With PEPFAR support, the MEN has continued to advance a 4.5-year project (2005-2008) designed to

improve HIV prevention and care for students, teachers, and other personnel of the MEN throughout Cote

d'Ivoire. As part of a comprehensive multisectoral response consistent with the new HIV/AIDS National

Strategic Plan for 2006-2010 and in collaboration with relevant ministries and NGO/CBO/FBO networks, the

MEN is building on FY04-07 achievements to improve the quality and coverage of HIV prevention through

life skills training for students; to promote HIV prevention among students and teachers through age-

appropriate A and AB behavior change communication (BCC) to delay sexual debut and promote fidelity,

partner reduction, and uptake of counseling and testing; and to address negative gender and discriminatory

attitudes.

With PEPFAR support in FY05-07, the MEN developed, validated, and began piloting and evaluating a life

skills curriculum with accompanying IEC/BCC materials for primary and junior and senior secondary school

levels and school health clubs in seven pilot sous-prefectures. Each sous-prefecture pilot includes 10

secondary schools with an average of 600 students per school and four primary schools with an average of

150 students per school. An evaluation of the life skills curriculum materials and process was conducted in

2006-07.

The MEN has developed partnerships and linkages with other ministries (responsible for health, social

affairs and OVC, and HIV/AIDS coordination) as well as PEPFAR-funded NGO/CBOs such as Alliance CI

(sub-grants to school clubs), ANADER (complementary activities in rural areas), FHI (HIV in the workplace),

and JHU/CCP (IEC/BCC activities). In the program area of AB prevention, education based on the life skills

approach was extended through classroom instruction and extracurricular health clubs (clubs de sante),

with activities such as conferences, group debates, games, theater, and sports on the 10 sites. Audiovisual

equipment furnished to the 10 sites helps support health club activities and use of materials produced by

JHU/CCP to raise public awareness and engage young people in advocacy and applied leadership skills.

In FY06-07, adapted A and B messages also engaged teachers, other personnel, and parents through their

participation as mentors, student group leaders, coaches for youth social clubs and sports teams, and other

activities as part of a comprehensive HIV-in-the-workplace program. Pilot teachers in the subjects with life

skills integration (art, music, science, social studies) have been trained (60 from primary education, 85 from

secondary education, and 85 from pre-service education). This group began working with the produced

curricula, and 80 MEN staff members have been trained to begin integrating the life skills contents into

pedagogic guides and teaching materials. Initial documents for the implementation of life skills contents

have been produced for primary, secondary, and pre-service education. This extensive effort resulted in

important feedback about the need for more practical in-class teacher's aids and visual materials and the

need to strengthen teachers' skills in learner-centered interactive pedagogy to accomplish the goals of the

life skills program.

With FY08 funds, MEN will refine its strategy and concentrate on finalizing the core life skills content for the

final year of elementary and all middle and secondary grade levels based on field use and input. The MEN

has made tremendous progress, yet teachers and administrators are still inadequately prepared to adapt

and creatively use the life skills content effectively. A tradition of lecture-based teaching styles, a

competitive academic advancement system, large class sizes, and high numbers of children from different

provinces who are behind their age cohorts in education levels have presented challenges to implementing

a full life skills curriculum. In FY08, the MEN and PEPFAR team will revise and actualize their strategy to:

• Finalize revised life skills content that has basic learning objectives and measures for all subject areas

from the last year of primary school as well as secondary school. Because the main focus of the program is

on abstinence, respect and faithfulness in relationships, and abilities such as resisting peer pressure and

decision-making, it is appropriate for even the secondary-level curriculum to be supported as AB

programming. The MEN will apply experiences of other governments partnering with the USG to accomplish

similar goals, especially content and processes from Botswana, which is farther along in the roll-out

process.

• Support rolling out the life skills program, beginning by strengthening buy-in and coordination among the

departments and ministries responsible for training teachers at all three levels to produce a revised strategy

with clear time-lines not only for integrating life skills content in teacher preparation institutions and regional

training offices (pre- and in-service), but also for using A and B prevention content and multimedia

resources (already developed by PEPFAR partners) in training learner-centered pedagogy, to improve

learning outcomes across all subject areas. This strategy will include processes and tools for assessment

and improvement of teachers' performance in creating and delivering life skills lesson plans.

