Goals and Objectives The BRIDGE II Project will scale up and deepen behavioral change communication activities in Malawi by removing barriers to individual action and confronting specific drivers of HIV at the normative/societal level. The overall goal is to contribute toward reducing new HIV infections among Malawians. BRIDGE II's outcomes: • Individual perception of HIV risk and self-efficacy to prevent HIV infection strengthened; • Communities mobilized to adopt social norms, attitudes and values that reduce HIV vulnerability; • HIV prevention interventions strategically linked to services; and • Malawian institutions supported for effective leadership and coordination.

Linkages with Partnership Framework The Government of Malawi has made HIV and AIDS a priority in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy. The National Action Framework and the HIV Prevention Strategy provide guidance on which HIV drivers to focus on to combat HIV. Throughout the Malawi Partnership Framework, PEPFAR supports the implementation of the Malawi national HIV and AIDS response. With PEPFAR Funds, BRIDGE II will focus its contribution to that support on the NAF objective to "Reduce the sexual transmission of HIV", emphasizing interventions that address sexual prevention, human capacity development and gender as a cross cutting issue. BRIDGE II will also contribute towards strengthening linkages and referral to other HIV and AIDS services.

Geographic coverage and target population BRIDGE II will in the first phase implement activities in 6 districts in southern Malawi: Phalombe, Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Chikwawa and Nsanje. In FY2011 BRIDGE will scale up activities in these six districts whiles initiating activities in second phase districts of Blantyre, Zomba, Machinga, Neno, and Mwanza,. Activities will target the adult population (18-49), including People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Activities targeting the education sector and specifically teachers will be implemented in 8 BRIDGE districts (TBD) by end of Year 2. In year 1 two districts are targeted.

Contribution toward cross cutting, gender and key issues Human Resources for Health: BRIDGE II will contribute toward building the capacity of frontline health care workers and para-social workers (community members/volunteers) through comprehensive proven training programs on interpersonal communication for HIV and by strengthening/creating new effective community referral networks. Gender: BRIDGE II will influence gender relations and decrease women's vulnerability to HIV by: applying a gender lens in programming; ensuring that a thorough gender analysis is undertaken; ensuring that research considers gender-specific barriers, facilitators, and media preferences; and examining gender- disaggregated data and outcomes. Support to workplace interventions: BRIDGE II will collaborate with companies to complement programs that need strengthening, build programs where there is active interest, and advocate with those that are resistant, through the training of existing workplace peer educators to use BRIDGE transformative tools. Building Behavior Change Communication (BCC) Skills: BRIDGE II will strengthen the BCC skills of professionals taking a lead role in HIV prevention communication. BRIDGE II will offer the course "Leadership in Strategic Health Communication", that includes leadership concepts, cutting-edge BCC

theory, and communication techniques. BRIDGE II will aid the University of Malawi in creating a gender and HIV course for health communication professionals, and explore linkages with AfriComNet in order to have the University of Malawi become part of Africa's network of universities offering courses in communication for health and development.

Cost Effectiveness BRIDGE II will leverage and build on USAID's investment in the north and central regions through training Pact/Malawi partners on BRIDGE II tools and approaches and providing implementation support. In BRIDGE II districts, linkages among HIV/AIDS, gender, workplace, and income-generation programs will be established for maximum efficiency. BRIDGE II will work with District Assemblies to set up HIV prevention network meetings where additional CBOs/NGOs can learn to inform their district implementation plans.

Linking with Government of Malawi Activities Regarding harmonization, at the national level, BRIDGE II works with the National AIDS Commission and the Ministry of Health. At the district level, key partners include the District Assembly. Working with partners at both levels ensures that activities are linked, ensuring coordination of the national response.

Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Plans The Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (R, M&E) plan will track PEPFAR and project indicators in accordance with the Country Operational Plan, and will enhance management through project performance data. A single efficient data -quality management system related to PEPFAR indicators will be utilized. Process and outcome indicators will be captured at all levels. Standardized data collecting tools will be utilized and fed into the BRIDGE II database, capturing information from all partners. In regards to assessing program impact, a baseline survey and formative assessment will inform program activities, and surveys will be administered at midterm and end of project.

