08.P0202 FHI - Youth Focused Community Intervention

Family Health International's (FHI) Basha Lesedi project targets youth ages 10-17 in two districts, Barolong

and Northeast, for HIV prevention, including life skills education in and out of schools, household level

outreach, localized mass media, abstinence and other clubs, and service referrals as needed. The topical

emphases are abstinence, sexual and reproductive health, and alcohol abuse prevention. The activity also

includes programs for parents and guardians of these youth, to support improved communication between

them and further support for healthy sexual choices by youth. BONASO is the main in-county project

management organization, and the project is implemented through 5 national local organizations, in addition

to the support from various groups in the target districts (e.g. local drama and support groups).

In 2007, FHI hired key staff, selected the target districts, worked extensively with the sub partners on work

plan development, made contracts with the sub partners, devised a project monitoring system, conducted a

participatory needs assessment in both districts, prepared the baseline survey that they will implement in

coming weeks, held project launch events in both districts, and began implementation on a small scale (July

07).

In 2008, FHI will continue with implementation in the two target districts, expanding to more villages within

those districts and providing technical assistance to the various implementing partners. The budget

increase over the FY07 funding level will allow FHI to hire additional project staff to support the various

implementing partners (a senior youth technical advisor plus 2 additional project staff).

The BNYC will manage advocacy at the district level by holding youth forums, promoting youth-adult

partnerships as relevant to the activities, including outreach to health care workers and other critical service

providers in the target areas whose services these youth may need to access (e.g. family planning

providers, condom providers, HIV testing, etc.). BNYC will train its youth group affiliates in the districts to

deliver other prevention messages to the community through their drama, choirs and youth friendly

activities, which target youth as well as community leaders and health service providers.

As the main faith based organization (FBO) sub partner, BOCAIP, will be in charge of supporting HIV

prevention programs in churches, including life skills curriculum (they will adopt YouthNet's life skills

program from a Christian Perspective), abstinence clubs, parent outreach (using FHI's faith based parent-

child curriculum and Families Matter!) and training to pastors on supporting these goals.

BONEWPA will reach HIV positive youth in the target districts, through support groups and conducting

outreach through PLWHA in schools and other forum to support the project goals. They will also hold

forums for parents, based on the Families Matter! curriculum. New for 2008, Baylor University, through their

Center for Excellence with Pediatric HIV Care in Gaborone, will support BONEPWA to improve its work with

young persons living with HIV by sharing their protocols and materials with them. BONEPWA then will train

support group members on the Baylor materials, and those trained people will implement those components

in their outreach work in schools and other fora.

Makgabaneng will continue to produce a cartoon drama magazine for distribution in clubs, schools,

churches, and other relevant sites, carry out its school-age focused reinforcement activities in these districts

(listening and discussion groups, school drama and debate competitions), and produce other information,

education, and communication (IEC) and promotional materials to support the other sub partners' work (e.g.

wrist bands, posters).

Humana People to People will continue to go door to door in these two districts, talking about HIV

prevention with youth and parents/guardians, and will also implement the Families Matter! curriculum for

groups of parents in community centers, workplaces, and other forum as appropriate to the village targeted.

Humana also provides condom demonstrations to those youth identified who are sexually active. All

partners will provide correct information on condoms and other family planning methods and encourage

referrals for those youth in need of those.

FHI will continue to provide technical assistance to all the sub partners, through workshops and regular on-

site assistance. The focus of this assistance will include 1) strengthening quality of the interventions

delivered, 2) monitoring the reach and quality, and 3) processing feedback obtained over the course of

implementation. FHI will continue to strengthen the content of the intervention components that is focused

on cross-generational sex and alcohol abuse prevention by developing and adapting additional modules

and materials for inclusion into the existing intervention packages.

The funding for this activity is from the AB program area (80%) and the C/OP program area (20%). The

reason for the two sources is that, while the activity focuses on adolescents who are not yet sexually active,

a portion of the older teens included in the target population are likely to be sexually experienced and/or

sexually active. When program partners interact with such youth, they will give these adolescents all the

skills and tools necessary to remain free of HIV and of unintended pregnancies, including the provision and

discussion of condoms, treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI), etc, when appropriate.

08.P0502 FHI - Youth-focused community intervention

Family Health International's (FHI) Basha Lesedi project targets youth ages 10-17 in two districts, Barolong

and Northeast, for HIV prevention, including life skills education in and out of schools, household level

outreach, localized mass media, abstinence and other clubs, and service referrals as needed. The topical

emphases are abstinence, sexual and reproductive health, and alcohol abuse prevention. The activity also

includes programs for parents and guardians of these youth, to support improved communication between

them and further support for healthy sexual choices by youth. BONASO is the main in-county project

management organization, and the project is implemented through 5 national local organizations, in addition

to the support from various groups in the target districts (e.g. local drama and support groups).

In 2007, FHI hired key staff, selected the target districts, worked extensively with the sub partners on work

plan development, made contracts with the sub partners, devised a project monitoring system, conducted a

participatory needs assessment in both districts, prepared the baseline survey that they will implement in

coming weeks, held project launch events in both districts, and began implementation on a small scale (July

07).

In 2008, FHI will continue with implementation in the two target districts, expanding to more villages within

those districts and providing technical assistance to the various implementing partners. The budget

increase over the FY07 funding level will allow FHI to hire additional project staff to support the various

implementing partners (a senior youth technical advisor plus 2 additional project staff).

The Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) will manage advocacy at the district level by holding youth

forums, promoting youth-adult partnerships as relevant to the activities, including outreach to health care

workers and other critical service providers in the target areas whose services these youth may need to

access (e.g. family planning providers, condom providers, HIV testing, etc.). BNYC will train its youth group

affiliates in the districts to deliver other prevention messages to the community through their drama, choirs

and youth friendly activities, which target youth as well as community leaders and health service providers.

As the main faith based organization (FBO) sub partner, the Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention

Program, BOCAIP, will be in charge of supporting HIV prevention programs in churches, including life skills

curriculum (they will adopt YouthNet's life skills program from a Christian Perspective), abstinence clubs,

parent outreach (using FHI's faith based parent-child curriculum and Families Matter!) and training to

pastors on supporting these goals.

The Botswana Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, BONEWPA, will reach HIV positive youth in the

target districts, through support groups and will conduct outreach through PLWHA in schools and other

forum to support the project goals. They will also hold forums for parents, based on the Families Matter!

curriculum. New for 2008, Baylor University, through their Center for Excellence with Pediatric HIV Care in

Gaborone, will support BONEPWA to improve its work with young persons living with HIV by sharing their

protocols and materials with them. BONEPWA then will train support group members on the Baylor

materials, and those trained people will implement those components in their outreach work in schools and

other fora.

Makgabaneng will continue to produce a cartoon drama magazine for distribution in clubs, schools,

churches, and other relevant sites, carry out its school-age focused reinforcement activities in these districts

(listening and discussion groups, school drama and debate competitions), and produce other information,

education, communication (IEC) and promotional materials to support the other sub partners' work (e.g.

wrist bands, posters).

Humana People to People will continue to go door to door in these two districts, talking about HIV

prevention with youth and parents/guardians, and will also implement the Families Matter! curriculum for

groups of parents in community centers, workplaces, and other forum as appropriate to the village targeted.

Humana also provides condom demonstrations to those youth identified who are sexually active. All

partners will provide correct information on condoms and other family planning methods and encourage

referrals for those youth in need of those.

FHI will provide technical assistance to all the sub partners, through workshops and regular on-site

assistance. This assistance will include 1) strengthening quality of the interventions delivered, 2) monitoring

the reach and quality, and 3) processing feedback obtained over the course of implementation. FHI will

continue to strengthen the content of the intervention components that is focused on cross-generational sex

and alcohol abuse prevention by developing and adapting modules and materials for inclusion into the

existing intervention packages.

The funding for this activity is from the ABl program area (80%) and the C/OP program area (20%). The

reason for the two sources is that, while the activity focuses on adolescents who are not yet sexually active,

a portion of the older teens included in the target population are likely to be sexually experienced and/or

sexually active. When program partners interact with such youth, they will give these adolescents all the

skills and tools necessary to remain free of HIV and of unintended pregnancies, including the provision and

discussion of condoms, STI treatment, etc, when appropriate.