ACTIVITY HAS BEEN MODIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

Community Care Project Trust (CCPT) will replace Project Gateway (PG). CCPT was the implementing

agency within PG and is now autonomous. Activities in schools will be carried out by all four sub-partners.

In FY 2008, three partners worked directly with the schools. LifeLine received children for CT through

referrals from the other partners, by actively motivating for CT in schools and organizing transport to bring

them in groups to the CT site on Saturdays. Children 12 years or older are legally allowed to consent for

CT. Younger children are accompanied by their parent/guardian who sign consent. To reach the numbers

requiring CT in FY 2009 & 2010 a mobile unit will be used. This will make CT available during the week at a

location close to where the children live. Life skills training and psychosocial support services will also be

offered by means of the mobile service unit, thus avoiding stigmatization.

Sinani will add a module on age appropriate HIV prevention education for older learners in primary schools,

as requested by schools.

CCPT & Youth for Christ (YFC) will scale up to reach more children in schools and will extend the services

offered to OVC and caregivers in households, and the siblings of school children, including access to social

grants, food gardens, school fee exemption and assistance in obtaining birth certificates and ID documents.

LifeLine will run a support group for children who are HIV-infected.

Psychosocial support in the form of gender-sensitive life skills training, counseling and support groups will

also be offered by CCPT, YFC and LL (in addition to Sinani).

ALIGNMENT WITH NSP & OTHER SAG POLICIES:

Children in Distress (CINDI) is on the advisory committee of the children's sector representative group to the

South African National AIDS Council. CINDI has aligned its program activities in accordance with the

priorities identified at the sector's national summit in June 2008. In particular, the sub-partners prioritize:

food security and access to grants; CT for children and parents; human resource development including

stipends, training and increased competency of caregivers; psychosocial support (community and OVC);

implementation of comprehensive M&E systems; information dissemination; human and children's rights-

information, dissemination and access. The director of CINDI is a member of the Provincial AIDS Council.

GENDER RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Gender considerations are integrated throughout all services to increase gender equity, address male

norms and behaviors, increase girl's legal rights, access to education and social grants and reduce violence

and coercion, including:

-Age appropriate school-based HIV prevention education that encourages boys to be responsible in their

sexual behavior and to respect women - including the reduction of sexual violence and coercion, number of

sexual partners, and cross-generational and transactional sex;

-Project database and M&E tools collect sex-disaggregated service delivery data which is used to improve

the quality of program services;

-Ongoing evaluation of marginalized and missing gender balance, and strategizing to redress the balance;

-Sponsorship of transport to increase access of girls to treatment and testing;

-Life skills programs target young men and boys and encourage their participation and responsibility in care-

giving and household functions, their support for female caregivers and their recognition of the burden of

care and reduction of gender-based violence in the household;

-Individual counseling, group work and structured group therapy sessions focus on the unique needs of girls

including sexual abuse, assault, rape and the empowering of girls in interpersonal situations;

-Encouraging young men and boys to access CT and other health services;

-Adopting a family-centered approach to care and treatment services;

-Programs to ensure that girls are given equal opportunity to attend school and increase access to

education by supporting school fee exemptions and school uniforms as identified per OVC in need;

-Caregiver training to recognize signs of gender-based violence and to provide appropriate counseling and

referral services to social, legal, and community-based support groups;

-Programs address societal and community norms to reduce stigma, protect women from violence, promote

gender equality, and build conflict resolution skills; and

-Survivors of sexual violence are linked to the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis.

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

SUMMARY:

Activities are carried out by Children in Distress (CINDI) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), to support the expansion

of services aimed at improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and families affected by

AIDS through providing comprehensive services and to strengthen communities and ensure that the needs

of OVC are met. The emphasis areas of the project include local organization capacity-building, gender and

wrap-around program (education). Primary target populations include orphans and vulnerable children,

children 5-9 years, adolescents 10-14 years and 15-24 years, and people living with HIV.

BACKGROUND:

CINDI, founded in July 1996, consists of over 100 member organizations (NGOs, CBOs, FBOs) that

collaborate to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS on children in KZN. This project is part of a larger initiative

implemented by CINDI members. The project was implemented in FY 2007 with PEPFAR support. The

activity is supported by the Department of Education in KZN with whom CINDI liaises in selecting the

targeted schools. Four member organizations are implementing the project for CINDI - Project Gateway,

Sinani, LifeLine and Youth for Christ/ KZN (YFC). Both LifeLine and YFC receive PEPFAR funds in other

program areas and have no OVC activities that overlap under this CINDI project. LifeLine and Project

Gateway have both received accreditations from the provincial Department of Health as counseling and

testing (CT) sites. CINDI will address gender issues through increasing access to services for girls/women;

Activity Narrative: encouraging the participation of males as facilitators and caregivers wherever possible (since they are

mostly female); prioritizes gender issues within targeted schools; and provides training addressing male

norms and behaviors.