Budget Summary PFIP Year 1 Funding - $4,002,761 PFIP Year 2 Funding - $5,500,000

III. Budget Code: OHSS $325,337 - Year 1 $540,000 - Year 2 This mechanism will contribute to the cross-cutting objective of building the capacity of indigenous NGO's.

Activity 1: Capacity building BRIDGE II will engaged communities to identify and take actions to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The program will provide capacity building trainings around HIV prevention to districts structures (District AIDS Coordinating Committees, Community AIDS Committees, and Village AIDS Committees and CBOs). BRIDGE II will provide skills building to CACs, VACs, and community based organizations on mobilization around HIV prevention using the community action cycle framework, including local assessment, action planning, program implementation, monitoring and local evaluation. Other trainings will include using the transformational tools, proposal development and writing skills, resource management and budgeting, community data for decision making, and strengthening local support networks; and referral system. Products/Deliverables: 70 CBOs strengthened and 70 CBOs networked.

Activity 2: Strengthening Behavior Change Communication Competency BRIDGE II will strengthen the BCC skills of professionals taking a lead role in HIV prevention

communication. BRIDGE II will offer the course "Leadership in Strategic Health Communication", that includes leadership concepts, cutting-edge BCC theory, and communication techniques. Products/Deliverables: 30 Local NGOs strengthened.

I. Budget Code: HVAB $2,796,424 - Year 1 $3,780,000 - Year 2

PEPFAR funds to JHCOM will support interventions that strengthen individual perceptions of HIV risk and self efficacy; mobilize communities to adopt norms and attitudes to reduce vulnerability to HIV; strategically link HIV prevention with other HIV and health services; and support Malawian institutions to lead the national HIV prevention response.

HIV drivers, target audience and geographical location BRIDGE II will confront specific drivers of the epidemic such as Multiple and Concurrent Partnerships, alcohol and substance abuse, women's vulnerability and sero discordance in promoting collective efficacy and normative change in the eleven districts of southern Malawi. BRIDGE project will continue implementing the interventions in the six districts (Mulanje, Phalombe, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Thyolo and Chiradzulu) that it started with FY 09 funding, then scale up to the additional five districts (Blantyre, Zomba, Machinga, Neno and Mwanza) in FY 2011. Roughly, BRIDGE II intends to reach approximately 75% of male and females within the age groups of 18 to 49 years in the implementation districts.

Activity 1: Mass Media Campaign The Nditha Campaign formed a solid foundation on which almost all BRIDGE I activities were built. BRIDGE II project will build on the successes of this campaign while realigning it with the BRIDGE II focus and the longer term vision of moving toward a community focused collective response- thus from I can towards we will. The project will work with a core group of partners from NAC, MOH and other NGOs to create overarching themes with broad appeal to target group and implementing partners. This theme will provide a focus to organize activities at community levels. These activities will reinforce and stimulate dialogue around key issues on partner reduction, positive living, and alcohol and stigma reduction. Through community dialogue, individuals and communities will make action plans to prevent HIV. The approach will also emphasize the urgency for action by focusing on specific do-able actions, while still supporting self and communal efficacy to act.

Products/Deliverables: Communication Strategy, Campaign launch, Posters, Flyers, Radio spots and Message Guide.

Activity 2: Reality programming- Community live events focusing on partner reduction In partnership with local radio stations, NAPHAM, MANET+, and others NGOs, BRIDGE II will develop a new strategy and implement the Real Real program. The approach will use community events and personal stories of people from diverse circumstances, PLHIV, discordant couples, men who have stayed negative by remaining faithful, women who have turned away from transactional sex to share the challenges they face and strategies they used to overcome them. These stories will be shared via broadcast and community forums so others can learn from their experience and develop their own risk- avoidance strategies. Products/Deliverable: Reality programming strategy, Real Real Radio Programs and Radio Diaries produced

Activity 3: Community mobilization In partnership with Save the Children (SC), BRIDGE II will work to assure increased depth, breadth and replication of community engagement and mobilization across the districts that will translate into sustainable responses for prevention, stigma reduction, and normative change. SC will use the tested Community Action Cycle (CAC) that helps communities analyze their situation and discuss the implications; identify internal community resources and knowledge, skills and talents; identify priority needs; develop a strategy to address those needs; and plan activities needed to execute their strategy.

