This is a continuing activity from FY 2007.

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. The primary target groups are secondary school students, out of school youth, teachers,

partners, religious leaders and PLHIV. The objectives of the activities are that young people will reduce their

HIV risk by practicing AB; and that unhealthy sexual behaviors such as cross generational sex and sexual

exploitation are reduced. CRS successfully integrates this AB prevention program into its other Track 1.0

programs for OVC and ART. CRS works closely with the GOR, the Catholic Church, EP-supported groups,

and established community based groups such as Parent-Teacher Associations to implement 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 has developed

and distributed peer education and premarital counseling materials in all 33 participating parishes. CRS

currently has trained over 680 peer educators, teachers and priests who have reached over 68,650 youth

and young adults since the project began with messages promoting abstinence outside of marriage and

faithfulness in marriage. Major activities implemented so far include training of trainers in BCC; sensitization

of 17 print and radio journalists to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination; workshops with

OVC on child rights and sexual exploitation and community awareness sessions.

With FY 2007 funding, CRS continued to work with Caritas-Rwanda to implement project activities with an

increased emphasis on life skills training instead of large scale community mobilization events. This strategy

is to increase the impact of AB messages on behavior change. More than 1,348 new teachers, religious

leaders, and peer educators were trained in HIV/AIDS prevention focusing on AB, who in turn reached more

than 57,870 individuals with AB messages. In addition to providing AB messages through peer education,

youth clubs and local Catholic Church structures, the project also worked to strengthen referrals to health

facilities for TC and other HIV/AIDS services.

With FY 2008 funds, CRS will continue implementing the above mentioned activities- using the Choose Life

and Faithful House manuals; training volunteers in the rights of children, especially fighting sexual

exploitation; supporting at the parish level, efforts on improving reproductive health and promoting family

planning and mobilizing the community to practice AB. As FY 2008 is the last full year of funding for CRS

ABY Track 1 activities, a final evaluation of the project will be carried out and results to inform future

programming.

This is a continuing activity from FY 2007.

CRS's "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 in over 35 parishes. The project's main

objectives are to ensure the provision of essential core services to OVC infected or affected by HIV 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 activity to

guide and improve other EP-supported OVC activities. CRS works closely with its primary partner Caritas,

the GOR, and CHAMP to implement its activities.

With FY 2007 funding, CRS is providing services to OVC in the following areas: education, health,

agriculture/nutritional assistance, vocational training, and HIV prevention. As of June 2007, CRS monitored

and supported 346 secondary students with school fees and scholastic materials and 2,771 primary

students with school materials. CRS has also enrolled a total of 2,811 OVC in health insurance (Mutuelles

de Santé). They have conducted gardening and nutrition trainings, which included bio-intensive agriculture

for 2,228 OVC and their caregivers. 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& credit.

In FY 2008, CRS-through community level committees- will assess the individual needs of 2,198 OVCs and

provide them with a tailored menu of services. These include support for formal education; vocational

training including start-up kits; health insurance; HIV prevention & referrals to TC; linkages with ART

services; nutrition support; economic strengthening; psychosocial support and protection. The OVC

program will wrap around the PMI, the Ambassador's Girls Education Program and child survival programs.

Recognizing that girls tend to be more vulnerable than boys, CRS will continue to provide gender and age

specific services to OVC.

CRS will use the Child Status Index and an OVC needs assessment tool developed by CHAMP to monitor

and improve the overall provision of services to the beneficiaries. As part of its exit strategy for this is the

last year of funding for Track 1.0, CRS will conduct refresher-training sessions targeting community

volunteers in child mentoring, Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) methodology, nutrition &

gardening, child rights, psychosocial support, and HIV prevention including Choose Life.

CRS will also conduct refresher training for OVC committee members in parishes and sub-parishes on their

roles and responsibilities in community-based child care and support including advocacy. The program will

build linkages between Caritas dioceses, community services and health centers for providing a continuum

of care for HIV infected OVC. It will link SILC groups to formal microfinance institutions and organize

handover of OVC activities to Caritas, local administration and CBOs or other OVC support projects.

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 faith-based organizations to address the needs of

vulnerable children.