ACTIVITY HAS BEEN MODIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

BACKGROUND:

Heartbeat has set a strategic objective in 2007 to reach 50,000 children by end of 2010. In addition to the

number of children Heartbeat would like to reach, the organization will also expand geographically to

include all nine provinces of South Africa. The targets set for PEPFAR COP 2008 and COP 2009 have this

expansion in mind. Heartbeat will establish a Learning Centre in each province to implement the following

four major strategies:

1. Mentoring and training of other NGOs, CBOs and FBOs to implement Heartbeat's model of care.

2. Training of primary caregivers and heads of households on relevant topics.

3. The expansion and enhancement of Heartbeat's current projects to offer better quality of service.

4. Securing grants for eligible OVC and their households.

These strategies speak to the technical considerations provided by USAID. Heartbeat will scale-up by

improving performance and the expansion of current programs. With the expansion of Heartbeat into all

provinces of South Africa, special care will be taken to identify communities with the greatest prevalence.

The scale-up will assist Heartbeat in reaching more children as will be reflected by the targets that are set.

ACTIVITY 2: Human Capacity Development

In addition to childcare workers and children, Heartbeat will also reach primary caregivers of orphaned and

vulnerable children through training. Training will include topics like succession planning, discipline, access

of basic services and care for the carers.

-------------------------

SUMMARY:

Heartbeat will use PEPFAR funds to assist in providing a holistic package of basic services to orphans and

vulnerable children (OVC), including increased access to educational support and psychosocial support

services through community-based programs in eight provinces. Specific target populations include OVC,

their families and caregivers. The major emphasis areas for the program are human capacity development

and local organization capacity building.

BACKGROUND:

In the seven years since its inception, Heartbeat has successfully worked with partners to implement

projects in seven provinces, meeting the needs of 11,000 orphaned and vulnerable children and

approximately 1,100 primary caregivers. Heartbeat is reaching these children through two priorities: (1) their

own direct project initiatives and (2) their training and mentorship initiative.

Heartbeat projects are physical communities and sites from which the organization runs its services.

Heartbeat reaches three specific categories of children in their projects, namely: (1) Children living in child-

headed households (CHH), approximately 10% of the children; (2) Children living in relative - (mostly

grannies / aunts)-headed households (RHH), approximately 60% of the children; and (3) Children living with

a primary caretaker that is terminally ill (PO). Heartbeat programs contribute to the positive transformation

of the whole child. These programs are sustainable and focused and are delivered through project sites

called After School Centers. These programs include: material provision, education, children's

empowerment, rights and access to basic services, capacity building and a sponsorship program through

Sponsor a Child in Need (SACIN).

The services that Heartbeat provides are provided in partnership with other stakeholders in a supply-chain,

for example Heartbeat partners with stakeholders that assist with Early Childhood Development Services

(e.g. Project Head start); Tertiary Education Support especially for older OVC and as part of an exit strategy

for OVC that reach 18 years (e.g. Tomorrow Trust; CIDA City University Campus); Sports and Recreation

and Health care training and support (Big Shoes Foundation which provides medical care to OVC especially

those affected by HIV and AIDS). Through this chain of service providers, Heartbeat has a continuous and

close collaboration with other NGOs, the South Africa Government, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP),

Community-based Organizations (CBOs) and individuals.

Apart from implementing the recognized Heartbeat Model of Care for OVC, Heartbeat has also developed a

Mentorship Program to extend their reach to more children by empowering existing organizations (e.g.

CBOs and FBOs), to implement the Heartbeat model of care. Heartbeat's program is aligned with the South

African National Strategic Plan for Orphans & Other Children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and the

Department of Social Development's (DOSD) Policy Framework. Heartbeat is also part of the National

Action Committee for Children affected and infected by HIV and AIDS.

Heartbeat services and program are supported by partnerships with the South African Government,

international funding and with business, including more than 30 business contributing small and large

amounts of money to support services such as food parcels, seedlings for food gardens, home visits,

toiletries, psychosocial support and educational support. Heartbeat's largest donor through a PPP is Tiger

Brands, which has supported Heartbeat with food parcels since 2002.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

ACTIVITY 1: Local Organization Capacity Development

Activity Narrative: Core to Heartbeat's scale-up strategy is a sustainable training and mentoring program. Partner

organizations are trained and mentored for a 24 month period in OVC care and support and direct service

provision to OVC; as well as developing and improving organizational capacity. As the number of

capacitated organizations increase nationally, more OVC can be cost effectively reached and brought into a

safety net of care in a way that ensures sustainable service delivery. Heartbeat will work to access and

implement services within the frameworks provided by the Departments of Education, Home Affairs and

Social Development. Partner organizations will be trained and mentored to secure school fee exemption,

rather than trying to raise funds for fees and to apply for and access legal documents and secure social

grants; rather than directly paying monthly household expenses and needs. Heartbeat delivers other

services such as psychosocial support and legal aid services in partnership with these organizations in eight

provinces in South Africa.

