USG support to the Ministry of Education (MEN) aims to help reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in schools, through prevention interventions targeting small groups. Proposed activities will use approaches for those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS that are evidence-based and meet minimum standards with a view to provide services to 360,500 individuals, provide psychosocial care, nutritional support, and/or schooling to 1,250 PLWHIV, as well as school-based assistance to 40,000 OVC. When identified, eligible cases will be referred to clinical or other services that fall outside of the priority areas of this activity.

During FY 2012, the MEN plans to strengthen the quality, supervision and evaluation of prevention and care activities in order to develop students decision-making skills to resist pressures and to enable teachers and other Ministry staff to adopt/model responsible behaviors. The projects objectives are to expand the systematic implementation of life skills education, provide coordination for OVC services at school to help them graduate and continue integration of appropriate OVC training modules in the primary school teacher training center (CAFOP) curriculum. The MEN will continue to support teachers to build their capacities in education, outreach and referral services for OVC and their families. A committe will be formed to continue these efforts and document results achieved by the end of the PEPFAR-supported project.

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As part of national priorities for care and support, the MEN strives to utilize a holistic approach to care and support and provide an integrated package of quality services, from HIV counseling and testing entry point through prevention activities and for others during the period of enrollment in care or into ART. PLWHAs will receive peer support in the community from Quitus (NGO for teachers living with HIV), SSSU and other structures of care. MEN's approach is based on establishing a link between clinical care and support provided by the medical staff of SSSU, care and community support provided by the members of Quitus.

The Ministry of Education will support Quitus in the implementation of its activities and the capacity building of its members in palliative care, positive prevention and development of PLWHA support groups. These activities will involve collaboration with the PNPEC, MLS and HOPE-CI. At some level, organizational development and assistance with Quitus strategic and operational plans will be supported where deficiencies are identified to strengthen the local NGOs governance and fincnial systems.

Core staff and resources of QUITUS in collaboration with school health committees will continue to educate teachers and other staff on the importance of counseling and testing (early detection) and provide information on where and how to access these services. Information on where to receive multiple services and site locations will be shared to help coordinate appointments and ease times that clients can be seen when possible. OVC identified during the home visits by members of Quitus will be referred to social workers of MEN and other local structures (churches, CBO/CBOs) in order to receive the necessary support. Based on need, select PLWHIV will also receive drinking water supply through the distribution of aquatabs that will enable them to purify drinking water.

Strengthening the referral framework counter-referral processes between Quitus and PNSSU and other health facilities, will improve the quality of life of PLWHA.

The objective is to support 40,000 OVC by 2013.To achieve this goal beyond the project, the Ministry of Education was involved in the care of OVC by providing them with school kits for each school year. For the school year 2011-2012, the MEN will support 20 000 OVC (any category) by providing school kits.It should be noted that in addition to school kits, these children will receive, psychological support. These OVC are identified by all regional offices (DREN) involved. The identification data are then sent to the Finance Department of the Ministry in charge of planning support. So for the school year 2011-2012, the taget to support 20,000 OVC was set after this identification process.

Concerning the OVC due to HIV, the lists are then cross-checked with those of the platforms to avoid any duplication on the one hand and, a survey of data reliability is conducted in the other hand by social workers.

In this area, coaching, supervision and evaluation of the activities implemented by field actors are scheduled under Cop 2012.

The support to OVC at school will continue on the 12 former sites (Abobo, Yopougon, Abengourou, Daloa, Dimbokro, San Pedro, Yamoussoukro, Bondoukou, Bouaké, Korhogo, Man, Agboville) and extend to 5 new sites (Dabou Adzopé, Gagnoa, Daoukro, Katiola) which will make a total of 17 sites, with coordination provided through the collaboration of platforms supported by the PNOEV and based at community centers.

The Ministry of Education will continue to focus on the provision of academic and psychological supports. Other services for the retention of OVC in the school system will be done by the MEN. To this end, the framework of collaboration with the national school canteen, the DPFC, the SNAPS COGES and DMOSS will be strengthened to provide better food support.

To reduce the vulnerability of OVC, social workers and child care workers employed by the MEN will work with NGOs platforms for service delivery and monitoring of progress made by the OVC in school. These actors of implementation will benefit from capacity building for care and support of OVC by improving the quality of services for the OVC at school to provide and improve quality services to them. The MEN will also work in collaboration with other service to provide care for OVC, VCT and health facilities to implement an effective system for identification of OVC. It also intends to participate in outreach activities in collaboration with other partners in the fight against vulnerability suffered by OVC, especially girls who may be at risk of intergenerational and transactional sex practices.The Ministry of Education distributes school kits to all students and priority for OVC identified. Thus, for the school year 2011- 2012, 20,000 school kits are distributed by the MEN to OVCs.