ACTIVITIES & EXPECTED RESULTS:

ACTIVITY 1: Life skills training for OVC

CINDI, in partnership with 4 sub-partners, will provide life skills, peer education training and promote learner

access to CT (and encourage access to pediatric ARV therapy) in 14 new targeted primary and high

schools in FY 2008 and will provide follow-up in the 14 schools from FY 2007. Lifeline and Project Gateway

have both been accredited as CT sites and have mechanisms in place for formal referral systems for

children identified. Children identified will be followed up with care and support activities aimed at orphans

and vulnerable children and their families. The 14 targeted primary and high schools are provided with

training for learner peer educators and selected teachers. All learners participate in a creatively-designed

school-based presentation which will increase their knowledge and information on HIV and AIDS and

related issues such as stigmatization and discrimination, gender issues, CT and age appropriate sexuality

training to motivate for abstinence and encourage behavior change. Learners also participate in a 4-day HIV

and AIDS intensive workshop which will increase their knowledge on safe healthy sexual behavior, HIV

messages, personal development and gender issues and skills in accessing grants, fees exemption from

schools, skills in heading up child-headed households, which will facilitate positive behavior change. In

addition, all learners voluntarily participating in CT will be able to communicate what they have learned

about voluntary testing in their communities and be encouraged to live their lives responsibly. Learners

participating in CT will be assisted in dealing with previous and/or current sexual abuse and serious sexual

offences will be taken up through the legal system. Life skills in accessing grants, etc. will assist the

learners in schools to be aware of their rights, build resilience and individual empowerment. Youth workers

in schools will assist, provide support, and refer the child to the necessary sub-partner who will ensure that

their needs are met. FY 2008 funding will support staff and youth workers to provide these services in the

targeted schools. Sustainability of these activities is built in through the training of interested and committed

teachers within each school who will support the activities into the future, and the trained learner peer

educators will be enabled to continue with the activities. Youth workers and peer educators will have first

contact with OVC and provide necessary support and care before referring. Schools will also be linked

directly with organizations and government departments who can provide ongoing services. CINDI supports

all 4 sub-partners with project supervision and management, financial management, monitoring and

evaluation of this activity and ensures quality assurance of record-keeping and data-capturing.

ACTIVITY 2: OVC and Family Support

CINDI, in partnership with Project Gateway, identifies OVC in the 14 new target schools and provides

services to improve the quality of life of vulnerable children, and HIV-infected individuals and their families.

The families and caregivers will be supported through capacity-building activities to provide better care for

their households; the stability and sustainability of families will be increased through access to shelter, food

(in conjunction with the DOSD), economic support, education, psychosocial support and health care.

Identified families will have at least one child who attends one of the 14 target schools. FY 2008 funding will

support CINDI staff and trained volunteers working with the families to deliver the required services.

Sustainability of these activities and services is provided through training of caregivers, linking families with

relevant government departments and organizations who provide ongoing services, and through capacity-

building provided to household providers/caregivers. CINDI supports Project Gateway with project

supervision and management, financial management, monitoring and evaluation of this activity and ensures

quality assurance of record-keeping and data-capturing.

ACTIVITY 3: Psychosocial Support for OVC

CINDI, in partnership with Sinani, will provide good quality comprehensive and compassionate care for

children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children to help ensure they grow up to be healthy,

educated and socially well-adjusted adults, through all CINDI sub-partners. The identified children will come

from targeted primary schools. OVC will participate in a Structured Group Therapy Program which

effectively reduces distress and builds resilience, with the aim of decreasing depression while increasing

children's access to social support. The duration of therapeutic sessions will vary according to the child's or

group's needs. Youth and adult community leaders and members will be sensitized to the needs of OVC

which will result in an increase in community- awareness of the needs of OVC in communities. This activity

is facilitated by Sinani, one of the CINDI members specializing on psychosocial support with a counseling

psychologist to transfer skills to trained facilitators and volunteers. CINDI supports Sinani with project

supervision and management, financial management, monitoring and evaluation of this activity and ensures

quality assurance of record-keeping and data-capturing.

ACTIVITY 4: Providing care and supervision for providers/caretakers

In FY 2008 caregivers will be given on-site and group training by CINDI, in partnership with Project

Gateway, to be able to identify and manage stress and burn-out. Regular supervision will be given to enable

caregivers to be efficient in their work while debriefing sessions will take place for caregivers to discuss

problems associated with their work. All the four CINDI members will ensure that each OVC counted is

provided with at least a minimum of three services which include access to education, health care,

psychosocial support, nutrition support, protection from abuse, economic support, pediatric HIV and AIDS

treatment, legal assistance and mobilizing and building capacity of communities to respond to OVC needs.

New/Continuing Activity: Continuing Activity

Continuing Activity: 13729

Continued Associated Activity Information

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

System ID System ID

13729 7958.08 U.S. Agency for Children in 6585 4619.08 CINDI $1,175,000

International Distress

Development

7958 7958.07 U.S. Agency for Children in 4619 4619.07 CINDI $500,000

International Distress

Development

Emphasis Areas

Gender

* Addressing male norms and behaviors

* Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS programs

Human Capacity Development

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 $578,000

Water

Table 3.3.13: