Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2008 2009

Details for Mechanism ID: 8707
Country/Region: South Africa
Year: 2008
Main Partner: Salesian Missions
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: FBO
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $522,000

Funding for Testing: HIV Testing and Counseling (HVCT): $522,000

SUMMARY:

Salesian Missions will conduct a voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) Life Choices project serving youth

and adults in the Western Cape.

BACKGROUND:

The vision of Life Choices is to reach youth with a culturally accepted abstinence and be faithful (AB)

message early in their lives and to support the maintenance of positive behavior changes during

adolescence and adulthood through the involvement of community mentors, informed parents, and

organized peer groups. Life Choices has also networked with an established organization in order to use

their mobile VCT in the project's targeted High Schools. However, Life Choices' capacity to carry out VCT

services is much higher than the numbers its' partner organization has been able to meet. As a part of the

successful education and peer training programs, the belief of normalization and importance of testing has

been made a norm with all the youth, thereby creating an unprecedented demand. This program hopes to

meet the demand created within youth to know their status, and to take advantage of Life Choices' vast

network within the Western Cape area and implement VCT with youth in the Western Cape area (rural and

urban) via a mobile VCT unit.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

The main goals of this project are to: 1) increase access to youth friendly VCT by youths and young couples

15-24 years in high schools; 2) increase access to mobile VCT during the weekend in churches and; 3)

build an indigenous, sustainable response to the national HIV epidemic in South Africa through a rapid

expansion of innovative, culturally appropriate, high-quality, youth friendly HIV/AIDS VCT services.

Salesian Missions will expand VCT services to youth by: 1) integrating VCT into Life Choices; 2) offering

high schools and churches in the Western Cape Province with access to mobile VCT services; 3) improving

the quality of youth friendly VCT services at existing VCT sites through training and mentoring of service

providers and other clinic staff; 4) increase community mobilization within schools and churches via peer

educators, educators, parents and community leaders; and 5) offering psychological support and counseling

for onward care and support services to clients diagnosed as HIV infected.

Expanding CT services contribute towards the PEPFAR 2-7-10 goals.