INTEGRATED ACTIVITY FLAG:

This activity also relates to Peace Corps Volunteers' activities in Basic Health Care and Support (#7501), OVC (#7502), CT (#7504) and Staffing and Management (#7506).

SUMMARY:

Peace Corps Volunteers will be trained and work with local organizations (non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and peer educator groups), schools and communities to deliver Abstinence/Be Faithful (AB) messages primarily through life skills and peer education activities, youth-focused events and community events organized by youth groups. Activities in this program area will be targeted primarily at young people -- in- and out-of-school -- to enhance their abilities to adopt health-seeking behaviors and to make informed choices about their bodies and their lives. Additional emphasis will be placed on addressing gender norms and expectations. Other populations targeted by the activities include community leaders, volunteers, teachers and CBOs. Training comprises the major emphasis area for these activities, with community mobilization/participation as a minor emphasis area.

BACKGROUND:

The proposed activities build on the accomplishments of Peace Corps Volunteers already in the field in FY 2005 and FY 2006.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

ACTIVITY 1:

In FY 2007, Peace Corps Volunteers (key legislative issue) and their community counterparts will be trained to effectively use Peace Corps' Life Skills Manual (an internationally recognized best practice model) and other peer education materials.

ACTIVITY 2:

Thirty-seven Peace Corps Volunteers, 10 of whom are PEPFAR-funded, will receive in-depth monitoring and evaluation training to support the development and use of appropriate monitoring, reporting and evaluation tools and processes with their host agencies. This training will take place in the context of the AB prevention training, and will find application across all program areas.

ACTIVITY 3:

Peace Corps Volunteers and their community counterparts will deliver life skills sessions in schools, with peer educators and through other events and activities. The peer education and life skills activities will focus on building skills in communication, decision-making, thinking, managing emotions, assertiveness, self-esteem building, resisting peer pressure and building relationships. Supportive adults and university students, other "champions" and participants will also learn about HIV and AIDS, and how they can protect themselves from infection, with a focus on age-appropriate abstinence messages. Male norms and behaviors (key legislative issue), reducing violence and coercion (key legislative issue) and stigma/discrimination (key legislative issue) are directly addressed in the life skills training program. Peer educators, participants and activity leaders will be drawn from out-of-school youth and secondary school youth, while educators in selected schools and other community leaders will be trained and supported as "champions" for post-camp follow-up activities. Life skills groups, events and other activities will be conducted in the KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga provinces.

In FY 2007, it is anticipated that both Peace Corps Volunteers and community members will be trained in AB prevention methods, resulting in an expansion of the numbers of people reached in FY 2007 and the same numbers should be reached in FY 2008. Young people will be targeted to participate in long-term life skills and peer education programs, and community members will be given AB prevention messages. Peace Corps Volunteers work with community counterparts to ensure that, on completion of their service,

initiatives catalyzed by Peace Corps Volunteers are able to continue with community support.

During the FY 2006 Semi-Annual Reporting process, Peace Corps reported that 123 people received training to promote AB prevention and 712 young people were engaged in AB community outreach activities.

The work of Peace Corps contributes to the US Mission's country strategy by being closely aligned to the South African government strategies in each of the provinces in which they work, and by strengthening the ability of indigenous organizations and small-scale initiatives to contribute to the 2-7-10 goals, in, in particular, rural under-resourced areas. Peace Corps' focus on age-appropriate AB prevention messages complements the SAG's priorities and the integration of the Life Orientation component of the Department of Education's Revised National Curriculum Statement.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY FLAG:

This activity relates to U.S. Peace Corps activities in AB (#7503), OVC (#7502) and CT (#7504). This partner may benefit from the Partnership for Supply Chain Management ARV Drugs activity (#7935), which will explore current pain and symptom management practices, drug availability and cost, and provide recommendations.

SUMMARY:

PEPFAR funding will be utilized to strengthen the organizational and human capacity of indigenous organizations that provide palliative and home-based care services in the North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The major emphasis area for these activities is local organization capacity development, with strategic information and quality assurance/supportive supervision as minor emphasis areas. HIV-affected families and their caregivers, community leaders and program managers, HBC workers and CBOs and NGOs comprise the target populations for the Volunteers' work.

Funds requested in FY 2007 will cover the recruitment, training and in-country support costs incurred by PEPFAR-funded Volunteers who entered the program in FY 2005 through FY 2006 and those who will be recruited and trained in FY 2007.

BACKGROUND:

The proposed activities in care and support will build on the accomplishments of Volunteers already in the field since 2005. The PEPFAR-funded Volunteers that will be placed in the project in FY 2007 will be recruited and trained in FY 2007 and will continue their work into FY 2008-2009.

Peace Corps placed 3 PEPFAR-funded Volunteers using FY 2005 funds and an additional 4 PEPFAR-funded Volunteers using FY 2006 funds, in indigenous CBOs and NGOs.

Through the addition of additional PEPFAR-funded Volunteers, financial and technical support in FY07, it is anticipated that new service outlets will be supported, and the work at existing partners will be further developed and consolidated. In the FY 2006 PEPFAR Semi-Annual Report, Peace Corps reported that Volunteers supported 148 care outlets, and provided specific training to 82 caregivers. As a result of this effort, over 34,000 people were able to access home and community-based care.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

The activities below include the activities of both PEPAR-funded and Volunteers who are funded through other sources, and work more than 50% of their time on HIV and AIDS issues. Non-PEPFAR-funded Volunteers apply the lessons learned through PEFPAR-supported activities, in particular, monitoring and evaluation training, to their work with HIV and AIDS focused non-governmental and community-based organizations that are supporting or providing palliative and home and community-based care services.

ACTIVITY 1: Support to the provision of care

Based on the needs of each organization that Peace Corps supports, Peace Corps Volunteers (key legislative issue) will work with their host agency to support nationally accredited training for community home-based care givers; provide for follow-up and the professional development of care-givers and NGO leaders; support joint planning and activity reviews between NGOs, CBOs, local government and district health authorities; support the recruitment and retention of committed volunteer caregivers; develop and test manuals and materials for the use of community caregivers, including those that incorporate the needs of women and OVC as a specific beneficiary group; and develop focused financial and patient tracking systems, as well as referral and program development mechanisms. Volunteers will provide ongoing technical support to enable these organizations and related community initiatives to have the necessary organizational, human and programmatic capacity to reach their stated goals, and to measure their progress against these. Examples of holistic care services provided by organizations that Peace Corps will support include: from counseling and testing, stigma

reduction, ART and adherence, adherence, counseling and support to the individual and family, end of life care, referral to other organizations and continuous education and support thereafter to all concerned. The palliative care organizations will work with other facility-based health providers to ensure that HIV-infected adults and children in all facility settings are either provided or referred (with follow-up) for evidence-based preventive care interventions which include the following: OI screening and prophylaxis (including cotrimoxazole, TB screening/management), counseling and testing for clients and family members, safe water and personal hygiene strategies to reduce diarrheal disease, HIV prevention counseling, provision of condoms, referral for family planning services for HIV-infected women, appropriate child survival interventions for HIV-infected children and nutrition counseling, clinical measurement, nutrition monitoring and targeted support based on WHO criteria for severely malnourished PLHIV. The package of services provided may include basic pain and symptom management and support for adherence to OI medications (including cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and TB treatment) and antiretroviral therapy (ART). Community and home-based psychological support, stigma reduction strategies and adherence support for OI medications and ART will be provided by therapeutic counselors who are trained PLHIV, employed by the hospital that visit the patients and their families in the community. Attention will be given to increasing the gender equity (key legislative area) in the HIV and AIDS programs, increasing male involvement (key legislative area) in the program, addressing stigma and discrimination, and partnerships with local NGOs, FBOs and CBOs.

As the South African Government extends the implementation of its treatment program, Peace Corps Volunteers and the community caregivers will play an important role in supporting treatment compliance, referrals and wellness programs.

ACTIVITY 2: Technical Assistance

In addition to the in-depth, on-going capacity development described above, Peace Corps will provide financial and technical support to additional community groups. Peace Corps Volunteers will collaborate with these groups in order to strengthen the groups' abilities to delivery consistent, comprehensive and high quality services to people living with HIV and AIDS. By supporting the skills development of community and home-based care groups, and by supporting the development of appropriate referral systems, people living in rural areas will have increased access to quality and professional care.

The work of Peace Corps contributes to the US Mission's country strategy by being closely aligned to the South African Government strategies in each of the provinces in which they work, and by strengthening the ability of partner organizations to contribute to the 2-7-10 goals by increasing the capacity of local to deliver care and support activities.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY FLAG: In addition to OVC, Peace Corps Volunteers work in projects to develop indigenous organizational and human capacity in the following program areas: Basic Health Care and Support (#7501), AB (#7503) and CT (#7504). Peace Corps' key contribution under Basic Health Care and Support, CT and OVC program areas is the development of local, grassroots organizations, including supporting the development and use of improved monitoring and evaluation systems and practices.

SUMMARY: PEPFAR funding will be utilized to strengthen the organizational and human capacity of indigenous South African organizations that provide care and support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the Northwest, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu/Natal provinces. FY 2007 funds will be used to place an additional 5 PEPFAR-funded Peace Corps Volunteers in these organizations. The major emphasis area for these activities is local organization capacity development, with additional emphasis on strategic information and the development of network/linkages/referral systems. Target populations for these interventions are CBOs, FBOs and NGOs, with programs that impact children and youth, including street and out of school youth, OVC, HIV infected families and their caregivers.

Funds requested in FY 2007 will cover the recruitment, training and in-country support costs incurred by PEPFAR-funded Volunteers who entered the program in FY 2005 (3 Volunteers, approximately 7 months of support), FY 2006 (4 Volunteers, approximately 18 months of support) and those who will be recruited and trained in FY 2007 (5 Volunteers, approximately 27 months of support, including recruitment costs). Funds requested in the FY 2007 COP will also support VAST activities.

BACKGROUND: The proposed Peace Corps OVC activities will build on the accomplishments of Volunteers already in the field in FY 2005 and FY 2006, and the experience of PEPFAR-funded Volunteers recruited and supported as a result of FY 2005 (2 Volunteers) and FY 2006 (5 Volunteers) COP submissions. The PEPFAR-funded Volunteers that will be placed in the project in FY 2007 will be recruited and trained in FY 2007and will continue their work into FY 2008-2009.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS: The activities below include the activities of both PEPAR-funded and Volunteers who are funded through other sources, and work more than 50% of their time on HIV and AIDS issues. Non-PEPFAR-funded Volunteers apply the lessons learned through PEFPAR-supported activities, in particular, monitoring and evaluation training, to their work with HIV and AIDS-focused non-governmental and community-based organizations that are supporting or providing services to orphans and vulnerable children.

ACTIVITY 1: Technical support Peace Corps Volunteers (key legislative area) will provide on-going technical support that assists indigenous South African organizations and related community initiatives to develop the necessary organizational, human and programmatic capacity and systems to reach their stated goals and objectives and to measure their progress in serving OVC. Based on the needs of each organization, Peace Corps Volunteers will work with their host agency to improve project planning and development processes; develop, test and enable the use of financial and activity monitoring and evaluation systems; support the delivery of quality and comprehensive care and services for OVC; and improve the networking and referral mechanisms between NGOs and CBOs, and between local organizations and government departments/institutions.

ACTIVITY 2: Capacity development In addition to in-depth, on-going capacity development of identified organizations, Peace Corps South Africa will provide financial and technical support to additional community groups with which Peace Corps Volunteers are collaborating in order to strengthen the groups' abilities to deliver consistent, comprehensive and high quality services to OVC and their educators and caregivers. By supporting the skills development of community groups and schools, and supporting the development of appropriate referral systems, people living in rural areas will have increased access to quality and professional care. Particular emphasis will be placed on working with local groups to support activities and

interventions that focus on reducing violence and coercion against women and children particularly female OVC and assuring that referrals are made to appropriate authorities.