SC will engage communities in a number of activities including: ? Facilitate a leaders working group on BCI and HIV Prevention Advocacy ? Facilitate formation of new Chiefs Councils in districts and engage councils, using the community action cycle, to identify norms that facilitate the spread of HIV and develop action plans. ? Facilitate community dialogue sessions (discussion forums) focusing on drivers of HIV such as multiple and concurrent partnerships. ? Facilitate CBO networking through regular meetings at Traditional Authority or Sub Traditional Authority level in the districts.

Products/Deliverables: Community Action Cycle re-designed, Community Mobilization Manual Produced, Chiefs' councils formulated and 70 Community Based Organizations networked.

Activity 4: Engage Faith Based Community Networks BRIDGE II will work with Malawi Interfaith AIDS Association (MIAA) to engage faith based communities in

Phalombe, Thyolo and Mulanje. MIAA will build the capacity of religious leaders and marriage counselors to focus on marriage counseling, an area that has proven to impart great changes in HIV risk reduction. Areas of focus during counseling will specifically include communication issues, sexual decision-making, gender norms, and HIV prevention.

MIAA will conduct couple counselling and marriage counselling seminars. This activity would be followed by a mass wedding event not funded by PEPFAR to renew their marriage vows. We hope that after the couples have gone through marriage counseling/seminars, the renewal of vows would be appropriate to finally cement and or stand as a symbol of their renewed commitment to remain faithful. MIAA will also conduct community dialogue sessions around mutual faithfulness.

MIAA will work with leaders of faith-based institutions and advocate for the development of HIV and AIDS policies for its network churches and mosques through their mother bodies. These policies will direct and standardize implementation of HIV and AIDS services in these institutions. MIAA will provide technical assistance throughout the development process. MIAA will also advocate for the empowerment of women in churches and mosques so that they take part in church and mosque activities such as women's Sundays. The organization will also advocate for the establishment of social services committees in churches and mosques in order to facilitate provision of counseling and testing services in the institutions and empower the existing hospitality committees with counseling and testing skills. As one way of reducing stigma and discrimination, MIAA will advocate for the acceptance of people living with HIV and AIDS within religious institutions. It will work with religious leaders and facilitate the establishment of support groups for PLWHA in churches and mosques as an arm of the hospitality committees. MIAA will also advocate for institutionalization of referral systems of clients to relevant service providers by the responsible church or mosque committee. Products/Deliverables: Marriage counseling guide, Marriage vows commitment booklet, 90 marriage counselors trained.

Activity 5: Engage PLHIV Support Groups In partnership with NAPHAM, BRIDGE II will integrate the Radio Diaries Project into their already existing PLHIV support groups in Mulanje, Thyolo and Chiradzulu. NAPHAM will conduct training sessions for facilitators of the newly formed Radio Diaries Project listening clubs. These facilitators will assist in making the Radio Diaries listening clubs more dynamic and fruitful discussions exploring a variety of issues, such as stigma, discrimination, positive living practices, challenges faced by discordant couples, and gender norms and cultural practices that complicate the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. NAPHAM will also train community facilitators in how to use the Hope Kit and Positive Prevention Toolkit. Using interactive drama, NAPHAM will engage communities into discussion on key issues such as condom use, multiple partners, positive living and couple HIV testing.

