Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 12440
Country/Region: Namibia
Year: 2010
Main Partner: LifeLine International
Main Partner Program: Childline Proposed Voluntary Counseling and Testing
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $300,000

This is a new implementing mechanism.

Addressing gender norms is a key guiding principle of the Partnership Framework and the GRN's National Strategic Framework. Prevention programs have not been sufficiently gender specific; and haven't adequately targeted the key drivers of the epidemic among men and women.

This implementing mechanism builds on several years of technical assistance through the male norms initiative to a Namibian organization, and transition technical leadership from an international NGO to a Namibian partner sustaining progress to date and establishing cost efficiencies for the USG. This new implementing mechanism (Lifeline) was the sub-recipient under the EngenderHealth award and now in COP2010 has graduated to a prime. The program has three goals and objectives: (1) to work with partners to address gender norms that contribute to multiple concurrent partnerships, transactional sex and, intergenerational sex, (2) to work with partners to address harmful gender norms among most at risk populations, and (3) to work with partners to address harmful gender norms in the regions that have the highest HIV prevalence.

The recipient, through USG and non-USG supported programs reaching subpopulations, will target young adults aged 15 to 29, men in workplace settings, especially those related to the mining and fishing industries, and migrant populations. This is primarily a technical assistance activity to local organizations.

In support of broader transition and systems strengthening the Namibian organization will strengthen relationships with the MOHSS and Ministry of Gender to better address gender norms within the context of HIV and AIDS. A core component of activities will be to support local organizations strengthen their approaches to the integration of male norms in their work that contribute to the HIV epidemic.

Monitoring and evaluation plans will be developed based on previous technical assistance work.

Sustainability will be achieved through ensuring that capacity to implement gender programming is integrated into the programmatic activities of each selected organization and by strengthening GRN and civil society capacity in program design, implementation, training and monitoring and evaluation through supportive supervision and mentoring.

Graduating a Namibian partner to receive direct PEPFAR funding will sustain in-country capacity and achieve cost efficiencies for the USG.

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Other Sexual Prevention (HVOP): $300,000

This is a new activity but a follow-on from COP09.

Addressing gender norms is a key guiding principle of the Partnership Framework and the GRN's National Strategic Framework. Prevention programs have not been sufficiently gender specific; and haven't adequately targeted the key drivers of the epidemic among men and women.

PEPFAR will graduate a Namibian organization, previously a sub grantee engaged with the USG male norms initiative for several years, to provide technical leadership and implementation to build on previous work under the male norms initiative. This activity has three main components: (1) to work with partners to address gender norms that contribute to multiple concurrent partnerships, transactional sex and, intergenerational sex; (2) to work with partners to address harmful gender norms among most at risk populations, and (3) to work with partners to address harmful gender norms in the regions that have the highest HIV prevalence.

1. Work with partners to address gender norms that contribute to multiple concurrent partnerships, and transactional and intergenerational sex. Utilizing the capacity gained from several years as a sub partner under the male norms initiative, the recipient will incorporate gender messages and activities into their programmatic strategies to reduce the key drivers of the HIV epidemic in Namibia. The recipient will develop specific technical assistance plans for local partners and the GRN to help them integrate gender activities into their programmatic activities. A key activity under this objective will be to raise awareness at the national level around how gender issues are contributing to the key drivers of the epidemic in Namibia. A critical partner at this level will be the MoHSS who has expressed interest in building on the national conference on Men and HIV and AIDS that was held in 2008. The MoHSS would take the advocacy effort to the regional level and work with key stakeholders on male engagement in HIV prevention, care and support. National level efforts will also be supported by the Ambassadors project, which was initiated in 2009, that identified leaders in Namibia and supported them to be champions in their communities and in their peer groups around gender issues and HIV.

2. Work with partners to address harmful gender norms among at risk populations. In a recent report, specific populations were considered most at risk in Namibia of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This included men in workplaces, and young men and women aged 15-24. The recipient will specifically implement activities within workplaces and with partners who are able to reach young men and women such as within universities to implement HIV prevention activities with a gender perspective. These activities will help partners reach individuals to understand how harmful gender norms put them at risk of HIV and AIDS and help them assess their risk for HIV and AIDS.

3. Work with partners to address harmful gender norms in regions/areas that have the highest HIV prevalence. According to the latest report on the HIV and AIDS epidemic, the regions and areas that have the highest HIV prevalence are those in the north and in Walvis Bay. The recipient will work with organizations that have a strong presence in the North and in Walvis Bay on integrating gender programming into their current HIV and AIDS programming, and to specifically reach populations that are most at risk in this region. The recipient will continue to build on the successful work that was done in 2009 with voluntary, counseling and testing centers in the North, and on implementing demand creation strategies to increase HIV testing among men. Based on the work done in 2009 with religious and traditional leaders previously by EngenderHealth and Lifeline/Childline, the recipient will partner with religious and traditional leaders in the North who are especially influential in their communities.

Ongoing supervision and monitoring will be provided in a variety of ways: through joint program design, implementation, and training; in-country field visits and discussions on ways to address challenges, and; feedback through email and phone discussions.

Sustainability will be achieved through ensuring that capacity to implement gender programming is integrated into the programmatic activities of each selected organization and by strengthening GRN and civil society capacity in program design, implementation, training and monitoring and evaluation through supportive supervision and mentoring.

Graduating a Namibian partner to receive direct PEPFAR funding will sustain in-country capacity and achieve cost efficiencies for the USG.

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $300,000
Gender: Gender Based Violence (GBV) $300,000
Key Issues Identified in Mechanism
Addressing male norms and behaviors
Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS activities and services