Peace Corps South Africa will provide grants and technical assistance in this area which may include:

(1) Supporting accredited training for community and home-based caregivers with particular emphasis on child care, the psycho-social needs of OVC and related fields; (2) Supporting follow-up and professional development of OVC caregivers, counselors and the leaders of NGOs, CBOs and FBOs to ensure that OVC services are provided in the context of evolving guidelines for the care and support of OVC; (3) Working with schools and educators to develop guidelines for "early warning systems" for OVC; (4) Working with street children and out-of-school youth to promote health-seeking behaviors, develop skills for income generating activities, and develop the necessary life skills and self-esteem to maintain new behaviors; (5) Extend and develop crisis hotline services for children at risk to enable more holistic and community-centered support for abused and neglected children and their mothers; (6) Supporting joint planning and review activities between non-governmental service providers, local government and district health and welfare authorities; (7) Supporting referral processes which result in an increased registration of OVC as beneficiaries of the Department of Social Development Child Support Grant; (8) Developing and testing manuals and handbooks for the use of community and home-based caregivers, child counselors and other stakeholders supporting OVC; and (9) Developing focused financial and client/child tracking and referral systems.

Through the addition of five 2-year PEPFAR-funded Volunteers and financial and technical support through VAST in FY 2007, new service outlets will be supported and the work at existing partners will be further developed and consolidated. As of March 2006, Peace Corps reported that Volunteers supported 14 OVC programs, and provided specific training to 133 care-givers. As a result of this effort, over 7,000 children were able to access one or more service areas from these programs.

The work of Peace Corps contributes to the US Mission's country strategy by being closely aligned to the South African Government strategies in each of the provinces in which they work, and by strengthening the ability of partner organizations to contribute to the PEPFAR 2-7-10 goals, with particular emphasis on building human and organizational capacity for the expansion of programs and the improvement of the quality of care provided to OVC by local organizations, which are critical components of both the SAG and US Mission's strategies.

This Peace Corps activity also relates to activities described in Basic Health Care and Support(#7504), AB(#7503), Management and Staffing (#7506) and OVC (#7502). Peace Corps' key contribution under Basic Health Care and Support, CT and OVC program areas is the development of local, grassroots organizations, including supporting the development and use of improved monitoring and evaluation systems and practices.

SUMMARY:

PEPFAR funding will be utilized to strengthen the organizational and human capacity of local organizations that provide counseling and testing services in medical and community sites in the Northwest province. Peace Corps has placed one Volunteer through the FY 2006 COP in such an organization. This volunteer will be supported through two years of service with funding requested in the FY 2007 COP (18 months of support). The major emphasis area for this activity is local organization capacity development, with minor emphasis areas of community mobilization and participation and strategic information. The primary target populations for these interventions are community and religious leaders, program managers and volunteers, CBOs and NGOs.

BACKGROUND:

The proposed activities will build on the accomplishments of Volunteers already in the field in FY 2005 and FY 2006. These Volunteers (USG-supported, but not PEPFAR-funded) supported 2 sites, with over 280 service outlets. In FY 2006, one PEPFAR-funded Volunteer has been recruited and placed with funds provided through the FY 2006 COP and will be supported by funds requested in FY 2007 to provide focused support to a local organization as it expands its VCT programming through 2008.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

Through the support of one PEPFAR-funded Peace Corps Volunteer, it is envisaged that one VCT program, supporting multiple service outlets will have increased support and referral resources, and enhanced capacity for monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Non-PEPFAR-funded Volunteers will also support the monitoring and evaluation functions of local CT initiatives that are receiving PEPFAR funds. In FY 2006, in the Semi-Annual Report, using Volunteers supported by appropriated funds, Peace Corps reported that 2 local NGOs, supporting 187 community-based VCT service outlets, were supported through training and capacity building activities, resulting in the improved service delivery to over 17,000 clients.