For meals, the Government intends to set up canteens in all schools and the Department of canteens in schools plans to support all OVC in school.20 000 OVC will be covered by the FTI (Fast Track Initative) in access to education.

Success for us is the fact that the Government takes the responsibility to grant each academic year a school kit for each OVC identified.We will do more advocacies to increase the commitment of the MEN in the care of OVCAfter starting the integration of OVC curricula in the FY11, for the CAFOP, the MEN intends in FY 12 to extend this integration to the ENS.

Assessments of the quality of services will be conducted, coaching an

Building on 2011 achievements, under the leadership of four joint supervisors, MEN will expand its training of 25,600 teachers, which is a third of the total number of teachers in Ivory Coast and increase HIV/AIDS prevention learning among primary and secondary school-aged children. The MEN project will continue the Life Skills education program in 26 geographical areas: APFCs in Abidjan 1, 2,3,4, Agboville, Adzopé, Yamoussoukro, Abengourou, San pédro, Bouaké, Bondoukou, Daloa, Gagnoa, Dimbokro, Korhogo, Divo, Man, Katiola, Boundiali,Guiglo,Touba, Séguela, Bouaflé, Odienné, Dabou, and Aboisso. Support in training methodologies and educational materials will be made available to teachers to conduct interactive lessons integrating Life Skills content into selected subject areas. The Ministry will continue to process of integration of these updated tools into the national curriculum promoting AB.

The target population of students from the primary school (CM) to secondary school is age: 10-14; 15 and older. The secondary beneficiaries are teachers who will be equipped to deliver the Life Skills sessions. Some youth that are 20 or older may be reached through community awareness sessions such as activism days organized in several schools and ither group exchanges about the benefits of abstinence and delaying the start of sexual experimentation until marriage.

In collaboration with Measure Evaluation, the MEN has developped an M&E procedures manual. Based on this resource, the Ministry of Education will continue to track progress and make improvement in the in its M&E system.

Activities of coaching, supervision, evaluation of class responses and learnings will provide a valuable source of feedback. Special attention will be placed on areas severly affected, due to the sociopolitical unrest, where the program can now be tailored to address staff shortages and students needs. To help institutionalize the approach to be sustained over time, the MEN intends to involve the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Abidjan (ENS) in its plans to introduce Life Skill curricula into other teachers trainings courses.

Geographic areas targeted for condom and other prevention interventions include 19 Regional Education Offices (DREN) in Abengourou, Aboisso, Abidjan (1, 2, 3, 4), Adzopé, Bondoukou, Bouaké (1 and 2), Dabou, Daloa, Dimbokro, Divo, Gagnoa, Korhogo, Man, San Pedro, Yamoussoukro, in collaboration with other Ministry departments (DMOSS, DPFC, DESAC, DECO, DELC, DOB, DIPES, DRH, DAF) and the other 11 linked services (SCA, CRIMEN, SNAPS COGES, SAPEP, CABINET, CN Unesco, SNCS, CGES, SAA, BEP).

Based on the ABC approach and other means of prevention, information, education and access to contraception will benefit young people (of 15 years old and older), the teachers and other staff of the Ministry of Education.The DREN and the Ministrys Department focal points in areas above will receive condoms with plans for distribution channels to 48 sites, under overall coordination of the Ministry of Education. Other PEPFAR-funded partners involved in care and support for adults and OVC and the PNSSU will be involved in sensitization activities which provide opportunities to reinforce complementary messages and link those in need of these services.

In order to roll out exisiting approaches effectively, the MEN will coordinate supervise implementing partners, and conduct assessments of the program. In collaboration with EngenderHealth, program inputs will continue to strengthen MAP activities at the old sites such as Divo, Gagnoa and Adzope. The MEN will carry out the training of a pool of 45 trainers which will include 35 trainers positioned at the decentralized levels of the MEN (DMOSS) in addition to reaching parents and student populations. These peer- educators will play a critical role in outreach activities. Plans to raise community and household awareness about the need to stop violence against girls specifically, with the support of IRC, will be implemented in the regions of Man, Bouake and Yamoussoukro. Another related partnership underway is with UNFPA for the provision of awareness-raising materials for combating gender-based violence and expanded use of reproductive health activities in partnership with PNSSU as well.

Stategies for improving the quality of services will be linked to feedback taken from clients that seek testing and counseling services during the period of sensitization activities; and self-reports of use of condoms through 1-1 interviews and group exchanges. A renewed focus on revitalization of school health committee and the imbedding of the prevention approaches into structures of the MEN will help facilitate a longer term sustainable response to positively impact pregnancy and STI rates.