Activity 6: Use of transformative tools - Hope Kit The Hope Kit is a package of interactive and participatory tools to guide individuals and community groups to develop personal and appropriate HIV prevention strategies. The Hope Kit assists community based organizations to conduct local outreach and mobilization by providing a package of ready to use activities and demonstrations that model prevention behaviors, challenge myths and assumptions about HIV transmission and provide an opportunity for frank and open discussion to address multiple partnerships and challenge norms that promote the spread of HIV among others. Communities use the toolkit in facilitating interactive activities to explore values, analyze options and assist people in making decisions and action plans as regards HIV prevention. The Hope Kit is a modular design, and thereby provides opportunities for participants to reflect on changes to their own behavior in new or emerging priority areas like concurrent partners, discordant couple communication, and male involvement. Another tool developed under BRIDGE 1, the Positive Prevention kit, will help address that issue within PLHIV support groups and care givers. BRIDGE II will, through its different partners (MIAA, NAPHAM, Pact), scale up use of the Hope Kit with the FY09 funding. Pact Malawi will take the Hope Kit to its 15 partners in the central and northern region.

Products/Deliverables: 750 Hope Kits disseminated

Activity 7: Supporting Behavior Change Intervention in work place BRIDGE II will with FY 2009 support behavior change interventions within work place. BRIDGE II will work with six institutions to develop individualized action plans, as well as political advocacy. The project will advocate for the importance of HIV work place interventions in those estates where management is not yet convinced of such interventions. The work place support will include training peer educators who will in turn facilitate small group peer facilitated discussions during lunch hour using the Hope Kit. Further more, the project will conduct open day functions within compounds so as to extend HIV work place interventions to employee families as well with HIV prevention messages. Product/Deliverables: Strategy for behavior change interventions in workplace developed and 6 institutions engaged in behavior change interventions in workplace.

Activity 8: Linking HIV preventions with other HIV health services Working with International HIV/AIDS Alliance, BRIDGE II will implement a pilot program that will link HIV prevention activities to other HIV and other health services. This linkage will enable continued and supportive care to those individuals who have been exposed to behavior change interventions. This exercise will start in one community in Chiradzulu district as a pilot and will then be scaled up to other districts in the subsequent years. The Alliance will train Community Network Agents (CNA) who, in partnership with a CBO and Save the Children, will facilitate the development and strengthening of the

referral system within the community. The CNAs will help provide linkages between formal clinical services (e.g. for HCT, STI services and ART) and other more informal services or contact points—health posts, support groups, mothers' clubs, etc. The CNAs will operate outside the formal health services, in order to reach the largest possible relevant population. Product/Deliverables: Referral guide and Service maps developed.

Activity 9: Strengthen collaboration and networking among BRIDGE II CBOs In partnership with Pact Malawi, BRIDGE II will use Pact's Organization Network Analysis (ONA) tool to building an understanding about patterns of collaboration and networking between individuals and organizations. This approach will be used to analyze networks in a number of ways: comparing networks and modeling best practices; identifying potential network coordinators; and comparing the reality of organizational interaction to network plans. Pact Malawi will conduct a participant survey of the community based organizations under BRIDGE II. Through the capacity building activities, network meetings and best practice symposia at the district level, we hope to build and strengthen the network system. This network will help to build a basis for scaling up an effective referral system after the pilot phase. The ONA will then be used periodically to track the development of the network over the life of the project. Products/Deliverables: 70 CBOs networked, Compendium of best practices developed, and 6 district best practices conferences conducted.

Activity 10: Strengthening Behavior Change Communication Competency BRIDGE II will strengthen the BCC skills of professionals taking a lead role in HIV prevention communication. BRIDGE II will offer the course "Leadership in Strategic Health Communication", that includes leadership concepts, cutting-edge BCC theory, and communication techniques. In addition to skills building, during this training individuals will be reached with HIV prevention messages. Product/Deliverable: 30 people from local NGO's reached.

Activity 11: Research Monitoring and Evaluation BRIDGE II will implement a Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (R,M&E) plan that will track PEPFAR and project indicators in accordance with the Country Operational Plan. A single efficient data -quality management system related to PEPFAR indicators will be utilized. Process and outcome indicators will be captured at all levels. Standardized data collecting tools will be utilized and fed into the BRIDGE II database, capturing information from all partners. In regards to assessing program impact, a baseline survey and formative assessment will inform program activities. Products/Deliverables: Research reports, fact sheets, quarterly and annual reports and success stories.

