COP 2010 Overview Narrative

The State Department Public Diplomacy, Fulbright, and Ambassador's Self Help Program PEPFAR activities are continuing activities from COP09.

The State Department Public Diplomacy PEPFAR activities are primarily focused on Namibian youth, using grants to various cultural, civil society, and educational groups in Namibia to create and support programming that focuses on the following areas: prevention, reduction of stigma and discrimination, and prevention outreach to youth. In addition, the USG develops programs focused on sending Namibian HIV/AIDS professionals to the US for training and training local media to improve reporting on Namibian trends in the epidemic.

The Fulbright PEPFAR Fellowship will fund the study of Namibian scholars in the fields of public health, medical technology, epidemiology, behavior change, public administration, business administration, nutrition, palliative care, counseling, and others under the Junior Staff Development Program. By selecting outstanding Namibian graduates to pursue master's degrees under the Fulbright Junior Staff Development Program, PEPFAR will greatly contribute to the human capacity development of the nation and its ability to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These scholars will fill key positions in government ministries and NGOs, to directly carry out the fight against HIV/AIDS, or in academia, to train Namibia's students to carry on the fight.

The Ambassador's HIV/AIDS Self-Help Program will directly reach an average of 100 community members per project through community-based initiatives that: 1) provide care and support for individuals who are infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS, and 2) help prevent further spread of the disease.

Efforts to leverage resources from other PEPFAR programs (PeaceCorps and State) and an emphasis on building capacity of youth directly contribute to cost savings and sustainability in line with the Partnership Framework. PAO and Self Help have worked with the USG SI team to select appropriate indicators and targets for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

The Ambassador's HIV/AIDS Self-Help Program will directly reach an average of 100 community members per project through 15 to 20 community-based initiatives that are supported through small grants.

These initiatives aim to:

1) provide care and support for adults and children who are infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS, and

2) prevent further spread of the disease.

Continuing Activity

Estimated Budget = $63,100

ADDITIONAL DETAIL:

Specifically, the program will:

1) facilitate peer education and awareness-raising through individual, small group and community-level interventions that reduce stigma and discrimination, and that promote sexual and other behavioral risk prevention; and

2) reduce HIV infection rates among vulnerable populations, as well as encourage risk prevention behaviors among PLHIV, through vocational skills training that increases access to income and productive resources for these target groups, and through small group interventions that explicitly address gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS-related coercion.

This funding will directly contribute to:

Developing project guidelines, promotional materials, applications, and other documents;

Soliciting and accepting applications, qualifying projects, and dispersing funds; and

Monitoring and evaluating projects.

The Ambassador's HIV/AIDS Self-Help Program will directly reach an average of 100 community members per project through 15 to 20 community-based initiatives that are supported through small grants.

These initiatives aim to:

1) provide care and support for adults and children who are infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS, and

2) prevent further spread of the disease.

Continuing Activity

Estimated Budget = $83,100

ADDITIONAL DETAIL:

Specifically, the program will:

1) provide critical support to OVC, including assistance with food, clothing and school supplies; and

2) equip PLHIV and OVC caregivers with income-generating skills that foster sustainable livelihoods.

This funding will directly contribute to:

Developing project guidelines, promotional materials, applications, and other documents;

Soliciting and accepting applications, qualifying projects, and dispersing funds; and

Monitoring and evaluating projects.

The State Department Public Diplomacy PEPFAR activities have historically focused on engaging Namibian youth to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. This focus will be maintained in COP11, with an additional emphasis on mobilizing private sector and civil society engagement in the HIV/AIDS response. PD programs will support cultural, civil society, and educational groups to address issues of HIV prevention and the reduction of stigma and discrimination among young people. In addition, PD will support US-Namibian exchange programs and training for local media to improve reporting on health and HIV/AIDS.

Due to staff-turnover in the PD office, specific activities for these funds are TBD, but will be selected from the following list:

1) the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP);

2) Training for health beat journalists;

3) The Performing Arts Outreach program;

4) Base FM Radio debate program;

5) US Speaker Program;

6)Visual Arts Outreach grants;

7) The Committed Artists of Namibia (CAN)

8) Camp Glow;

9) The Diversity Tour;

10)The Book Donation for Libraries and Schools;

11)HIV/AIDS publicity materials and equipment;

12) support for an assistant in the Embassy's Office of Public Affairs;

13) support for new grants. Efforts to leverage resources from other PEPFAR programs (Peace Corps and State) and the private sector will be emphasized in COP11.

