08.C0601: American International Health Association - Botswana School of Nursing Twinning

The AIHA Twinning Center proposes the expansion of a partnership between the African Palliative Care

Association (APCA) in Uganda and the University of Botswana, Institute of Health Sciences (IHS), School of

Nursing in Botswana.

In July 2007, APCA visited IHS to conduct an initial assessment, met with local stakeholders, and identified

focus areas for the partnership. This was quickly followed by an AIHA facilitated workplan development

exchange in August. During this exchange the partners jointly developed the initial objectives,

corresponding activities and a partnership communication plan. The goal of this partnership is to strengthen

the institutional capacity of IHS to provide quality palliative care education and training for healthcare

workers in Botswana. The partners collaboratively identified the following objectives, which are currently be

vetted with stakeholders in Botswana to minimize duplication of efforts:

1.To strengthen the capacity of IHS faculty to provide palliative care training for students

2.To develop the organizational capacity of IHS in planning, monitoring and evaluation, and research

In an effort to fully coordinate activities with the MOH in Botswana, the partnership will discuss with the

MOH the possibility of including a representative(s) in a subsequent exchange to Uganda. In this

exchange, the representative(s) will be able to visit the APCA facilities, the Uganda Hospice, and learn

about the resources APCA brings to this partnership.

AIHA is requesting additional funding in 2008 to ensure the robust progress of this partnership. As the

partners transition out of their year 1, initiation phase, they will require increased funding levels to support a

greater level of activities and allow for an adequate number of professional exchanges, trainings, and

technical assistance to accomplish their goals and objectives. Robust funding for partnerships will ensure

rapid progress in reaching partnership and PEPFAR goals.

Further, in the first 3 years of the TC cooperative agreement, HRSA provided central funding (received from

PEPFAR/OGAC headquarters) to AIHA to subsidize the initiation of programs and cover in-country office

and headquarters operations. Now, HRSA is phasing out its central funding to its cooperative agreement

partners; therefore, these costs are now included in this country funding request. Beginning with COP 2008,

the Twinning Center will operate as a traditional US government partner, receiving all its programmatic

funding, including operations for the in-country office and headquarters, from the US government country

programs (through the Country Operational Plans) and will cease to receive central funding from HRSA.

The specific partnership activities will be determined jointly by the partners during the year two workplan

development exchange, however activities will likely include:

Establishment of a stakeholders committee to oversee the integration of palliative care in pre-service health

care worker training curricula

Quarterly meeting of the stakeholder committee

(1 quarterly meeting for 20 participants=$2,500)

4 meetings X $2,500=$10,000

Sensitization workshops on palliative care for faculty at health training institutions

(25 faculty participants from health care training departments per training=$35,000)

2 trainings X $35,000=$70,000

Partnership exchange trips between partner institutions for program planning, program management and

evaluation activities related to the implementation of the workplan.

(1partner to participate in exchange trip=$4,000)

2 participants X 4 exchanges=4 x $4,000=$16,000

Training on the implementation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data collection tools to improve access

to quality palliative care. This will be conducted during the partnership exchanges

The remaining partnership funds will cover the overall administrative costs for AIHA, APCA and the

Botswana partners.

08.C0804 American International Health Alliance (AIHA) - OVC Twinning

This activity continues a twinning partnership between the Marang Childcare Network in Botswana and the

Children in Distress (CINDI) in South Africa. The mission of the Marang Childcare Network is to deliver

effective psychosocial support, community mobilization and life-skill programs for children. Their strategy is

to mobilize and build the capacity of community-based organizations for child rights-based response.

Interventions include advocacy, networking, community mobilization, child day care and government

partnerships. The Children in Distress Network (CINDI) founded in 1996, consists of over 150 NGOs,

CBOs, government agencies and individuals who collaborate in the interests of children affected by HIV and

AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The CINDI Network operates a multi-sectoral network of civil society

and government agencies capable of implementing diverse programs for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

The main goal of this partnership is to strengthen the organizational response to address the needs of OVC

in Botswana. Twinning activities began with an assessment exchange to Botswana by CINDI in August

2007 to assess the Marang Childcare Network's current capacities and meet with local stakeholders. A visit

by key stakeholders from the Marang Childcare Network to South Africa to learn first-hand about the

services and resources of CINDI follows the initial Botswana visit. At this meeting, AIHA will facilitate the

development of a partnership work plan, timeline, and budget that identifies specific activities the partners

will undertake together. Partnership funds will support the exchange visits and pay for materials and

supplies for the activities the partners elect to undertake (e.g., training, joint materials development,

workshops, technical assistance, etc.). With FY 2008 funds, AIHA will assist partners to scale up and

increase the coverage of activities completed in FY 2007.