The activities below include the activities of both PEPAR-funded and Volunteers who are funded through other sources, and work more than 50% of their time on HIV and AIDS issues. Non-PEPFAR-funded Volunteers apply the lessons learned through PEFPAR-supported activities, in particular, monitoring and evaluation training, to their work with HIV and AIDS-focused non-governmental and community-based organizations that are supporting or providing counseling and testing services.

ACTIVITY 1: Technical Support

PEPFAR funds will support the place of one Peace Corps Volunteer (key legislative issue) in the North West province who will provide assistance to an organization that provides counseling and testing. The PEPFAR support will include Peace Corps trainings and monthly stipends, and travel expenses for the volunteer.

The work of Peace Corps contributes to the US Mission's country strategy by being closely aligned to the South African Government strategies in each of the provinces in which they work, and by strengthening the ability of partner organizations to contribute to the 2-7-10 goals. Particular emphasis is given to building human and organizational capacity for the expansion of programs and the improvement of the quality of care to local organizations' client-base, which are critical components of both the SAG and US Mission's strategies.

The Peace Corps South Africa management and staffing request for FY 2007 consists of funding for ongoing staffing needs to provide technical and reporting oversight of the over 60 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) in South Africa who are working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and communities on activities that contribute to the 2-7-10 PEPFAR goals. The FY 2007 request also includes an administrative and management support cost associated with meeting the requirements to support 19 PEPFAR-funded PCVs and the Volunteer Activity Support and Training (VAST) component.

In FY 2005, Peace Corps South Africa received its first PEPFAR funding to cover six 2-year Peace Corps Volunteers and to support the VAST fund. The program expanded in FY 2006, with the request for an additional ten 2-year Volunteers and ongoing support for the VAST fund. An additional ten 2-year Volunteers are requested in FY 2007. In addition to supporting these PEPFAR-funded activities, Peace Corps reports all HIV and AIDS activities which have been funded through PEPFAR-supported training or small grant support (VAST fund) as part of the Mission's reporting cycle. This includes the activities of an additional 40 Volunteers assigned to work with local HIV and AIDS NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) (not PEPFAR funded); and the work of approximately 20 Volunteers in the Education sector who undertake significant HIV and AIDS work in their communities as "secondary projects." The additional support and reporting requirements require personnel to meet the needs of Volunteers, the South Africa Inter-Agency PEPFAR Task Force and Peace Corps Washington.

Peace Corps South Africa has a total of 3 staff members dedicating significant time to supporting PEPFAR activities. Peace Corps staff working on PEPFAR are responsible for the following activities:

1. Negotiating site placements with appropriate local NGOs, CBOs, and FBOs; 2. Providing ongoing technical support to PCVs and their local supervisors and organizations; 3. Providing appropriate training interventions to Volunteers and local supervisors (pre-service training and three in-service training events); 4. Participation in PEPFAR Task Force Activities, including meetings, annual program statement reviews, hosting visitors, etc.; 5. Compiling and submitting semi-annual and annual reports, and financial data to the Mission PEPFAR Task Force and Peace Corps Washington; 6. Participation in the OGAC annual meeting and Peace Corps' PEPFAR meetings and conferences.

Specifically, these funds directly support the following positions, expenses and activities:

1. Half-time salary for a Program Assistant responsible for compiling necessary reports, organizing training and supporting the administration of the VAST fund; and 2. International travel for appropriate staff participation in OGAC and Peace Corps PEPFAR meetings.

A table detailing the Peace Corps/South Africa staffing pattern for PEPFAR is attached as Appendix 17. FY 2007 funding will support a part-time staff person who will be dedicated to Peace Corps PEPFAR monitoring and reporting functions and PEPFAR PCV site development, training and VAST fund administrative functions. The total Peace Corps budget for staffing and associated management costs in FY 2007 is $28,700 and is attached as Appendix 18.