1. LIST OF RELATED ACTIVITIES This activity relates to World Vision's Kenya AIDS Treatment and Support for OVC (KATSO) in partnership with Mildmay International(#6991); ADRA's AB program (#6833) and FHI's APHIA II interventions in Rift Valley (#9070).

Sub-partners include: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs; Scripture Union; and Kenya Students Christian Fellowship.

2. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION The Abstinence and Risk Avoidance for Youth (ARK) Program continues to build upon the expertise and on-the-ground presence of World Vision Area Development Programs (ADPs), relationships with schools, local churches, FBOs, CBOs, NGOs and other affinity groups to mobilize (i) trained FBO leaders to incorporate AB messages in their weekly sermons; (ii) Youth Action Groups including anti-AIDS clubs, peer educators to foster the adoption of AB behaviors by strengthening their capacity for healthy behaviors; (iii) parent groups equipped to communicate and counsel youth about sexual health and healthy choices; (iv) teachers and other community "influentials" trained to overcome attitudinal barriers to effective communication regarding youth sexuality such that they can facilitate, counsel and reinforce AB messages; and (v) ADP-organized Community Care Coalitions (CCC) who are providing basic health, education, and psychosocial support to OVC and PLHWAs to promote/reinforce AB messages. ARK's focused messages and skills development are on risk avoidance/reduction for all youth, regardless of age group. The primary aim is to delay first intercourse among youth 10 to 14 years old, to delay first intercourse and/or increase "secondary abstinence" until marriage among sexually active 15 to 24 year olds and to strengthen youth understanding and capacity for mutual fidelity and commitment to a single partner within marriage. Organizations and community structures such as youth-serving facilities, FBOs, CBOs, schools, church and faith communities will continue to be strengthened to support young people in their efforts to abstain and be faithful. ARK strives to create an enabling environment for youth where they receive support and re-enforcement for AB behaviors in order to transform social norms through communities. Capacities of increasing numbers of local village HIV/AIDS committees will be built to support and/or advocate for AB programs in collaboration with Area Advisory Councils. ARK will facilitate Common Ground Melting Pot meetings among youth, parents and other stakeholders, e.g. challenging harmful norms that prevent barriers to positive health practices. The ARK Management Team will present briefings and/or progress reports to the governments on ARK AB programs. In addition, ARK will continue to build the capacity of the two implementing partner FBOs to improve the quality of their training and to scale up their AB training and mobilization activities.

3. CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA ARK will reach 54,090 individuals and train 4,623. Specifically, ARK will generate 3,100 youth peer educator/coaches, 450 adult mentors, and 170 community outreach programs that promote "A and/or B" equipping 29,753 youth 10 to 14 years old with life skills that will help them delay age of sexual debut and 24,337 youth 15 to 24 years to practice primary or secondary "A and/or B", contributing to a reduction in the rate of HIV transmission. ARK will create a critical mass of groups of parents, community and religious leaders, teachers, youth service providers trained by 30 certified master trainers to conduct downstream training in "A and/or B". ARK will sensitize and mobilize 50 government leaders at various levels particularly to defend and promote the rights of youth and to protect them from HIV/AIDS. All the above activities support the national strategies of the government of Kenya and have the explicit support of government ministries that deal with youth and HIV/AIDS.

4. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES ARK activities are linked to ongoing work within the World Vision ADPs. ARK collaborates with the Ministries of Education and Health to mobilize and equip youth, health care providers and teachers with skills to promote A and/or B behaviors. ARK also works with other development organizations such as ADRA and FHI to increase the range and quality of services to the youth, and links with ADRA's AB program and AB activities of APHIA II Rift Valley (#9070). ARK also uses the KATSO program, facilitated advisory and action groups and the systems that exist in the communities to cultivate supportive family and community environments for youth to practice the A and/or B behaviors. ARK works

closely with village and district level leadership as well as FBO leaders to address obstacles in the environment that curtail the adoption of A&B norms.

5. POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED ARK's primary target audience is girls aged 10-24 years. The secondary audience is boys of the same age, while parents, caregivers, teachers, religious and community leaders, and health care providers are other (tertiary) targets. ARK targets youth aged 10-14 with outreach "A" activities while those aged 15-24 years receive "A and/or B" activities including secondary abstinence for those who are already sexually active.

6. KEY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ADDRESSED ARK activities address male cultural beliefs, norms and stereotypes that predispose girls to HIV infection, while empowering men and boys to become ardent defenders of women and girls' rights and to exercise equity in all areas. ARK maintains a deliberate bias towards addressing the needs of girls and young women.

7. EMPHASIS AREAS This activity emphasizes community mobilization of various types of organizations referred to above. Other emphases include local organization capacity development; training and facilitation using ARK-branded facilitation guides and a QI verification checklist; information, education and communication materials including a self assessment and planning tool (ARK passport) to enable the youth to stick to the healthy choices they make.