Initial areas in need of technical assistance include the following:

1. To strengthen the organizational capacity of the Marang Childcare Network to be a responsive and

resourceful network for both civil society and government;

2. To build the capacity of the Marang Childcare Network to be a funding conduit for other NGOs in

Botswana;

3. To strengthen advocacy efforts to develop responsive policies and sustainable integrated programs for

OVC; and

4. To increase the capacity of the Marang Childcare Network to mentor other CBOs and FBOs in OVC

programming.

While it is important that the partners themselves determine their joint activities, likely support activities

include: 1) strategic planning, 2) development or adaptation of organization development training materials,

3) funding conduit policy, 4) program and financial management technical assistance, 5) network

development and management, 6) M&E tools. A NGO/CBO/FBO workshop on OVC will draw-in civil society

organizations in Botswana with the aim of sharing information and advocating for a formal network and

mapping of OVC activities in Botswana.

08.C0909: American International Health Alliance - Twinning Center

2007 accomplishments

Twinning activities began in April 2007 with the first exchange visit of Liverpool VCT (Kenya) and The AIDS

Support Organization (TASO-Uganda) to Botswana to meet with Tebelopele VCT and BOCAIP. The aim

was to introduce the partners and to conduct an organizational assessment. Partners also identified

potential areas of collaboration for partnership activities. A second exchange trip is planned for the 15th

October 2007, where Botswana partners from both Tebelopele and BOCAIP will visit Kenya and Uganda to

tour the facilities, learn first-hand about the services and resources of their selected counterpart VCT

organizations and to develop a joint partnership work plan and budget. Based on the needs identified during

the April 2007 assessment exchange, formal relationships are being established between Tebelopele and

Liverpool VCT, and TASO and BOCAIP, respectively, in order to provide more targeted technical

assistance. In addition, many of the partnership activities conducted by the lead partners will benefit both

local partners, e.g. training events conducted in Botswana for both local partners.

2008 plans

The partnership between Tebelopele and Liverpool VCT in Kenya will focus on meeting the following three

objectives: establishing post-test clubs and support systems, including counseling, for PLWHAs; developing

a marketing plan for VCT services for the private sector; and strengthening the capacity for VCT-counselor

supportive supervision and quality assurance systems.

TASO will also assist Tebelopele on building their capacity to mentor community-based organizations in

Botswana to provide VCT.

The partnership between BOCAIP and TASO will continue to focus on meeting the following three

objectives: strengthening the organizational development of BOCAIP by building capacity for: a) increasing

BOCAIP membership and networks; b) diversifying sources of funding; c) developing a human resource

management and development strategy and d) managing and integrating services; strengthening the

monitoring and evaluation systems for BOCAIP's services; and sharing best practices on home-VCT and

adherence counseling with relevant partners and stakeholders.

Liverpool VCT will also assist BOCAIP by sharing best practices in establishing post-test clubs and youth-

friendly services including the development of a Training-of-Trainers (TOT) manual for youth-friendly

services.

Funds will support the exchange visits and pay for materials and supplies for the activities the partners elect

to undertake - e.g. training, joint materials development, mentoring and documentation of best practices,

etc.). A small portion of the funds will be used to cover administrative costs incurred by partners to manage

the partnership, including fiscal and M&E reporting as required by AIHA and HHS/CDC/BOTUSA.

The expected outputs from the partnership activities include increased organizational development of both

local partner institutions, the establishment of new VCT services for different target groups and improved

quality of VCT services.

