Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2007 2008 2009

Details for Mechanism ID: 5278
Country/Region: Guyana
Year: 2007
Main Partner: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Main Partner Program: American Red Cross
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $74,231

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Abstinence/Be Faithful (HVAB): $74,231

Track One Funding for Red Cross will continue to support The Together We Can (TWC) program will expand geographically into Regions 1 and 9 in FY 06. In FY 07, it is expected that an additional 12,000 youths will be reached. As the program further expands, over the next year the Guyana Red Cross will work with peer educators to develop cultural and linguistic options and/or guidelines for how to better reach the Amerindian populations in those areas. To support project activities in these regions the Guyana Red Cross also plans to convert mass media materials (posters, brochures, etc) to local dialects to make the project more community friendly. Through direct TWC peer education sessions this project will reach approximately 1,500 youth in FY07. For each workshop the project will continue to try and maintain a balanced 50% male - 50% female breakdown for gender, and a breakdown of age cohorts of 20% youth 10-14, 40% 15-19, and 40% 20-24.

In year one 17% of youth reached through TWC workshops came from non-traditional sources, such as training police at the police academy, or through religious groups, and 83% came from more traditional sources such as a school based programs. Efforts will be made to increase the number of youth reached through non-traditional sources to 25%. This will be done through detailed community mapping aimed at identifying potential partners to channel and connect to these youth. The Guyana Red Cross will also aim to reach approximately 1,500 youth through community mobilization events where varying edutainment methodologies such as popular music, dance, and shows are used to deliver key HIV messages and information about the project to youth and the general community at large. Edutainment activities that the project will use for the community mobilization events may include puppet shows, concerts, movie shows, and awareness booths.

Efforts will be made to include new partners from the private sector such as the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, new NGO partners such as the Open Doors Center, and the Bina Hill Institute, and possibly religious groups and associations that are active with youth in their community. Special attention will be placed in further enhancing the participation of Amerindian groups in regions 1 and 9, as well as exploring opportunities with Muslim and Hindu youth in region 4. The project will also endeavor to formalize its coordination and collaboration with the US Peace Corps and work with and even incorporate Peace Corps volunteers into the program at the community level.