ACTIVITY 2: Human Capacity Development

As part of the Heartbeat's "Tswelopele" Training and Mentoring program, Heartbeat and other partners' care

workers will be trained in organizational matters such as OVC care and support topics that include basic

child care, the role of the childcare worker, establishing OVC selection criteria and community child care

forums; minimizing discrimination and stigma, HIV/AIDS and children issues; and promoting gender

equality, child protection and participation and psychosocial support services in service delivery.

Organizations with care workers should proof potential to be sustainable, i.e. have the ability to attract

donors to support the implementation of the Heartbeat model of care. Basic parenting skills, nutrition and

food gardening form part of the curriculum. Orphaned and vulnerable children will in addition receive

training in child protection and child participation, gender equality, sexuality and HIV prevention and AIDS

information.

ACTIVITY 3: Psychosocial Support

The psychosocial support programs link OVC to psychological and emotional care and leads to the

empowerment of children and improvement of their well-being. A network of care workers regularly visit

OVC at their homes to offer emotional support and practical support, i.e. household chores, cooking,

cleaning and some homework assistance. These care workers are recruited from advertisements in

communities. PEPFAR funds will be used to provide training, ongoing supportive supervision and mentoring

to care workers as well as stipends. Psychosocial support services to children will include support groups,

individual counseling, bereavement support, memory work, children's workshops, puppet shows, and youth

camps.

ACTIVITY 4: Prevention and Protection

Heartbeat will provide age-appropriate developmental programs will include children's workshops, puppet

shows, and youth camps in FY 2008. The youth camps (for older OVC) will focus on core themes such as

life skills, gender equality, child protection (including issues around alcohol and drug abuse) with the view to

reduce violence and coercion, sexuality education, HIV and AIDS prevention information and reproductive

health. The youth camps will also train and mentor young peer educators through a partnership with

Harvard School of Public Health. The children workshops will enforce prevention messages regarding HIV

and AIDS and will focus on child protection and gender equality information and tools. The puppet shows

will have a specific focus on values and child protection and will be done among other with Heartbeat's

Early Childhood Development partners and projects.

ACTIVITY 5: Educational Support

School uniforms and stationery are supplied to OVC as part of Heartbeat's educational program with

funding from Heartbeat's other corporate and international donors. This is a very important intervention as it

is known to reduce stigma and discrimination and thereby encourage school attendance. PEPFAR funding

will be used to fund academic assistance and homework support facilitated at After School Centers by

qualified teachers and volunteers or in partnership with Tomorrow Trust, with a focus on English and

Mathematics during school holidays. Heartbeat's After School Centers are also places of safety and support

for OVC and provide a hub from which Heartbeat delivers other necessary services to OVC.

ACTIVITY 6: Legal Assistance and Economic Support

PEPFAR funding will support a birth certificate and identity document drive that will enable social workers

(who are, and will be, employed by Heartbeat to facilitate this intervention) to apply for government social

grants for OVC who qualify for them. This intervention will assist government to fulfill their mandate as

stipulated in the DOSD's Strategic Framework. PEPFAR funding will also ensure that blankets be

distributed as one intervention that will provide a safe and secure environment for OVC. Other services that

will also contribute to the safety and security of children include child protection workshops, abuse

interventions from social workers, mobilization of the Community Child Care Forum that consists of

concerned community members, access to the After School Centers and visits from the care workers.

ACTIVITY 7: Nutritional Support

Food gardens provide fresh produce to supplement monthly food parcels, and meet the needs for daily

meals provided to pre- and school going OVC at Heartbeat's After School Center and the Heartbeat

supported pre-schools where OVC are integrated. PEPFAR has supported the establishment and

maintenance of these food gardens in the past and will continue to support this initiative in FY 2008.

Furthermore, nutritional education training will be given to OVC, caregivers and pre-school teachers, to

assist in improving OVC nutritional status by covering topics such as healthy food choices, food preparation

and storage. Provision of monthly food parcels is a wrap around activity funded through national and local

business partnerships (e.g. Tiger Brands a local food producer). Food parcels with non-perishable food

products are provided to families without any government economic support (grants) from non-PEPFAR

Activity Narrative: sources.

New/Continuing Activity: Continuing Activity

Continuing Activity: 15936

Continued Associated Activity Information

Activity Activity ID USG Agency Prime Partner Mechanism Mechanism ID Mechanism Planned Funds

System ID System ID

15936 15936.08 U.S. Agency for Heartbeat 7298 7298.08 $750,000

International

Development

Emphasis Areas

Gender

* Addressing male norms and behaviors

* Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS programs

* Increasing women's access to income and productive resources

* Reducing violence and coercion

Human Capacity Development

Estimated amount of funding that is planned for Human Capacity Development $74,000

Public Health Evaluation

Food and Nutrition: Policy, Tools, and Service Delivery

Food and Nutrition: Commodities

Economic Strengthening

Education

Estimated amount of funding that is planned for Education $52,000

Water

Table 3.3.13: