This program activity also relates to another field-supported OVC (#7801).

For the past two years, The Salvation Army Tanzania (SAT) has been implementing the Track 1 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS Program. It presently works in 16 districts and serves 15,207 OVC.

Starting with FY 2007, the program will refocus activities to more closely align with the Tanzanian National OVC Plan of Action (NPA), using the national Data Management System (DMS). At the same time, the activity will continue to implement programs initiated in FY 2005 and FY 2006.

The SAT activity has three components: 1) to strengthen communities to organize community-based responses to meet the needs of OVC; 2) to specialize in psychosocial support for OVC and share tools and materials with other OVC service providers; and 3) to strengthen the economic security of OVC.

With FY 2007 funds, SAT will review its coverage and streamline its geographical focus to ensure comprehensive services and cost effectiveness. SAT will build on the organization's unique features to enable communities to construct community-based responses to meet the needs of OVC and others affected by HIV and AIDS. SAT will ensure that the GoT Most Vulnerable Children identification process will be conducted in the districts in which they work — a process by which communities identify MVC and their needs. This will include the direct involvement of SAT in the identification process, if necessary. SAT will also conduct training of the Most Vulnerable Children Committees (MVCC) in community counseling and psychosocial support (PSS). SAT preceded GoT in developing community committees to address the needs of OVC. These are called "Mama Mkubwa" committees. SAT will now work with communities to integrate Mama Mkubwa activities into GoT-designated Most Vulnerable Children's Committees (MVCCs) at the local level. The MVCCs will coordinate support for OVC, identify resources, document the needs of the community, and address the monitoring and evaluation function. In addition, they will maintain records of identified children and give evidence of progress achieved. MVC records will be used to input the national data management system. The Community Counselor representatives on the MVCC committees will also work with the PSS and income generating activities described below.

To complement OVC/MVC support services, with FY 2007 funds, SAT will expand its scope of services to include education materials and fees, as well as nutrition and health to the identified OVC/MVC in the program areas where there are no other stakeholders providing such services. Moreover, the identified MVC households will be supported by small projects, such as appropriate animal husbandry, animal banks, sustainable farming, food processing etc, so as to improve their nutrition and standard of living.

In order to provide OVC/MVC with PSS and life skills training, SAT will continue to develop low-cost, community-run Kids Clubs. Priority will be given to the identified MVC. Older youth and well-respected community volunteers will be trained in youth counseling. The PSS counselors will continue to be responsible for organizing and running the Kids Clubs. Each Club will be provided with a basic kit of equipment, first aid kit and a curriculum of sports activities, games, arts and crafts, and HIV/AIDS educational materials. Through the clubs, children learn at an early age about HIV/AIDS, its impacts on their community/families and key prevention strategies. An important component of the Kids Club curriculum is to provide coping skills and strategies for at-risk youth, especially young girls, to protect themselves from sexual exploitation. PSS counselors will run the clubs, make home visits to identified MVC, child-headed households, help young people deal with bereavement issues, and enable them to seek helpful resources in the community. PSS counselors also help to target those households most in need of material support and help in school, and act as advocates for young children with guardians, government bodies and, in some cases, the courts in situations where young girls have been raped. These clubs are open to all children in the community and will be held at schools and community grounds, helping to reduce the stigma associated with orphanhood through play and interaction. SAT intends to establish 300 clubs by the end of the project. In year 3, about 100 new kids' clubs will be established and 100 community counselors trained.

To address the need for better economic security for OVC/MVC, over 1,000 OVC/MVC

households benefit from OVC caretaker participation in the Worth program. Worth is a unique income-generation training program that strengthens the ability of communities and female-headed households to care for the growing number of OVC/MVC. SAT's Worth economic empowerment methodology has won five international awards, including two from the World Bank Development Marketplace in 2000 and 2002 Worth is an innovative, sustainable program of women helping women that fosters grassroots development, increases family income, and develops local control of resources through community controlled village banks. The increased income for caregivers and local groups enables improved care and support for OVC in their communities, including education, basic health care, and nutrition needed for their well-being.

The incorporation of Worth into this program stems from the direct request of communities, who approached the Salvation Army for assistance in income generation activities after identifying poverty as the most crucial factor hindering the lives of widows, caregivers, and OVC.

As with all OVC implementing partners, SAT will participate in the National Implementing Partners' Group. In particular, SAT will share their tools, materials, and lessons learned from the PSS and Worth components of their work. Also, SAT will implement the National Plan of Action for OVC and help to populate the national Data Management System, which will be used for both national planning and local program management.