With PFIP year 2 PEPFAR funds, BRIDGE II will continue with the same activities funded by PFIP year 1

funds in the first phase districts (Phalombe, Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Chikwawa and Nsanje). BRIDGE will scale up these activities to five new districts of Blantyre, Neno, Zomba, Machinga and Mwanza.

New activities will include:

Activity 1: Counseling training for lay and clinic-based counselors BRIDGE II, in partnership with the International HIV Alliance, will offer a training on the GATHER technique - a compassionate approach for engaging and empowering clients that has been used successfully throughout Africa in both Family Planning and HIV; and reinforcing training through job aids and message guides on positive prevention for discordant couples, condom use, reducing alcohol intake, and other issues. Alliance will also train providers and counselors on the GATHER methodology. Counselors will be provided with the Referral Guide so they can channel "clients" to additional services as needed. BRIDGE II will also leverage the efforts of partners (MOH, MSF) providing clinic -based care and work with NAPHAM, and others offering community-based care. Product/Deliverables: Counseling guide

II. Budget Code: HVOP

$806,000 - Year 1 $1,080,000 - Year 2

PEPFAR funds to JHCOM will support interventions that strengthen individual perceptions of HIV risk and self efficacy; mobilize communities to adopt norms and attitudes to reduce vulnerability to HIV; strategically link HIV prevention with other HIV and health services; and support Malawian institutions to lead the national HIV prevention response. Target audience and geographical location BRIDGE II will confront specific drivers of the epidemic such as MCP, alcohol and substance abuse, women's vulnerability and sero discordance in promoting collective efficacy and normative change in the eleven districts of southern Malawi. BRIDGE project will continue implementing the interventions in the six districts (Mulanje, Phalombe, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Thyolo and Chiradzulu) that it started with FY 09 funding and then scale up to the other five districts ( Blantyre, Zomba, Machinga, Neno and Mwanza) in FY2011. Roughly, BRIDGE project intends to reach approximately 75% of the adult population, both

males and females, within the age groups of 18 to 49 years in all the implementation districts.

Activity 1: Mass Media Campaign The Nditha Campaign formed a solid foundation on which almost all BRIDGE I activities were built. BRIDGE II project will build on the successes of this campaign while realigning it with the BRIDGE II focus and the longer term vision of moving toward a community focused collective response- thus from I can towards We will. The project will work with a core group of partners from NAC, MOH and other NGOs to create overarching themes with broad appeal to target group and implementing partners. This theme will provide a focus to organize activities at community levels. These activities will reinforce and stimulate dialogue around key issues on partner reduction, positive living, alcohol use and stigma reduction. Through community dialogue, individuals and communities will make action plans to prevent HIV. The approach will also emphasize the urgency for action by focusing on specific do-able actions, while still supporting self and communal efficacy to act. Mass media dissemination will further be supported by community outreach events which provide a framework for local activities and decision making. BRIDGE II Team will use the results of the formative research and other relevant data to direct the redesigning of the campaign and consequently lead to its launch. BRIDGE II will develop the campaign with the input of HIV prevention implementing partners in Malawi. Additionally, BRIDGE Team will ensure that the messages are harmonized.

Activity 2: Reality programming- Radio Diary In partnership with local radio stations, NAPHAM, MANET+, and others NGOs, BRIDGE II will develop a new strategy and implement the Real Real program. The approach will use personal stories of people of PLHIV to share the challenges they face and strategies they used to overcome them. These stories will be shared via broadcast so others can learn from their experience and develop their own risk-avoidance strategies. This approach will give voice to those who have undergone life-changing experiences to bring home, in personal terms, how such transformation is possible. BRIDGE will train PLHIV to create their own personal weekly radio diaries which will then be broadcast. The diarists will be people who know their status and are willing and able to talk about their situation honestly, openly and with clarity, focus, and real emotion. The diarists will focus on one issue or key event in their lives each week. Over time they should cover a very broad gamut of everyday life: relationships with partners, family, friends and the community at large; medical issues and perceptions of response from the health services community (prejudice, support, etc); work and leisure; diminished capacity; emotional stress; and other key issues in the PFIP, such as coping as a couple/family incl. discordance, condom use, MCP, pre-ART and treatment. Simultaneously, the program will train and support a team of local radio producers to assist to capture real stories and produce programs. BRIDGE will work with PLHIV support groups under NAPHAM to form listening clubs where they can discuss issues from the radio program. This will help individuals to

make personal decisions and take HIV risk reduction measures.

