The goal of the USG Public Affairs Section (PAS) small grants program is to support small-scale, community based prevention efforts, as well as increase the capability of the media in covering, raising awareness, and educating the Mozambican population on prevention activities, as well as moving towards "Mozambicanization" of the response to HIV. The projects aim at promoting a comprehensive HIV prevention programs focusing on Sexual Prevention and Health Systems Strengthening. Prevention programs will also address issues related to multiple concurrent partnerships, tradition and cultural norms that support or hinder HIV prevention. Target groups will be young boys and girls in or out of school, adult men and women. Peace Corps grantees will play an important role in implementing programs with young boys and girls in and out of school. They have managed successful HIV awareness and life skills programs for young girls and boys, which had a positive impact on their lives and communities. Peace Corps Volunteers are often well-integrated into communities that are difficult for traditional programs to reach, and understand local needs in a way that allows them to propose projects that have lasting impact and a high likelihood of community ownership. The JOMA and REDES, FUEMO and English Club PCV programs integrates gender issues, by increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS activities and services, addressing male norms and behaviors and gender based violence and coercion and empowering young girls and boys through HIV training sessions and life skills. In line with the Partnership Framework, the project intends to support local civil society organizations to reach sustainability through staff training and institutional capacity building.

This activity focus on reducing vulnerability of young girls and boys, between the ages of 10 -18, who are living in areas of high HIV prevalence and are vulnerable to the diseases and its socioeconomic effects. Community-based activities focus on keeping youth in school and improving education and social networks by: 1) creating youth friendly and HIV/AIDS and gender-sensitive classrooms; 2) Strengthening community-school relationships and partnering with out-of-school programming; and 3) implementing vocational and life-skill trainings.

Programs will have a special focus on supporting young girls at risk of sexual exploitation by empowering them and strengthening their social networks, educational opportunities, and economic assets through Income-generating activities and skills training.

Programming recognizes the valuable role of parents, teachers, and mentors and promotes activities that strengthening of the family/household and school environment. As well as, contribute to the continuum of response by promoting health and well-being outcomes through family-friendly programs.

Interventions include the following programs:

Access to education, enrollment in school and facilitation for retention;

Age-appropriate education about womens health and sexually transmitted diseases, with a primary focus on HIV/AIDS;

Creation of safe, youth-friendly spaces;

Creation of HIV/AIDS and gender-sensitive classrooms;

In and out of school peer support groups;

Ensure completion of primary and secondary school (especially for girls) ;

Access to higher education through scholarship opportunities for low-income households(especially for girls);

Protection for young girls from harmful labor/trafficking;

Access to vocational and education training opportunities that result in sustainable livelihoods;

Mentorship programs

Money management programs

Training-of-trainer workshops for teachers, peer educators, and community activists

This activity addresses the system barrier of a weak civil society and media institutions which contributes to weak participation in the health system. Media associations and individual journalists will be strengthened to

play a leading role in the HIV response - as reporters and advocates - thus

strengthening the health system. National and community-based media are well-placed

to publicize relevant HIV activities and ensure that the voices of PLHIV and those

affected by HIV are heard, including addressing issues of stigma, constructive

engagement of men to revisit the influence of accepted gender roles in HIV infection,

and locally-identified barriers to effective communication around HIV. The focus will be on the following types of program, partners and activities: -Local civil society organizations in all provinces of Mozambique: (CSOs, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs)

Training of activists, community leaders, religious leaders in HIV/AIDS prevention strategies- increasing support to local community based organization to develop and manage effective HIV prevention program.

-PCVs leaded programs (JOMA, REDES)

Intensive training of Mozambican secondary school teachers and REDES/JOMA facilitators in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention, gender and health- to allow continuing PCVs leaded projects to have lasting impact by increasing community ownership.

-Community Radios and Media Institutions

Training of journalists and media professional strengthening their leading role as reporters and advocates- increasing the capability of the media in covering, raising awareness, and educating the Mozambican population on prevention activities.

-Exchanges programs between Mozambique and the U.S. (e.g. providing U.S.-based training for select journalists who have a demonstrated track record in effective HIV coverage) Embedding of U.S. experts into Mozambican media associations and institutions -Expanding opportunities for quality training and providing capacity-building assistance and related support to Mozambican media professionals in the are of HIV/AIDS .

Programs target youth aged 15- 35, young men and women, girls at risk of sexual exploitation, and youth associations.Activities focus on working with already-existing institutions, (schools, churches,

community leaders), to reduce multiple concurrent partners, cross-generational and

transactional sex. The target groups are equipped with the understanding, skills and

motivation to recognize and avoid high risk behaviors that make them vulnerable to

HIV infection. All messages are monitored for appropriateness and are reviewed and approved by CNCS, the National AIDS council. Programs integrates gender issues, by increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS activities and services, addressing male norms and behaviors and gender based violence and coercion and empowering young girls and boys through HIV training sessions and life skills. All activities encourage linkages with counseling and testing facilities, as well as promotion of increased economic and educational endeavors. In many cases, partners are integrating HIV prevention with populations with whom they already have a

relationship - farmer associations, churches, associations of professors and educators.

Other activities are focused on HIV educations and activism; organization of Girls/Boys Clubs;

community workshops on HIV prevention; distribution of visual training products : posters, comics, T-shirts, and HIV training kits; training of people living with HIV on prevention plus methods to address the issue at

schools, private companies and in the community; organization of World AIDS Day

events and publicity; testing and counseling campaigns; round tables on HIV; participative meetings with community and religious leaders, traditional healers for exchanges on HIV prevention; recreational and sports events with HIV messages; workshops on HIV prevention; musical contests on themes about HIV

prevention.

Small grants enable organizations to use innovative approaches to engage the harder

to reach populations and strengthen links to other preventive activities. The capacity of

local organizations will be strengthened to develop and implement programs will particularly focus on high-risk populations and provide HIV prevention messages and skills tailored to high-risk lifestyle targeting

vulnerable boys and girls, primarily over 15 years old, alchol users, at risk groups, mobile population, persons who exchange sex for money and persons with concurrent sex partners. Local partners will be supported in community outreach and interpersonal communication interventions, e.g. discussion groups and peer education, are engaging and effective. Activities include training sessions on HIV transmission and prevention for HIV activists; equipping PLHIV and those close to them to facilitate community members who come from groups at high-risk to develop their own personal prevention action plans; improving the economic welfare and vulnerable status of selected vulnberable groups and sex workers by educating them on STIs and HIVprevention menthods, conducting tarings and debates, and promoting correct and consistent condom use by PLHIV, on ART and prophylaxis. Programs will aslo include activities that address male norms and behaviors and gender based violence and coercion.