opiate overdose in Republic of Macedonia - Prevalence, risk factors and intervention, 2006.
- Open Skopje Scene, 2005
- Estimating of knowledge and attitude toward hidden prostitution and human traffic among high school population, 2004

HOPS has already spun off seven NGO’s as a result of it's implemented projects: “HERA - Health Education and Research Association", "RONDO - Music School", "LIM-PID - Association for Development of Urban Subcultures" "PASSAGE - Macedonian Association of Drug Users", Youth Center “Pogon”, “Zona” - Kavadarci and “Youth Club” - Stip
HOPS raise funds from governments, charitable foundations, companies and individual donors: OSI Macedonia, The Lindesmith Center, UNDCP, World Health Organization, UNICEF, American Refugee Committee, UNHCR, The World Bank, Center for Information and Documentation by the Council of Europe - Skopje, City of Skopje, Agency of Youth and Sport - Macedonia, Institute for Sustainable Communities Macedonia, IOM, PSI Romania, OSCE, DFID, USAID and Global Fund for fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.