Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Details for Mechanism ID: 14623
Country/Region: South Africa
Year: 2012
Main Partner: Foundation for Professional Development
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $919,436

The GBV follow-on program aims to improve the quality and access to services for victims of GBV. PEPFAR supports interventions to eradicate rape, assault and sexual exploitation of women and children. A number of studies suggest that rape may directly increase a woman's risk for HIV infection as the violent nature creates a higher risk of genital injury and bleeding. Exposure to multiple assailants in gang rape also contributes to risk of transmission. Abusive relationships may also limit women's ability to negotiate safer sex and therefore increase HIV infection possibilities. The programs objectives are to increase nationwide awareness of the services provided by 52 Thuthuzela Care Centers (TCCs) to GBV survivors, and to expand and improve the services provided in the TCC catchment areas. The program will support the Partnership Framework sub-objective to strengthen the SAG capacity to identify and implement interventions that address unequal power relations and the role of sexual violence in HIV transmission. It will also support the critical enablers by addressing social structures that are barriers. To date, USAID has funded the upgrade of 10 of the existing TCCs (built by SAG) and established 23 new ones. These TCCs are in all 9 provinces of the country. The SAG has taken over the management and human resources of the established TCCs. This program will support a local organization to implement the program ensuring further sustainability of the services. The selected implementing partner will link with already established services and programs available in the catchment areas such as DSD, SAPS and Health, SoulCity, Sonke Gender Justice, Brothers for Life, LifeLine and Childline and POWA.

Funding for Care: Adult Care and Support (HBHC): $678,880

The Thuthuzela Care Center (TCC) model provides a range of essential services to rape survivors such as emergency medical care, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), HIV counseling and testing (HCT) for HIV, and sexually-transmitted infections. A core network of NGOs will be supported to provide psychosocial counseling and adult and child trauma counseling. The implementer will be asked to link the services at the TCC with other counseling services such as couple counseling, risk assessments and prevention with positives. The survivor is supported by a victim assistance officer and a case manager who provide referrals to shelters and other protection services as well as court preparation and legal assistance. A site coordinator ensures coordination between the different role-players in the process. This is all done in an integrated and victim-friendly manner. The TCCs address the medical and psychosocial needs of sexual assault survivors, while improving conviction rates and reducing time to court. The target population will be the GBV survivors in the 52 TCC catchment areas. Approximately 500 survivors present at a TCC annually. The 52 centers are located in public hospitals in all nine provinces in communities with high incidences of rape. They are walk-in facilities where survivors can access medical and psychosocial care and can provide a statement to the police in a secure, safe environment. The program will support the SAG National Strategic Plan which includes scaling up prevention interventions to reduce gender based violence, scaling up comprehensive services for survivors of sexual assault, and increasing the number of health facilities with services for rape survivors. It will also support South Africa's 365 day National Action Plan to end gender violence that applies a multi sector framework and approach for ending GBV. TCCs record data on indicators monthly, quarterly, and annually and report on a quarterly basis. These include PEPFAR indicators. A long term impact evaluation will be developed for this program.

Funding for Testing: HIV Testing and Counseling (HVCT): $140,556

The target population for HIV counseling and testing (HCT) services will be GBV and sexual assault survivors in 52 Thuthuzela Care Centers (TCC) catchment areas. Counseling and Testing services are provided at TCCs that are situated in health facilities, in all 9 provinces. Pepfar will support NGO counselors who provide comprehensive HIV counseling to survivors, especially after hour, at the TCCs. Counseling and testing services will also be provided to target populations, such as commercial sex workers in TCC catchment areas, and effective linkages to prevention, treatment and care services will be established for those testing positive. HCT services will also be provided to survivors who complete the PEP treatment. A target of 1,000 people will be counseled and tested at the TCCs.

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Other Sexual Prevention (HVOP): $100,000

The TCCs provides services to all survivors who present at the TCC. Target populations include men who have sex with men, mobile populations in the TCCs situated close to borders, migrant workers, and sex workers. Essential services such as emergency medical care, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), HIV counseling and testing, and sexually transmitted infections will be provided to these individuals. Survivors presenting at the TCC are not required to indicate whether they are for example sex workers and thus this data is not captured. Within the awareness objective of the program, communities in the catchment areas will be informed about the services provided at the TCC and made aware that the services is available for all survivors (including populations such as sex workers, men having sex with men etc). Communities will be sensitized about the rights of the said populations.

Key Issues Identified in Mechanism
enumerations.Impact/End-of-Program Evaluation
Increasing women's legal rights and protection