UNICEF reports that the number of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS is expected to increase rapidly in Nigeria

to 1.57 million by 2010. Unfortunately the systems that currently exist to address OVC related issues are

overwhelmed. There is an acute need for trained personnel at national and local levels to provide care and

support for OVC. Furthermore, the social work pre-service training required to provide social work

graduates with adequate preparation to support OVC is scant. Therefore, assuring that social workers, or

those working in this capacity, provide quality comprehensive services to OVC will require a dual-pronged

approach; one that addresses both in-service and pre-service training, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS

and OVC.

The AIHA Twinning Center proposes a twinning partnership between a TBD Nigerian partner and a TBD US

recognized institution with experience of supporting social work training in developing countries to

strengthen the institutional capacity of Nigeria's social work institutions to equip social workers and

community workers with knowledge and skills necessary to ensure comprehensive social services to OVC

in Nigeria. This partnership aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of Nigeria's social work institutions

to equip social workers and others with knowledge and skills necessary to ensure comprehensive social

services to OVC affected by HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

It is important to note that AIHA-Twinning Center currently manages a very successful social work twinning

partnership with a focus on OVC in Tanzania; a similar partnership is in its developmental phase in Ethiopia.

AIHA will build on these experiences to ensure that a twinning social work partnership with sustainable

results is developed in Nigeria.

The Twinning Center will work with USG, GON's Ministry of Women's Affairs and other relevant

stakeholders to select the lead and local partners for this partnership. AIHA partnerships are volunteer-

based peer-to-peer programs, with an emphasis on professional exchanges, voluntary contributions, and

leveraging private sector resources in order to create sustainability. Once both partners have been

identified, Twinning Center staff will work with the partnership to organize an initial assessment exchange

and develop a partnership work plan with specific goals and objectives, a partnership communication plan,

and monitoring and evaluation plan. The partnering institutions will identify partnership coordinators who

work with Twinning Center staff to monitor the partnerships' progress and to help identify areas where

technical assistance might be required. The Twinning Center will be responsible for day-to-day project

administration including budget monitoring and logistical support and can provide training to the individual

organizations on financial administration and subgrant management.

The following objectives are proposed; the specific measurable program objectives will be developed jointly

by the partners, AIHA's Twinning Center, and USG/Nigeria, consistent with AIHA's partnership

methodology, which emphasizes a highly participatory approach to work plan development. This partnership

is aimed at improving the institutional capacity of Nigeria's Schools of Social Work to deliver pre-service

quality social work education, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS and OVC; and strengthening the

capacity of Nigeria social work institutions to provide in-service quality education to community workers and

volunteers providing services to OVC.

This partnership will address both the short-term and long-term needs of OVC. To address immediate

needs, the partnership will: 1) develop a short refresher course (approximately 1 week in duration) for

current practitioners who have not received continuing education and may not have ever received training

on the needs of OVC; and 2) develop a short-term training certification program to train para-social workers

(approximately 2 weeks in duration) who can provide direct services to children and families at the local

village level. This training for para-social workers will involve the identification and training of laypersons to

serve as "social referents" to provide an immediate response in the care of OVC. AIHA will ensure that the

selection process for trainees for each program prioritizes nominees from other USG IPs and equitably

distributes trainee slots among these other IPs, thereby directly improving the quality of OVC services being

provided in the PEPFAR program. In addition, AIHA will ensure that the training is in line with USG scale-up

plans and highlights USG geographic priority areas. These two activities will train 500 social workers and

para-social workers through in-service training.

To address the long-term needs of OVC, the partnership will also: 1) strengthen the training and mentoring

of social work students to respond to the needs of OVC through improving the curriculum and student

fieldwork experiences; and 2) expose faculty at the schools of social work to different models and delivery of

community social work training. These two activities will train 200 social work students and faculty through

pre-service strengthening of the social work curriculum and faculty training skills.

Although partners will jointly develop work plan activities, potential activities might include: 1) conducting

assessments of pre-service training curricula; 2) reviewing and updating pre-service social work curricula to

include HIV/AIDS and OVC related needs; 3) liaising with the Government of Nigeria to integrate pre-

service curricula nationwide; 4) developing OVC in-service (short-term and para-social worker) training

curricula; 5) piloting the OVC in-service training curricula; 6) conducting TOT for OVC in-service training

curricula; and 7) rolling out OVC in-service training nationwide.

CONTRIBUTION TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA:

This partnership is aimed at improving the institutional capacity of Nigeria's Schools of Social Work to

deliver pre-service quality social work education, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS and OVC and

strengthening the capacity of Nigeria social work institutions to provide in-service quality education to

community workers and volunteers providing services to OVC. In line with this goal and its objectives, in the

first year, this partnership will provide comprehensive training to ensure that 700 social workers and para-

social workers will have the capacity to provide quality OVC case management services by equipping them

with the knowledge and skills to adequately perform tasks. This target includes 500 in-service social

workers and para-social workers, and 200 social work students and faculty. This will be in line with the

Nigerian National OVC Action Plan and will ensure that mechanisms for the protection, care and support for

orphans and vulnerable children are in place and that the provision of basic services is facilitated within a

supportive environment. Basic services include education, health and nutrition, protection and social care.

Additionally, it is anticipated that each social worker or para-social worker will provide services to a

significant number of OVC thus contributing to USG five-year target of providing support and/or care to

1,750,000 in Nigeria and the overall 2-7-10 PEPFAR targets.

Activity Narrative: LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES:

This twinning program will train pre-service and in-service social workers and para-social workers to provide

quality services to OVC and their families. Therefore the partnership will work closely with the GON, the

USG, USG IPs and other stakeholders in developing training materials to ensure that the training is

comprehensive and culturally appropriate. Furthermore, AIHA and the partnership organizations will

collaborate with all USG IPs engaged in OVC activities to identify participants for the in-service training. The

partnership will engage relevant Nigerian civil society organizations, other PEPFAR implementers and

international stakeholders during the various phases of this twinning program.

TARGET POPULATION:

In-service trainees will be social workers and para-social workers (laypersons) identified by GON, USG, and

other USG IPs and who are currently providing OVC services. Students and faculty in schools of social work

will be targeted for the pre-service partnership activities.

EMPHASIS AREAS:

The objectives of this twinning program are to strengthen the capacity of in-service and pre-service social

work programs to provide quality OVC services. Through trainings, workshops and professional exchanges,

partners will work at producing training products for these different groups so as to ensure that participants

acquire adequate skills to provide quality OVC case management services.

Emphasis areas include pre-service, OVC, and retention strategies.