NANASO’s vision is to effectively enhance networking services amongst member organizations on HIV/AIDS and related issues. The organization aims to collaborate with all relevant partners in Namibia to advance efforts targeted at mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS in Namibia.

The mission of NANASO is top provide a networking service to its members to enable them to maximize on their potential to contribute effectively in addressing the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS pandemic through four focus areas:
• communication
• facilitation
• coordination and monitoring
• advocacy

Communication - to, from and within the network
The need for communication cannot be overemphasized. Communication is essential in building a common front, avoiding duplication and ensuring that the gaps are addressed.
Significant achievements have been done 2005-2006 but there is still a need to consolidate regular communication, member contacts by electronic mail, faxes and general postal mailing, as well as newsletters as well as face to face meetings. The challenges of communication are the vastness of the country. The greater number of organizations operates from the rural areas where communication infrastructures and facilities are non-existent.

There is a need to intensify the collaboration between government and civil society programs to ensure the best service delivery possible.

Facilitation - assist members to develop their work
NANASO’s aim is to assist all parts of the network to develop their work through a facilitation role. The focus of NANASO is to strengthen smaller organizations such as CBOs and FBOs who are playing an equally important role particularly in rural areas. NANASO believes that these smaller agencies can offer a key role particularly in communities that are often isolated in some way from mainstream developments. These organizations need visibility and information to become effective and efficient in what they do. Many require funding for their operational costs as well as capacity building.

NANASO hence intensified its role over the years to act as conduit for such partners to ensure their sustainability. NANASO facilitates training events, helps organisations access funding opportunities and organises regular meetings (national council and working groups) where organisations can meet and exchange ideas.

Co-ordination and monitoring - assisting members to be known and to evaluate their work

NANASO regularly publishes an updated directory of AIDS service organizations in order to facilitate communication.

There are many interventions employed across the country which are targeted at mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS in communities, industries and various sectors of the economy. Due to lack of a unified data bank, there is little or no proper cooperation and integrated approach so as to comparatively determine the degree of needs in the different parts of the country. It is within NANASO intent to map all activities in the country and identify the needs of individual regions across the country in order to assist in the equitable appropriation of resources.

Organizations need to monitor their activities in order to measure their impacts and identify gaps. Many organizations are sceptical about monitoring as they consider it equivalent to policing. Many believe monitoring should be done by external parties such as donor and are therefore reluctant to integrate it in their programs. There is a need to sensitize the members about the need for, and benefits of monitoring and evaluation as fundamental elements of project management.

Advocacy – voicing the common concerns of the network

Since HIV/AIDS programs and actions are done within the confines of legislative framework and human interactions, there is a need to constantly review such environments to gauge their level of compliance to humanity and human rights obligations.
NANASO collaborates with government and other relevant partners to ensure an enabling conducive and pragmatic environment for those infected and affected by the HIV/AIDS. NANASO further represent members domestically and internationally to build international solidarity in addressing common issues affecting citizen across the world in the HIV/AIDS age.