• Roll out the finalized core curriculum with printing of an initial 1,000 copies of all content for the regional

teacher training centers and 100,000 copies (for all current teachers and initial stock for new teacher

training) based on funds available. It is requested that funds support production of some life skills student

materials created by teams of teachers, as well as production of visual aids for all secondary schools

(currently 679 lower and upper secondary schools across the country) created by local artists based on the

life skills and AB prevention curriculum. PEPFAR sub-partner REPMASCI (network of journalists and

artists) will be leveraged to assist in using AB and life skills content in student-produced music and

media/journalism classes. Printing required to produce student textbooks will be done in partnership with

the MEN and any other available contributors (UNESCO, UNICEF, Global Fund, Japan AID).

• Continue efforts to reinforce A and B messages targeting students through the support of life skills-based

activities at two new primary and two new secondary classrooms in each of the 10 existing sites, with a new

focus on highly affected Abidjan. The MEN will begin engaging parents' associations (Coges) and

communities of faith in those sites to increase understanding of and support for the AB and life skills

approach.

• Ensure that regional and district centers are able to maximize opportunities to adapt and create locally

relevant lesson plans with life skills content. Technical and material capacities of 14 regional branches of

the MEN's Antenna of Pedagogy and Continuing Education (APFC) will be strengthened beyond training to

include appropriate and essential equipment. This will ensure country-wide coverage of resources, which

can be sent to the central pedagogical office for rapid application of what is and is not working and

brainstorming for solutions. The MEN will also support use of the centers with structural inputs and by

paying the ground transportation of teaching supervisors during follow-up.

• Continue support of student health clubs through activity guides, small grants for appropriate awareness-

raising and prevention activities such as theater, debates, essay/music/poetry/dance competitions, Sports

for Life events, and use of SFL magazine and peer educator handouts for visual aids and expanding reach

Activity Narrative: of lessons. Secondary school social clubs will also be supported in utilizing gender-sensitive life skills and

violence-prevention content in their activities, such as Men as Partners content for boys and young men and

Girl Guide AIDS Badge or Choose a Future content for girls and young women.

Project-specific indicators include:

- Strengthen capacities of trainers in the host subjects (320 from primary education, 320 from secondary

education, and 341 from pre-service education); acquire and dispatch reproduced materials and computers

to the 10 sites

- Produce and dispatch 1,000 initial curricula contents for teacher training institutions, with up to 100,000

final manuals for teachers

- Train 50 regional directors and school directors in life skills and AB prevention approaches

- Train 96 secondary school teachers of the host subjects in the new pilot schools in life skills curricula

- Organize 20 student music and media/journalism classes and/or secondary student health clubs to

produce and diffuse A and B messages. These may be broadcast via radio or played in classrooms and

community centers depending on resources available locally.

The MEN will report to the USG strategic information team quarterly program results and ad hoc requested

program data. To help build and strengthen a unified national M&E system, the MEN will participate in

quarterly SI meetings and will implement decisions taken during these meetings.

The education sector in Cote d'Ivoire has been severely impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Large

numbers of teachers, other staff, and enrolled adolescents continue to be HIV-infected or -affected. Young

children are starting to receive HIV care and treatment on a larger scale, resulting in an aging cohort

infected through mother-to-child transmission. In addition, there are many HIV-affected children living with

HIV-infected family members who work for the MEN. HIV-related teacher absenteeism is a major problem

undermining quality and continuity of education and both teachers and students need multifaceted support

to mitigate the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS. The MEN has created a national committee and an action plan

to try to address this problem. Practical steps have included assistance to create support groups for

teachers living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and improving access to HIV-related prevention, care, and

treatment services, especially for staff based in rural areas.

This Other Prevention strategy complements the AB components of the MEN HIV prevention program. With

EP support a multi-grade Life Skills curricula with A & B messages targeting students and health clubs

members has been created, piloted and is being revised based on experiences, input from other country

programs via the EP, and an internal evaluation in 2007. In addition, the MEN implements activities in OVC

referral services and HIV in the workplace programs (prevention, testing, care, and stigma reduction) for

HIV-positive teachers and other personnel of the MEN. This integrated program was piloted in 10 sites with

EP assistance in FY 2007 and will be strengthened during FY 08 - including the addition of 1 new highly

affected demographic area in Abidjan. This will be expanded nationally as the MEN finalizes HIV/Life Skills

teacher training content based on results of their evaluation in 2007. It will be extended nationally via

teacher training centers with a special focus on approaches to reach secondary level students.

The MEN has worked in close partnership with the Cote d'Ivoire EP team to enhance collaborations

between the Ministries of the fight against AIDS, Health and social services as well as other donors

(UNICEF, UNESCO, Japan Aid) and organizations financed by the EP, including FHI, HIV/AIDS Alliance,

EGPAF, ANADER (rural areas) and REPMASCI (artists and media-radio). This collaboration provides a

platform to address HIV/AIDS prevention from several directions for both students and personnel in the

education sector.

With FY2007 funds and technical assistance from partners (Abt Associates and FHI), the MEN developed

an expertise and competence in HIV prevention and care in the education sector. Demographic studies

have established that students on average are sexually active as of 15 years of age and therefore condoms

are available to students over the age of 15. In the CAFOP (pre-service teacher training centers) where

training modules on Life Skills are being finalized the MEN promotes condom use and behavior change

among teacher-trainees because future teachers have a tremendous impact as role models on students

and colleagues, in addition to protecting themselves from infection. The importance of trade union leaders is

significant and the MEN continues to support QUITUS, an NGO with branch sections for teachers and other

staff living with HIV/AIDS, as HIV peer educators. These activities include promoting a supportive

environment for teachers to seek testing and encourage HIV infected and affected married or co-habitating

staff to know their HIV status and plan for positive living. Teachers are trained to be "Community

development agents" by ANADER to help link school-based and broader community initiatives in HIV

prevention and care.

In FY 08 the MEN intends to strengthen these activities as a strategy for HIV prevention, care and treatment

referrals in the workplace for the teachers, students and staff in the 10 sites and the new focus area of

Abidjan. Parents will be more actively engaged through meetings with the COGES (parent-led school

management board). Parents are also members of the management board of the student health clubs in

secondary schools. The MEN will continue to coordinate with and support QUITUS and other partners in

training teachers and COGES members in order to improve communication and reinforce prevention and

behavior change among the entire secondary school community. Furthermore, since 79% of primary public

school teachers and 86% of secondary school teachers are men, prevention efforts to address male norms

and encourage role model behavior in remaining faithful in relationships, reducing the number of casual

partners, and correct and consistent use of condoms are particularly relevant in the education sector. The

MEN supports initiating a pilot program of awareness raising, peer support and staff training in violence

reduction and positive male norms using a proven curriculum effective in other PEPFAR supported

countries (Great Guy program in Uganda or Men as Partners from South Africa). These approaches will be

adapted to the Ivorian context and then piloted in the 11 sites including the main teacher training institute.

Based on an evaluation of these activities, a national roll out strategy will be planned for 2009.

More specifically, in FY08 the MEN will:

1. Continue its collaboration with ANADER, ACONDA-VS, and other partners to reinforce HIV-in-the-

workplace programs. Condoms will be distributed to the personnel on the various sites. Rapid evaluations of

STI/HIV/AIDS knowledge will be conducted among teachers and other MEN personnel at the 11 sites. The

MEN intends to train 2,000 people and to reach 48,000 teachers and other personnel with comprehensive

ABC prevention messages.

2. Focus on scaling up (based on the 2007 pilot program) Life Skills and ABC training for all 360 secondary

and 112 primary level regional teacher trainers at the 14 branch offices of the department of pedagogy

responsible for teacher training throughout the country (APFC).

3. Pilot a male norms, violence reduction and adult male Life Skills peer education program in collaboration

with EP technical assistance and other implementing NGOs (EngenderHealth or PSI) in the existing 10 pilot

sites, the additional Abidjan site, and the main teacher training institute. This will include training 25 peer

educators at each site (275). Lead trainers will develop a training strategy to integrate this approach in

future teacher training through the department of pedagogy.

4. Continue to implement an M&E plan based on the EP requirements and national tools. This contributes

to the implementation of an integrated system of M&E in collaboration with the national and international

stakeholders.

The MEN will report to the USG strategic information team quarterly program results and ad hoc requested

program data. To help build and strengthen a unified national M&E system, the MEN will participate in

quarterly SI meetings and will implement decisions taken during these meetings.

The MEN has launched a 4.5-year project (2005-2009) with PEPFAR support that is designed to improve

HIV prevention and palliative care for students, teachers, and other personnel from the MEN throughout

Cote d'Ivoire. As part of a comprehensive multisectoral response consistent with the Cote d'Ivoire HIV/AIDS

National Strategic Plan 2006-2010, and in collaboration with relevant ministries and NGO/CBO/FBO

networks, the MEN is building on FY04-07 achievements to improve the quality and coverage of HIV

prevention and care services; to strengthen links to HIV treatment and other health, social, and education

services; and to address negative gender and discriminatory attitudes conducive to HIV infection.

To complement the Life Skills curricula and HIV prevention activities for youth in the classroom, along with

reinforcing activities through school social clubs and services for OVC in school, the MEN has developed an

HIV-in-the-workplace program of behavior change communication, peer education, stigma reduction, and

treatment referrals for teachers and staff with PEPFAR support. These approaches were piloted in FY06

and expanded to include 10 sous-prefectures in FY2007. In the program area of Basic Health Care and

Support, the MEN is continuing to strengthen systems that address the health-care needs of HIV-infected

and -affected students and teachers with comprehensive, family-based care in coordination with the

Ministry of Health's PMTCT and HIV treatment programs. The MEN advocates a holistic approach to

palliative care (PC) and seeks to provide a complete and integrated package of quality services that

includes prevention (CT, PMTCT, secondary sexual prevention); adult, child, and family care (ART

provision, OI prevention and treatment, and promotion of "positive living"); and psychosocial support and a

continuum of care through links with QUITUS (an NGO of teachers living with HIV/AIDS), the MEN's health

service centers (SSSU), other ministries, and community organizations. The MEN's approach relies on

linking the clinical palliative care provided by its medical staff (or referrals to other providers) to the home-

based palliative care provided by QUITUS members, AB peer educators from student health clubs, and

other NGO service providers.

HIV-related teacher absenteeism is a major problem undermining quality and continuity of education. The

MEN has created a national committee and an action plan to provide a framework for addressing this

problem. Practical steps have included assistance to create psychosocial support groups for teachers living

with or affected by HIV/AIDS and attempts to improve access to HIV-related prevention, care, and treatment

services, especially for staff based in rural areas. The MEN works extensively with its sub-partner QUITUS,

which provides advocacy to mobilize resources, fight stigma and discrimination, and offer peer support in

the workplace to staff and family members while creating functional referral links to social, spiritual, and

health services. QUITUS has more than 500 HIV-affected members (including teachers' families).

Teachers and other MEN personnel in need of services are identified through CT centers and other

caretaking centers (maternities, hospitals, NGO, and others). Subsequently, these affected or infected

personnel are provided follow-up care, home visits, and on-going support through partners ACONDA and

QUITUS. The MEN supports QUITUS in caretaking and mobilization against stigmatization in schools; in

2007, QUITUS has a target of providing 500 PLWHA with palliative care services. Three sections of

QUITUS have been installed in Daloa, Agboville, and Yamoussoukro. In addition to the interventions of

QUITUS, the MEN set up a technical working group to identify further opportunities to address HIV in the

workplace, with the technical support of FHI. Modules of BCC that are specific to the MEN were adapted,

and all activities have been coordinated by the National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program (PNPEC),

within the framework developed by the MEN and partners (ministries and national and international NGOs).

To assist with medical care, the MEN acquired HIV tracking, laboratory, and office materials for its health

centers (PNSSUs), which serve teachers, school administrators, and students at the 10 pilot sites in 2007.

Capacity-strengthening workshops in STI treatment and caretaking were conducted. Seven PNSSU health

centers were supplied with STI kits. In addition, 20 PNSSU medical doctors were trained in new ARV

prescription methods, in tracking and care of STI symptoms, and in working with QUITUS and peer

educators in the 10 pilot sites.

In FY08, the MEN intends to further develop and promote support groups involving spouses and children of

teachers living with HIV and to create a reference network with strong involvement of parents' associations

(Coges). MEN representatives will meet with these associations to mobilize their members on this topic and

to provide training in psychosocial caretaking, CT promotion, and ART adherence support to enable

participants to support their children (students) and teachers in remaining healthy and productive in the

classroom. These activities will involve as-yet untrained QUITUS members and will also create

opportunities for QUITUS to apply new skills and raise its visibility since they have already taken part in

several trainings.

The organizational and technical capacities of QUITUS will be further reinforced to enable the organization

to more effectively plan relevant activities and extend the impact of its efforts. In FY08, it is anticipated that

130 people will be trained to provide psychosocial support and other palliative care and that services will be

provided to 1,000 people, including 500 newly identified PLWHA at the 10 sites. Furthermore, the MEN will

continue to acquire and distribute condoms to teachers and other personnel, sensitize teachers and

administrative staff on the importance of CT (knowing one's status), and provide information about where

and how to access services in coordination with other organizations. To facilitate testing and care referrals,

the MEN will train doctors at all 30 SSSU in CT promotion and HIV/STI care.

More specifically, the MEN will:

1. Identify 300 more teachers and other personnel living with HIV

2. Provide palliative care to 1,000 teachers and other personnel

3. Establish new sections of QUITUS at the 10 sites

4. Make 1,000 home visits to HIV-infected and/or -affected MEN personnel

5. Train 30 HIV-positive peer educators (three per site) in psychosocial support, community caretaking, and

ART adherence support

6. Train 100 members of student health clubs in psychosocial support, community caretaking, and ART

adherence support as part of youth service learning and applied leadership training

6. Organize 120 meetings or training sessions on HIV/AIDS-related topics (12 per site)

7. Sensitize 2,500 teachers regarding HIV testing (250 teachers per site)

8. Acquire and dispatch 50,000 condoms to teachers and other personnel at all sites

9. Strengthen the skills of 90 doctors in CT promotion and care of HIV-infected teachers and students

The MEN will monitor activities at sites where QUITUS sections are installed while implementing a

monitoring and evaluation plan in conformance with guidance on national indicators. The MEN will report to

the USG strategic information team quarterly program results and ad hoc requested program data. To

participate in the building and strengthening of a single national M&E system, the MEN will participate in

Activity Narrative: quarterly SI meetings and will implement decisions taken during these meetings.By building institutional

capacity and mobilizing parent associations (Coges) and student and teacher support groups, the MEN is

advancing a strategy for sustainable palliative care in the largest government workforce and its families.

With EP support, the Ministry of Education (MEN) is conducting a 4.5-year project (2005-2009) designed to

improve HIV prevention and care for students, teachers, and other personnel of the MEN throughout Cote

d'Ivoire. As part of a comprehensive multisectoral response consistent with the new HIV/AIDS National

Strategic Plan 2006-2010, and in collaboration with relevant ministries and NGO/CBO/FBO networks, the

MEN is building on FY04-06 achievements to improve the quality and coverage of HIV prevention and care

services, including services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC); to strengthen links to HIV treatment

and other health, social, and education services; and to address negative gender and discriminatory

attitudes conducive to HIV infection.

The MEN's EP-funded program includes life-skills curricula with age-appropriate A and B prevention

messages for youth in the classroom and school health clubs, OVC and palliative-care services, and an HIV

-in-the-workplace program for MEN teachers and staff, all piloted in seven sous-prefectures in FY06 and

three additional sites starting in FY07. In the program area of OVC, the MEN is building on FY05-06

achievements to provide educational, psychosocial, and nutritional support for OVC and their families, with

strengthened links to HIV prevention, care, and treatment and other health and social services.

OVC activities are designed within the framework of the national OVC policy and implemented in

collaboration with the National OVC Program (PNOEV) in the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs (MFAS),

the Ministry of AIDS (MLS), and partners such as Alliance Cote d'Ivoire, ANADER, REPMASCI, CARE

International, and FHI. In FY07, at least 18,231 OVC are being provided with services that include a

reduction of school fees (at private schools) or a scholarship (at public schools) and a waiver of exam fees.

School kits (consisting of textbooks, notebooks, and writing tools) have been distributed free to OVC in

primary and secondary schools, in coordination with those provided in primary schools by UNICEF. A

census of OVC social, medical, and school needs has been conducted at MEN pilot sites, and stronger

coordination with the PNOEV will improve efficiencies in the future as the MEN works with local NGOs

benefiting from capacity building in OVC needs assessment and monitoring.

