FHI/FABRIC will work with Positive Vibes for two years using COP 08 funding to: 1) Tap into an existing

network organization (Postive Vibes) comprised of people living with HIV and those directly affected by HIV

to ensure that services reach OVC; 2) build on the capacity of a network to integrate services and provide

quality care to both adults and children; 3) Establish links with several government line-ministries and NGOs

in the north-central regions of Namibia (e.g. Yelula-Ukhai, Catholic AIDS Action, Lifeline/Childline), that

serve the highest number of OVC; and 4) Continue to work with the Regional Psycho-Social Support

Initiative to implement several experiential-learning tools: "AIDS and Me," "Heroes' Books," "Body Mapping,"

and "Lifebooks."

Strategic Objective #1: To increase the number of OVC reached through quality community level services

Over a period of two years, Positive Vibes will provide direct services to 500 in year one and 400 in year two

orphaned and/or vulnerable children in the far northern, central and southern regions of the country who are

not yet benefiting from PEPFAR funding. Indirect services will be provided to an additional 2000 OVC

though training HIV+ parents, guardians, older siblings and other family members. Additionally, Positive

Vibes will enhance the quality of work for children and their families by other service providers, and promote

children's access to available community services. Positive Vibes with FHI/FABRIC support plans to

implement activities in Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana, Oshikoto, Karas and Khomas with its existing

partner, Yelula Ukhai. Initially implementation will be in the north central region, and during the second year

include the south). Yelula Ukhai is a project of the Alliance 2015, and forms a collaboration between IBIS

(currently including Positive Vibes), People in Need, and the AIDS Law Unit of the Legal Assistance Centre.

Thus, Positive Vibes will tap into Yelula-Ukhai's network of project partners, and compliment their work by

providing additional resources for working with vulnerable children.

The start-up phase (first quarter of year 1 only) will include baseline research, by supporting a Treatment

Literacy survey with SMA, NawaLife, The Rainbow Project, and CAA support, involving outreach questions

to adult members of PLWHA support groups around the country. FABRIC will add questions about the

needs of the members' children (HIV+ and HIV-), and also conduct three child participation focus groups

and support the recruitment and training of staff and facilitators (trainer-coaches) in the north.

Beginning in the second quarter of the project-year, the project will initially work with the children of HIV-

positive people belonging to 53 community support groups of HIV-positive people that are supported by

Positive Vibes and Yelula-Ukhai in four regions: Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Oshana, and Omusati regions;

(Two more regions: Khomas and Karas, will follow as funds permit in the second year.) All children will

participate in extended Psycho-Social Modules (8 sessions each), in which they will engage in a process of

self-reflection and learning, focusing on children's rights (legal protection), health-education (including HIV

prevention and treatment adherence), emotional development (psycho-social support), and access to

services (service coordination). All of the children in the target population have (or had) HIV+ parents,

special focus will be given to those children who are HIV+, to ensure that they have access to treatment

services. The participating children will initiate follow-up activities supported through the project that will

build on needs and priorities identified by the children during the training. These "empowerment" activities

will be designed by the children with adult support, and are meant to demonstrate meaningful action based

on the learning and confidence that the children gained through their Psycho-Social/ Learning modules.

These will have either a direct or indirect bearing on improving the quality and coordination of services

accessed by the participating children and their peers. Examples that are anticipated are drama around

child rights, a mural on HIV prevention to their school and or poetry reading on issues of concern at a

community gathering. The project will also work with childrens' parents and guardians as well as staff of

faith based and other organizations responsible for providing children with services.

Y2 of Project: The same types of activities are anticipated for the second year of funding, as well as the first

(October 2008 - May 2010). During the second year, focus will be on refresher- and advanced training.

Also, the number of new Psycho-Social modules will reduce in the second year i.e. 300 instead of 500, but

at the same time the number of "children's empowerment" follow-up activities will increase from 20 to 30

groups. At the end of the second year, a national Advocacy and Dissemination gathering (emphasizing

"lessons learned") will be conducted. Therefore, children and families will access quality, community-level

services at four levels as follows:

1. Via services provided directly by Positive Vibes -

2. Via services accessed in the community through Positive Vibes -

3. Via training of Parents and Guardians -

4. Via additional training and indirect services through by faith based organizations and other service

providers

Strategic Objective #2: To strengthen the capacity of Positive Vibes to effectively target, coordinate and

sustain programs of local level and member organizations

The project will see the scaling up of Positive Vibes' Children's Voices methods, which to date have been

piloted in two sites in the Oshikoto and Khomas regions with limited human and financial resources.

FHI/FABRIC will ensure that the methods are rolled out through all the support groups participating in the

project in their respective regions, and that Positive Vibes provides the community-based facilitators with

the necessary training, mentoring and support. The project will also strengthen Positive Vibes' capacity to

implement, monitor and evaluate the project's activities, thereby ensuring that quality of training and

facilitation is maintained, and the necessary reporting requirements are met. This is with a view to Positive

Vibes developing:

• A cadre of community-based Children's Voices facilitators, who can continue facilitating the Children's

Voices methods and the delivery of OVC services into the future.

• A team of experienced and skilled trainers who will be in a position to train more facilitators in future.

• The administrative capacity to scale up Children's Voices methods and OVC service delivery effectively

Activity Narrative: and efficiently.

• The capacity to compile and analyze the evidence needed to illustrate the process and results of the

project; evidence which could then be used to support proposals to continue the work in future.

FHI FABRIC will a) help Positive Vibes achieve long-term sustainability through direct funding with USAID

and/or other donors and b) ensure that the methodologies and lessons-learned through the project can be

continued with little or no outside support at the community-level, wherever the project has been able to

provide services.

Strategic Objective #3: To strengthen or create linkages and networks to co-ordinate OVC coverage and

ensure sharing of lessons learned

Through FHI,FABRIC support, Positive Vibes will work with Yelula-Ukhai and other organizations to expand

their involvement in these networks, as well as national networks addressing OVC issues at the national

and regional levels (e.g. through the National Permanent Task Force on OVC). The project partners will use

these networks to share experiences and learning from the project, and to advocate for improved,

community-level services for children where necessary.

Strategic Objective #4: To provide timely and reliable information and meet reporting obligations

Currently Positive Vibes is partnering with NawaLife Trust and the Social Marketing Association in a survey

that will investigate the experiences of HIV-positive people and their children's access to health care and

social services. This study is a follow up to a similar study conducted by Positive Vibes and the national

association of people living with HIV, Lironga Eparu, in 2005. The latest study, which is due to be conducted

between October 2008 and January 2009, will partner with FHI/FABRIC and include questions relevant to

the children, thus providing baseline data for the project. The study will also assist in identifying needs to be

addressed through the project. Meanwhile, Positive Vibes will conduct consultations with PLWHA support

groups and other project partners during the first three months of the project to further identify needs to be

addressed through the project, and to ensure partner buy-in to and understanding of the project.

FABRIC and Positive VIBES will contribute to the annual USG COP, compile information for timely

transmission in the semi annual and annual reports. In addition, FABRIC and Positive Vibes will attend OVC

related meetings in-country as well as COP meetings required.