Continuing Activity

Estimated Budget = $222,700

ADDITIONAL DETAIL:

1) The following menu of program options will be considered for funding in COP11. Given recent turnover in the public affairs section, specific program decisions have not yet been made. However, this list represents a comprehensive collection of the kinds of projects the Public Affairs Section will support in COP11 with PEPFAR funds. As noted above, the PD theme for COP11 will be "mobilizing the private sector and civil society" to contribute to the national HIV/AIDS response.

a. The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) trains leaders in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment through the State Department's IVLP short-term professional exchange program. The IVLP is a three week international exchange program which aims to expose Namibians in key areas of the HIV/AIDS community to clinical and outreach activities in the United States. In addition, they meet a variety of U.S. professionals and volunteers in field of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment. If funded in COP11, PD will seek to select exchange candidates from the private sector, especially those with an interest in public-private partnerships, charities, foundation management, and innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., tax set-asides or sovereign wealth plans).

b. Training for Namibian health reporters. If funded in COP11, this project would focus on increasing and improving media coverage of private sector involvement in the national HIV/AIDS response. Activities could include a two week training and supervised reporting trip with an expert health reporter.

c. The Performing Arts Outreach program provided grants to fund the Living Positive tour with Vocal Motion 6 (VM6) and Herlyn Uiras in 2007, 2008, and 2009. If funded in COP11, private sector partners will be sought to provide mentoring and/or financial cost sharing support.

d. The successful Base FM Radio debate program reaches Namibian youth who are vulnerable and at risk in Windhoek, particularly in the Katutura neighborhoods. USG is discussing ways in which the program might be programmed via Base FM on stations outside of Windhoek. If funded in COP11, USG would also investigate whether the program may be syndicated or rebroadcast to reach a national audience.

e. The USG funds speakers from the United States with HIV/AIDS expertise via the US Speaker Program. USG has leveraged funds from the wraparound program, often supplementing the IIP speakers that the Department of State supports. Speakers from the US provide a key opportunity to offer prevention and anti-stigma message to Namibians while sharing the US experience of the epidemic. If funded in COP11, PD will seek speakers with experience in public-private partnerships, the role of civil society and the commercial private sector in the US HIV/AIDS response, and the management of private donations.

f. USG provides Visual Arts Outreach grants to JMAC Art Murals, who support outreach by local artists who assist selected young artists to produce HIV/AIDS mural paintings at schools, community centers, and hospitals in 2007 and 2008. If funded, private sector matching funds will be solicited.

g. The Committed Artists of Namibia (CAN) supports Namibian students to write and produce original plays with HIV/AIDS themes. If funded in COP11, private sector and civil society mentors will be sought to provide counseling, support and innovative ideas to the students.

h. Camp Glow is an activity that has been carried out in partnership with the Peace Corps. The Camp is designed to empower young people to overcome the obstacles that inhibit their ability to excel as individuals and leaders in their communities. Run by Peace Corps Volunteers, the project seeks to identify personal strengths and values, the health impact of HIV/AIDS, good decision making, and educational and career opportunity exposure. This is a training ground both for campers and facilitators. If funded in COP11, PD will seek to engage private sector mentors to serve as Camp Counselors.

i. The Diversity Tour is collaborative project with Peace Corps Volunteers to awareness about HIV/AIDS among Namibian youth. If funded in COP11, the Diversity Tour would work with private sector and civil society partners to raise awareness about private sector contributions to the HIV/AIDS response.

j. The Book Donation for Libraries and Schools has provided resource books on HIV/AIDS to libraries around Namibia in past COP years.

k. USG supports the provision of HIV/AIDS publicity materials and equipment such as press material, advertising, outreach, among others to the general public.

l. A portion of the PAO's funding may support an assistant in the Embassy's Office of Public Affairs to work on PEPFAR-related activities, grants and materials.

m. A portion of the PAO's funding may support new grants to explore new creative, innovative and informative activities which target youth.

The Ambassador's HIV/AIDS Self-Help Program will directly reach an average of 100 community members per project through 15 to 20 community-based initiatives that are supported through small grants.

These initiatives aim to:

1) provide care and support for adults and children who are infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS, and

2) prevent further spread of the disease.

Continuing Activity

Estimated Budget = $40,000

ADDITIONAL DETAIL:

Specifically, the program will:

1) facilitate peer education and awareness-raising through individual, small group and community-level interventions that reduce stigma and discrimination, and that promote sexual and other behavioral risk prevention; and

2) reduce HIV infection rates among vulnerable populations, as well as encourage risk prevention behaviors among PLHIV, through vocational skills training that increases access to income and productive resources for these target groups, and through small group interventions that explicitly address gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS-related coercion.

This funding will directly contribute to:

Developing project guidelines, promotional materials, applications, and other documents;

Soliciting and accepting applications, qualifying projects, and dispersing funds; and

Monitoring and evaluating projects.