Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 6131
Country/Region: Botswana
Year: 2007
Main Partner: Project Concern International
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $1,211,000

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $1,211,000

07-C0816: TBD-Building Bridges.

This activity has USG Team Botswana Internal Reference Number C0816. This activity links to the following: C0613 & C0615 & C0805 & C0818 & T1107 & T1115 & X1406.

The problems of children affected by HIV/AIDS are not new, but they have taken on a new dimension and urgency. The pandemic is producing OVC at a rate that traditional family structures can no longer handle without external assistance. Communities and extended families, the de facto social safety nets in societies, are seriously over-stretched by the impacts of HIV/AIDS. The most immediate challenge is scaling up successful community-based responses to match the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The unprecedented scale of the problem has weakened the ability of families and communities to respond as they have in the past. In facing these challenges, it will be critical to build the capacity of communities to better care for OVC. In FY07, the prime partner will work with the communities to increase their capacity to provide prevention, care and support services to OVC and their families who are affected by HIV/AIDS. With EP funding, the prime partner will mobilize 10 to 15 local organizations (NGOs/CBOs/FBOs), and will strengthen their capacity to provide services to the growing numbers of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The NGOs/CBOs/FBOs will be provided with grants (1) to advocate, care for and support children affected by HIV/AIDS, (2) to prevent further spread of HIV; (3) to improve OVC welfare by increasing access to education, adequate food, psychosocial support, basic health services, legal rights and (4) to catalyze a public-private partnership to expand the resources available to sustain provision of the above services to OVC.

OVC-related problems cannot be adequately addressed by any single intervention. Rather, multiple interventions are needed to respond to the broad needs of children, their families and communities. This program will ensure that activities are integrated with government programs and other in-country activities, so that the entire prevention-care-mitigation continuum is addressed with aligned and mutually reinforcing programs. This alignment and integration will also help to ensure the sustainability of OVC interventions.

The program will facilitate: (1) expansion of OVC services and organizations working locally to address HIV/AIDS-related challenges; (2) provide financial, material and technical resources to these OVC-serving organizations, enabling them to better coordinate efforts and provide additional services and (3) support the sharing of effective practices among stakeholders at all levels. The NGOs/CBOs/FBOs will also be supported to identify and replicate proven techniques and promote the sharing of technical expertise among organizations. OVC will benefit through direct support to meet their basic and psychosocial needs including community guardianship and fostering arrangements, food, school fees, clothing, health care, recreation and social activities with peers to foster belonging.

The loss of a father or both parents often results in loss of income and property rights. Children who grow up without parents may be left impoverished and unprotected. Many parents die prematurely from HIV/AIDS complications leaving their children with many unanswered questions and an uncertain future. For those children who have lost their parents to AIDS, grief is only the beginning of their troubles. In FY07, parents living with HIV/AIDS will be provided with skills to plan for the future of their children when they are still strong and active. Therefore in FY07, activities that protect the legal rights of children - particularly their succession rights - will be a priority area of support. Resources will be given to NGOs/CBOs/FBOs to provide training and support to the HIV infected parent in will writing and succession planning to protect the assets of their children. This support will be both financial and technical in nature. A child's birth registration is fundamental to the realization of a number of rights and needs. In FY07, activities promoting birth registration will be established or strengthened. Organizations supported to implement this activity will work closely with the DSS, UNICEF, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure children are registered at birth. In FY07, targeted activities that are aimed at improving household livelihood. And support for NGOs/CBOs/FBOs that demonstrate viable IGAs will be supported.

NGOs/CBOs/FBOs that demonstrate the ability to scale-up, achieve scope and geographical coverage will be facilitated to provide comprehensive services to OVC. The guidelines developed by DSS on the minimum essential services will be a critical tool in programming for the needs of OVC.

This program will ensure that relevant OVC guidelines and frameworks are used. The program will foster the use of existing training manuals already developed by relevant government ministries or other stakeholders. Collaboration and creation of linkages with other OVC-serving organizations will be facilitated.

To promote sustainability, NGOs/CBOs/FBOs will be supported to carry out community and resource mobilization activities. Communities will be sensitized on the needs of OVC and encouraged to be "part of a solution" in ensuring that these children have access to basic services and continue to live a normal life free of stigma and discrimination.

In summary, therefore, activities will focus on the following:

• Capacity building of NGOs/CBOs/FBOs to effectively deliver quality services to OVC • Provision of grants to NGOs/CBOs/FBOs to ensure that OVC have access to essential services • Birth Registration • Improving household livelihood • Succession planning: preparing families for transition

It is estimated that the 10-15 recipient organizations will provide services to about 5,000 orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

In addition to the program level indicators for the various organizations being supported, the National M&E Framework of OVC will be utilized to ensure effective and quality services to OVC.