Activity 3: Community mobilization In partnership with Save the Children (SC), BRIDGE II will work to assure increased depth, breadth and replication of community engagement and mobilization across the districts that will translate into sustainable responses for prevention, stigma reduction, and normative change. SC will use the tested Community Action Cycle (CAC) that helps communities analyze their situation and discuss the implications; identify internal community resources and knowledge, skills and talents; identify priority needs; develop a strategy to address those needs; and plan activities needed to execute their strategy. For BRIDGE II, the model will be adapted to include the use of behavior centered analysis to identify social and normative factors that need to be addressed for successful HIV prevention. SC will engage communities in a number of activities including: • Facilitate formation of new Chiefs Councils in new districts and engage councils, using the community action cycle, to identify norms that facilitate the spread of HIV and develop action plans. • Facilitate community dialogue sessions (discussion forums) focusing of drivers of HIV such as multiple and concurrent partners and risk reduction measures. • Conduct stakeholders meetings and reviews for CBOs, Chiefs Councils, and DACCs.

Activity 4: Engage PLHIV Support Groups

In partnership with NAPHAM, BRIDGE II will integrate the Radio Diaries Project into their already existing support groups in the southern region. NAPHAM will conduct training sessions for facilitators of the newly formed Radio Diaries Project listening clubs. These facilitators will assist in making the Radio Diaries listening clubs more dynamic and fruitful discussions exploring a variety of issues, such as stigma, discrimination, positive living practices, challenges faced by discordant couples, gender norms and cultural practices. NAPHAM will also train community facilitators in how to use the Hope Kit and Positive Prevention Toolkit. Using interactive drama, NAPHAM will engage communities into discussion on key issues such as condom use, multiple partners, positive living and couple HIV testing.

Activity 5: Use of transformative tools - Positive prevention toolkit The Positive Prevention tool kit is a set of practical and experiential learning activities designed to help people living with HIV, their partners and families address a range of HIV and AIDS related issues. The target population for positive prevention activities are support group members of people living with HIV (PLHIVs).

BRIDGE II project will train Trainers of the Trainers who will in turn train two support group members to conduct Positive Prevention small-group interventions of 15-20 support group members. The

participatory activities encourage and empower people with HIV to live positively by providing them with role models who have faced and overcome similar challenges. They adopt and maintain behaviors which support their own health as well as the health of their sexual partners, unborn babies and infants, families and wider community through identifying do-able actions to live healthy and productive lives.

The toolkit has two main components, a flip chart entitled 'Planting Our Tree of Hope' with five real personal stories of Malawian men, women and couples who have overcome barriers and in turn, lead healthy lives with HIV. The other component is a Facilitators' Guide, called 'Planting Our Tree of Hope' which is organised into different themes with participatory activities and questions to support discussion around the stories. BRIDGE II will support NAPHAM to scale up use of the Positive Prevention toolkit with the FY09 funding. Products/Deliverables: 1000 Positive Prevention Toolkit produced and 250 Positive Prevention Toolkit disseminated

Activity 6: Supporting Behavior Change Intervention in work place BRIDGE II project will, with FY 10 funding, continue supporting HIV work place activities. The project will train peer educators who will in turn facilitate small group peer facilitated discussions during lunch hour. The project will also advocate for the importance of HIV work place interventions in those estates where management is not yet convinced of such interventions. Further more, the project will conduct open day functions within compounds so as to extend HIV work place interventions to employee families as well with HIV prevention messages.

