For the past one-and-a half years, Project HOPE has been implementing the Sustainable Strengthening of Families of Orphans and Vulnerable Children program; an economic strengthening through micro-credit activity integrated with OVC education, in the Oshana and Omusati regions of Namibia. According to a 2001 UNICEF OVC Situational Analysis, these two regions have the highest concentration of OVCs in Namibia. Since inception of the project, more than 400 women have accessed loans, successfully participated in small business and management training, and managed to secure seed funds to earn a small income for meeting basic needs of OVCs and families. With a loan repayment rate of 97% and intensive on-site supervision and support, many women have gradually expanded the scope of their loans to initiate small businesses (women often start off by obtaining loans for basic survival, and eventually move on to selling items in the local or regional market). At the beginning of 2006, Project HOPE conducted a baseline survey of 250 OVC and caretakers in both regions to identify priority needs across households responsible for care and support to OVC. The results of the survey validated the concern that most caregivers cannot afford to access basic health services, food/nutrition, or maintain OVC in school. Caregivers lack resources to obtain birth and death certificates and become ineligible to receive government social welfare grants that require such essential documentation. One important finding from the baseline survey was the surprisingly high age of many OVC caretakers, with 54% of them 60 years of age or older.

As a result of this baseline, Project HOPE proposes to expand provision of economic strengthening opportunities to the most vulnerable of OVC caretakers, namely OVC heads of households and elderly OVC caretakers. The current Village Health Fund (VHF) approach that provides small-scale loans to groups of women to start or expand their income generation activities has about 10% of existing loan recipients that are aged 60 or above. While continued expansion of the VHF approach will reach additional elderly OVC caretakers, many more are not taking advantage of the opportunity and require additional adaptations in the approach and greater assistance. Therefore, a more concentrated and targeted effort to reach these elderly OVC caretakers and OVC heads of households is needed.

Through this new expansion, Project HOPE will increase coverage in FY07 to reach an estimated 300 additional elderly OVC caretakers (60 years and older) and/or OVC heads of households with economic strengthening opportunities to generate improved incomes and financial resources.

The project will begin by utilizing the existing network of VHF participants and the 60 community volunteers across 20 villages to assist in identification of the elderly OVC caretakers in their area as well as any OVC heads of households. Other partners such as the Ministry of Gender, Equality, and Child Welfare, and organizations such as CAA, EASA, TKMOAMS, RACOC, LL/CL, Yelula will help identify potential participants. Thereafter, the project will solicit input from potential participants to inform the specific elements of the project activities. Seed capital will be provided to participants in the forms of lease to own and or start up loans. At the same time, Project HOPE will commission one business opportunities assessment of both Oshana and Omusati regions to identify potential economic activities, with an emphasis upon those that are low labor intensive at the beginning of the project. We envision a continuum of activities and services with the participants that range from initial targeting, soliciting interest, organization into small peer groups, needs assessments of participants, assisting the participants with feasibility assessments of their business ideas appropriate for them, skills building and training, enterprise formation, capitalization, support and mentoring, to independence and economic improvement.

All caregivers and OVC who access the program will be provided with bi-weekly education sessions focusing on critical OVC care and support and the business skills necessary for small-scale enterprises (an estimated 360 sessions). The OVC Family Curricula currently used by Project HOPE addresses issues such as obtaining psychosocial support, handling stigma and discrimination, achieving better health through better nutrition, and dealing with the ramifications of HIV/AIDS in the community. Furthermore, the educational support component will focus upon referrals and linkages with other partner organizations that can provide access to resources or services needed such as: food security, vocational training, medical services, alternative technologies, marketing boards, cooperatives, and others. For the OVC heads of households, we aim to create mentoring relationships with

successful adults to provide guidance and opportunities for workplace apprenticeship. H. L. Furniture of Oshakati and Okamukuku Tyres & Motor Spares have already expressed their willingness to provide such apprenticeships.

Weekend health fairs will also complement the educational sessions. These fairs involve the participation of children and are entertaining events that highlight issues of importance to the community, enable access to varied types of services such as medical checkups, vaccinations, growth monitoring and child development, nutrition, counseling, plus others, and provide educational sessions that incorporate guest speakers to facilitate specialized topics or skills of importance.

Project HOPE maintains detailed information systems that identify OVC caretakers and OVC by name and tracks the services they receive. We will make every effort to avoid double counting when partnering with other PEPFAR awardees. These information systems and existing tools further document both baseline and follow-up collection of socio-economic indicators that represent changes in economic status.

Elderly OVC caretakers or OVC heads of households who participate in these activities, will gain the knowledge, capacity, and opportunity to generate increased income. Furthermore, they will have greater access to local services of all types including child welfare grants, food parcels, or funds for income generation activities available through the Ministry of Gender, Equality, and Child Welfare, Yelula, and AED.