08-X1413: American International Health Alliance (AIHA) - Media Twinning

This activity will continue to support a twinning partnership between the Media Institute of Southern Africa

(MISA) located in Botswana and the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication Educational Trust

(ZAMCOM) located in Zambia. ZAMCOM offers in-service training to journalists and non-media practitioners

involved in communication and is the only in-service training institution for media practitioners in Zambia

that has received the highest grading (Grade A).

MISA is a regional non-government organization operating in the Southern African Development

Community (SADC) region. MISA Botswana is one of the regional chapters that manage five media-

awareness and training programs including media- legislation strengthening; monitoring violations to media

legislation; diversifying broadcasting; creating a supporting media environment; and legal protection of

media.

The goal of the partnership is to raise the quality of HIV/AIDS reporting in Botswana. This goal is addressed

through the following specific objectives:

1. To increase the knowledge and skills of reporters on issue-based HIV and AIDS reporting;

2. To increase the number of inspired quality HIV and AIDS stories that reflect the extent of the epidemic in

society; and

3. To increase the dissemination of best practices in HIV and AIDS reporting.

During FY 2008, this partnership will continue to focus on the following activities based on the partnership

objectives:

1. Continue to conduct trainings for journalists and editors in Botswana on the production of quality HIV and

AIDS stories. The FY 2008 trainings will increase the coverage and scope of the FY 2007 trainings by

training 100 journalists and editors from 50 media houses in Botswana. Based on the experiences and

evaluations of the original trainings, partners will begin to target media institutions in more rural areas and

focus on establishing networks among journalists in Botswana. While FY 2007 trainings were only able to

support one editor from each institution for just two days, the FY 2008 trainings will be scaled up to include

a more-substantial focus on training editors from media houses and establishing contacts among editors

from various types of media houses (print, television, radio, etc.). Editors will spend an increased time in

formal trainings and be exposed to field-based practical experiences by partners.

Media House Training

2. Provide technical assistance to local Botswana media houses in the production and dissemination of

quality HIV stories by conducting two-week exchange visits by Zambian media professionals to Botswana

media houses. It was decided in FY 2007 that Zambian media professionals would be recruited by

ZAMCOM to participate in capacity-building exchanges with peer institutions in Botswana. The media

professionals will be journalists, editors, administrative officers, etc. with demonstrated expertise and

technical capacity and will be paired with similar institutions identified by MISA who require targeted

technical assistance in specific focus areas. ZAMCOM will provide each media professional with a small

orientation and Scope of Work for the two-week exchange. MISA will coordinate and facilitate the logistics

while in Botswana. Upon the return, the media professionals will produce small reports for dissemination

upon return to Zambia, with ZAMCOM's assistance. This program will be expanded in FY 2008 to facilitate

exchanges between 25 local media houses in Botswana.

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of FY 2007 activities by conducting content analysis of targeted media

organizations to measure any changes in the quality and quantity of HIV-related stories produced. In FY

2007, the partners will have conducted a comprehensive needs assessment and situational analysis of

media houses in both Zambia and Botswana to assess the quality of HIV and AIDS reporting at baseline in

both countries. In FY 2008, the partners will hire local consultants to conduct a follow-up assessment and

document review of all HIV/AIDS stories being produced by media houses in Botswana. The consultants will

conduct data analysis and present the findings to partners. This report will measure the change in quality of

HIV and AIDS stories being produced in Botswana as a result of the trainings being conducted to determine

if the practices and lessons learned during the trainings have been implemented in the field. Similar

analyses will be completed at the end of FY 2008 after the successful completion of journalist/editor

trainings and the technical assistance exchanges.

4. Publish a "Compilation of Best Practices/Experiences in Quality HIV and AIDS Reporting" based on the

stories produced during journalist and editor trainings. Based on the results of the follow-up assessment

and all of the stories produced by journalists during the trainings, the partners will publish a compilation of

best practices and model stories for dissemination. The publication will be made available to all media

houses and media professionals in Botswana to serve as a resource in the production of quality stories.

5. Disseminate publication at regional/national media conferences and other press events, including the

Highway Africa Conference. A delegation of partners will travel to the Highway Africa Conference in FY

2008 to disseminate the results of the FY 2007 partnership activities.

6. Conduct partnership exchange trips between partner institutions for program planning, program

management and evaluation activities related to the implementation of partnership activities.