With FY08 funds, these activities will continue at the 10 pilot sites and will be expanded to three more sous-

prefectures (two in Abidjan, one in Odienne), for a total of 13 pilot sites), with coordination provided through

the PNOEV-supported collaborative "platforms" built around social centers. The MEN will focus on providing

educational support to improve school attendance and performance among OVC identified primarily through

the social-center platforms, PMTCT centers, CT sites, and other care centers (ART, IO, maternity, health

centers, hospitals, NGOs, etc.). To avoid double-counting, the MEN will work with the PNOEV and its social

-center coordination platforms, including standardizing its data-collection tools and contributing to a national

OVC database.

A lack of sufficient school canteens continues to be a challenge in the education sector. Further dialogue

with the EP team and other partners (WFP, UNICEF, ANADER, PNOEV, and the National Direction of

School Canteens (DNCS)) will explore how best to provide nutritional support to OVC in the absence of a

canteen, in addition to mobilizing resources to fund additional canteens at the secondary-school level. The

MEN will continue its collaborations with the WFP for the provision of food and with UNICEF for the supply

of school kits. In rural areas where EP partner ANADER is working, nutritional assistance will be

supplemented by income-generating activities in conjunction with school canteens.

To reduce the vulnerability of OVC, social workers and special educators employed by the MEN will work

with NGO/CBO/FBOs to monitor the progress of OVC in school and coordinate with other organizations

providing care services. The MEN will work to develop a system of tutoring for OVC. To increase essential

community participation in OVC support, the MEN will collaborate with other partners in community activities

and national campaigns to raise awareness and reduce discrimination and stigmatization of OVC. Social

workers and teachers will be trained to recognize and address the vulnerabilities of OVC, especially girls

who may be at risk of transactional or inter-generational sex. Distribution of school kits (including backpacks

and materials for classroom work) will be handled by the coordination platforms and participating NGOs

providing OVC services.

The MEN will collaborate with partners (such as Hope Worldwide Cote d'Ivoire) to conduct outdoor activities

and summer camps to encourage OVC who have obtained good school results. In partnership with the

PNOEV, advocacy days will be organized to mobilize resources to reinforce OVC support.

In all, FY08 activities are expected to benefit 21,330 OVC, with training for 260 care providers. Specifically,

in FY08 the MEN will:

1. Acquire and distribute school kits for 21,330 OVC, including about 18,900 kits provided by UNICEF.

2. Collaborate with the PNOEV and the OVC national working group (CEROS) in the creation of a national

OVC database and in the revision of standardized data-collection tools that take into account new EP

indicators.

3. Coordinate with the PNOEV and social-center platforms to enhance referral and monitoring systems to

ensure comprehensive OVC care.

4. Develop a system of tutoring and educational follow-up to help OVC succeed in their studies.

5. Conduct at least three supervision visits to each sites.

6. Advocate, in collaboration with the PNOEV, for OVC scholarships and nutritional and economic support,

including from local government authorities, the national electric company, and others (ANADER, SODECI,

FBOs, parent associations (COGES), etc.).

7. Train 260 social workers (20 per site) on identifying behavioral problems and needs of OVC and

providing services using OVC caretaking modules.

8. Provide access to existing school-canteen programs for OVC who need nutritional support (21,000), with

follow-up to evaluate the results, and participate in developing a strategy to cover OVC nutritional needs at

school.

9. Coordinate with the PNOEV to pay school enrollment and examination fees for selected OVC.

10. Collaborate with the national OVC working group to update and refine scaling-up strategies for the

MEN's OVC activities.

The MEN will continue to implement an M&E plan based on national and USG requirements and tools and

will contribute to implementation of an integrated M&E system in collaboration with national and

international stakeholders. Quarterly meetings of the OVC supervisory team, including relevant ministries

and key stakeholders, will rotate among pilot sites to enhance monitoring and evaluation of the sites. The

Activity Narrative: MEN will report to the USG strategic information team quarterly program results and ad hoc requested

program data. To participate in the building and strengthening of a single national M&E system, the MEN

will participate in quarterly SI meetings and will implement decisions taken during these meetings.