Activity 7: Linking HIV preventions with other HIV health services Working with International HIV/AIDS Alliance, BRIDGE II will implement a pilot program that will link HIV prevention activities to other HIV and other health services. This linkage will enable continued and supportive care to those individuals who have been exposed to behavior change interventions. This exercise will start in one district as pilot and will then be scaled up to other districts in the subsequent years.

Activity 8: Strengthen collaboration and networking among BRIDGE II CBOs In partnership with Pact Malawi, BRIDGE II will use Pact's Organization Network Analysis (ONA) tool to building an understanding about patterns of collaboration and networking between individuals and organizations. ONA will help identify the varying patterns of interaction amongst stakeholders and serve as a tool to monitor the development and strength of this network of organizations over time. This approach will be used to analyze networks in a number of ways: comparing networks and modeling best practices; identifying potential network coordinators; and comparing the reality of organizational interaction to network plans. Pact Malawi will conduct a participant survey of the community based

organizations under BRIDGE II. . Through the capacity building activities, network meetings and best practice symposia at the district level, we hope to build and strengthen the network system. This network will help to build a basis for scaling up an effective referral system after the pilot phase. The ONA will then be used periodically to track the development of the network over the life of the project. In order to strengthen the network, BRIDGE II will conduct best practice symposia at the district level. This will promote best practice sharing and strengthen linkages and networking.

Activity 9: Research Monitoring and Evaluation BRIDGE II will implement a Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (R,M&E) plan that track PEPFAR and project indicators in accordance with the Country Operational Plan. A single efficient data -quality management system related to PEPFAR indicators will be utilized. Process and outcome indicators will be captured at all levels. Standardized data collecting tools will be utilized and fed into the BRIDGE II database, capturing information from all partners. In regards to assessing program impact, a baseline survey and formative assessment will inform program activities BRIDGE II will disseminate its findings at national, district and community level.

Activity 10: Education Sector Teacher Adult Prevention BRIDGE II will strengthen the response of the education sector to reduce incidence of adult infection among teachers through two key activities.

1) Building on the roll-out of the Prevention with Positives Toolkit (PwP), BRIDGE II will strengthen capacity of Teachers Living Positively (T'LIPO), a national organization with networks in all 34 educational districts, to provide advocacy, psychosocial support, prevention messages, and referral to HIV related services to more than 2500 members nationally. Six members of T'LIPO will be identified to become master trainers on the PwP toolkit within their support groups. BRIDGE will mentor trainers in subsequent trainings planned, and within their districts, offer ongoing support for its use.

2) Bridge II Project will provide technical expertise and capacity building to teacher trainers through support to the Malawi Teacher Professional Support activity, mandated to provide technical assistance and support to MOEST in implementing national teacher education support and systems management, 50% of a full-time BRIDGE program officer will be seconded to MTPDS to support the review, and revision of the national pre-service and in-service teacher training curriculum in order to integrate key gender and HIV prevention content and participatory methods based on BRIDGE II proven transformative tools. BRIDGE II will share existing tools developed, and possibly adapt content. This can include, for example, incorporation of powerful stories of real teachers, drawing on its work with T'LIPO members who have challenged social and gender norms, experienced intergenerational sex relationships, gender based violence, and taken positive preventive action.

Because of BRIDGE II work in communities address wider social and cultural norms; they can strengthen links between schools and communities to address key issues affecting teachers, children, and link with wider services available within selected districts. For example, teachers will be included in relevant BRIDGE district community mapping and networking analysis process. Stories of teachers can be included in regularly aired radio diaries, etc. Lesson learned, and testing of ideas will be fed back to MBTDS at the national level to further strengthen the education sector's roll-out of meaningful teacher training linked to broader support of teachers and school linkages within their communities.

BRIDGE II will also provide technical support to the MBTDS to develop a KAP survey for teachers to and could potentially support training and analysis. The proposed research will further investigate the effects and impact of HIV and AIDS on education personnel, teachers, students and pupils. This will include knowledge, behaviors and attitudes of these groups and explore issues leading to teacher absenteeism and attrition with respect to teacher management.