This activity relates to activities in HKID (8150, 7186).

CRS, in collaboration with its partner Caritas-Rwanda, implements the "Avoiding Risk, Affirming Life" project which focuses on HIV prevention through abstinence, secondary abstinence and fidelity in marriage. CRS successfully integrates this AB prevention program into its other Track 1.0 programs for OVC and ART. These HIV prevention activities are also linked to other existing CRS programs for the promotion of good governance through their Justice and Peace Program and for nutritional support through Title II food assistance and agro-business enterprise. CRS works closely with the GOR, the Catholic Church, USG-supported groups, and established community based groups, such as Parent-Teacher Associations, to implement the below activities.

The "Avoiding Risk, Affirming Life" project began implementing activities in Rwanda in September 2005 with a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study. CRS then conducted a series of 18 focus groups in January 2006 to gather information about HIV knowledge, stigma, and first sexual encounter. Using the results of this research, CRS developed radio messages for specific target groups - in-school and out-of-school youth and married couples. In order to coordinate and integrate activities at the parish level, CRS created parish commissions which help mobilize the community and monitor activities. Parish commission members, teachers, students, priests and members of the Catholic Action Movement participated in three-day trainings on the Choose Life curriculum, developed by World Relief. In addition to the Choose Life AB curriculum, CRS developed and distributed peer education and premarital counseling materials in all 22 participating parishes. The 230 trained peer educators, teachers and priests have reached over 32,000 youth and young adults since the project began with messages promoting abstinence outside of marriage and faithfulness in marriage. Other FY 2006 activities included a two-day workshop with 90 OVC participating in HIV prevention sessions and a one-day training on child rights and sexual exploitation for 19 church leaders. In June 2006, CRS and Caritas-Rwanda conducted a workshop for 15 newspaper and radio journalists and organized song competitions in the 22 parishes to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, VCT and the fight against stigma and discrimination.

With FY 2007 funding, CRS plans to continue working closely with Caritas-Rwanda to expand activities into 2 new dioceses and 11 new parishes. CRS will train more than 800 new teachers, religious leaders, and peer educators in HIV/AIDS prevention focusing on abstinence and fidelity. Those trained will then reach more than 83,000 individuals with AB messages. These targets represent a significant increase over FY 2006 targets. In addition to providing AB messages through peer education, Radio Maria, the Catholic newspaper and youth clubs, the project will also strengthen referrals to health facilities for VCT and other HIV/AIDS services. This program addresses the key legislative issues of stigma reduction, male norms, and reducing violence. These activities support Rwanda's National Prevention Plan and Rwanda's EP five-year strategy of using religious networks and church-based mass media campaigns to address HIV/AIDS.

This activity is linked to following programs: HVAB (7157), HKID (8150, 7186).

Catholic Relief Services' "Support for OVC Affected by HIV/AIDS" project began in Rwanda in 2004. Since that time, the project has reached thousands of OVC in four target dioceses and in over 35 parishes. The project's main objectives are to ensure the provision of essential core services to OVC affected or infected by HIV/AIDS and to strengthening the family and community's ability to provide these services. CRS successfully integrates this OVC program into its Track 1.0 AB program and its Title II food assistance project. As the lead OVC partner within the CHAMP project, CRS uses the experience and lessons learned from implementing this Track 1 program to guide and improve other USG-supported OVC activities. CRS works closely with its primary partner Caritas, the GOR, and the CHAMP project to implement the below activities.

With FY 2006 funding, CRS is providing services to OVC in the following areas: education, health, agriculture/nutritional assistance, vocational training, and HIV/AIDS prevention. As of June 2006, CRS monitored and supported 55 secondary students with school fees and 4500 primary students with school materials. As well, CRS enrolled a total of 1227 OVC families (4841 individuals) in a community health-care insurance scheme known as Mutuelles de Santé. CRS conducted gardening and nutrition trainings, which included bio-intensive agriculture for 290 OVC and OVC caregivers. In addition, the program distributed 300 goats to OVC households in FY 2006. In the area of community strengthening, CRS relies on parish level committees to mobilize the community as well as to select and monitor the OVC. CRS conducted training sessions for Caritas staff on topics such as Nutrition, Child Rights, and Savings and Credit. CRS and Caritas hosted Community Mobilization and Sensitization meetings on HIV/AIDS focusing on abstinence and fidelity prevention methods in each of the parishes of the Butare Diocese reaching over 1,300 OVC.

To provide OVCs with a more comprehensive menu of services, in FY 2007 CRS will reduce the number of Track 1.0-supported beneficiaries from an estimated 5000 to 3266. CRS will maintain support to all current OVC beneficiaries under the age of 18 with EP funding through CHAMP, and no OVC will lose assistance. Community level committees will assess the individual needs of OVCs and provide them with a tailored menu of services. CRS plans to use an OVC Needs Assessment Tool currently under development by CHAMP to improve the overall provision of services and monitoring of beneficiaries. In FY 2007, CRS will use their newly developed OVC Committee Guide and the Volunteer Guide to train OVC Committee members and volunteers in mentoring, psycho-social support and child protection. CRS plans to train 340 volunteers and caregivers to support OVC. CRS will also increase efforts to appropriately link OVC with VCT services. The program will also create and train new Savings and Loan groups to improve the economic situation of OVC with a focus on girl-headed households. This program addresses key legislative issues concerning gender, women's access to income, food and stigma reduction. These activities support the National OVC Plan of Action and the Rwanda EP five-year strategy of strengthening the capacity of community and religious organizations to address the needs of vulnerable children.