Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 4217
Country/Region: Kenya
Year: 2007
Main Partner: Christian Aid
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: FBO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $175,665

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $175,665

1. LIST OF RELATED ACTIVITIES This activity relates to activities in Counseling and Testing (#8782 and #8777), ART (#8792 and #8826).

2. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION Christian Aid (CA) is a UK based international development agency with over 40 years of experience supporting more than 550 indigenous non-governmental and faith-based organizations in 60 countries. CA will work with community and faith based organizations to provide holistic care and support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Eastern and Nyanza Provinces. CA will work with two faith-based community development organizations in Kenya's Western and Eastern Provinces. These organizations are the Benevolent Institute of Development Initiatives (BIDII), which is operating in Machakos and Makueni districts (Lita, Mbee, Kathiani, Mavivye, Kiima-kiu, and Kilome sublocations), and Inter Diocesan Community Development Services (IDCCS), which is operating in Siaya, Rachuonyo, Kisumu, Migori, Homa-Bay, Bodo, and Nyando districts (Siaya, Yala, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Homa-Bay, Bondo, and Ahero sublocations). The expected impact of the CA Track 1 project is improved quality of life for at least 6,500 OVC and 1,200 care givers. This will be done through building the technical knowledge and material capacity of over 100 OVC households to produce nutritious food for the long term, benefiting the OVC in these households. Provide income generation support to at least 600 OVC household guardians and older OVC, to enable them to operate new, profitable income generating activities (IGAs). Ensure that OVC regularly receive quality psychosocial support through community-based volunteers and caregivers. This intervention will include health care, provision of fees to enable OVCs to access education and also mobilize the local community volunteers to build or repair basic housing for OVC. To ensure clean water availability, the program will fund and organize for four water springs to be protected in Kathiani impact zones. This will enable at least 800 OVC households to access safe drinking water for their everyday needs, benefiting OVC in these households. To protect OVC from stigma and discrimination, community volunteers will be mobilized to establish Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and actively promote messages geared to reducing stigma and discrimination on OVC and promoting child rights. This will lead to a reduction of at least 30% of community members with negative and discriminating attitude towards OVC and an increase of at least 30% in the proportion of community leaders, guardians and general community members that acknowledge and recognize the extent of exploitation, violence and abuse experienced by OVC. Support CPC members to monitor discrimination and abuse of OVC through community based home visit programs, which will be operational in six sub locations. Mobilize the formation of youth clubs in approximately 150 villages. Peer educators will provide life skills training to OVC in the youth clubs. The life skills will help OVC avoid situations where they can fall victim to exploitation, violence and sexual abuse. CPC members will be trained on children's rights and counseling skills and conduct exchange visits and attend a reflection workshop in Uganda towards the end of the period, to reflect on progress made, what has worked well and what has not and to share innovative approaches and tools. Lessons learned will be fed into the interventions for the following year, resulting in improved effectiveness and quality of support provided to OVC and OVC households.

3. CONTRIBUTION TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA The program will reach 6,500 OVC through complementary and integrated care and support interventions and 1,200 care givers will be trained in a number of complementary areas, including income generation, sustainable food production, psychosocial support, and child protection.

4. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES This activity is linked to Counseling and Testing program and ART services.

5. POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED This program will target orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers.

6. KEY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ADDRESSED Issues to be addressed include stigma and discrimination and ensuring that as many as girl OVC benefit as well as boys. Data will be gender disaggregated to ensure gender equity in all the project's various interventions. Support to food security, micro-finance, micro-credit and education sectors will be addressed. Work will also be undertaken to link

women and girls to the project's educational support, food security, and income generation interventions.

7. EMPHASIS AREAS Major emphasis area is community mobilization/participation and training and minor emphasis area is development network/linkages/referral systems and quality assistance and supportive supervision.