TITLE: Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (OVC)

NEED and COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE: The centrally funded Salvation Army/Tanzania (TSA/Tanzania)

originally worked in nine regions. However, because the USG is regionalizing orphans and vulnerable

children (OVC) service providers, TSA/Tanzania's regions of focus have been adjusted. The proposed,

centrally funded program for 2008 will focus on intensifying OVC programs in the three regions of Dar es

Salaam, Coast, and Mbeya, while transitioning out of Mwanza, Tabora, Kagera, and Mara regions by Dec

2007. OVC programs in Lindi and Kilimanjaro will continue with country level funding to TSA/Tanzania. All

OVC will be assured continuity of services during this process by other USG partners in the regions.

The three regions of Dar es Salaam, Coast, and Mbeya have highly generalized HIV/AIDS epidemics and

are experiencing a growing OVC contingent, highlighting the importance of funding for this program. With

lack of community awareness on care giving skills and psychosocial support, OVC have experienced a lack

of attention, absence of love and affection, and a lack of education. OVC also experience a deficit in basic

needs as food, clothing, shelter in addition to experiencing loss of property, increased abuse, risk of HIV

infection, and lack of freedom of expression.

TSA/Tanzania has a wealth of experience in OVC programming. This experience will provide a valuable

contribution in scaling up services and in empowering communities to improve the lives of the children who

are most affected by HIV/AIDS by using three integrated approaches which include community counseling,

kids and youth clubs (KAY) and a self-savings scheme called WORTH. Community counseling is an

innovative, action-oriented process through which communities develop strategies to modify and/or reduce

recognized risk behaviors to HIV/AIDS while they identify ways to provide care and support for OVC.

TSA/Tanzania has extensive experience in forming and managing low-cost, community-run programs.

Through KAY 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 KAY curriculum is to provide life skills,

including coping mechanisms and strategies for at-risk youth, especially young girls, and to protect

themselves from sexual exploitation. Using Pact's experience, TSA/Tanzania has accumulated skills and

knowledge for economic security through WORTH, a unique income-generation training program that

strengthens the ability of communities and female-headed households to care for the growing number of

OVC. TSA/Tanzania is also well experienced in establishing Mama Mkubwa Teams (similar to MVCC), out

of the community counseling process.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: TSA/ Tanzania has been implementing the program in Dar es Salaam, Coast,

Mbeya, Lindi, Kilimanjaro, Tabora, Mwanza, Mara, and Kagera. As of March 2007, roughly 25,347 OVC

have been provided with psychosocial support through 424 kids clubs, home visits, and counseling

sessions. This support has transformed the lives of previously depressed and insecure children into

confident, joyful individuals. In addition, OVC have received materials mobilized from community members

during community conversations and resource mobilization meetings. A total of 924 caregivers have been

trained on skills for effective delivery of care and support to OVC. These include Mama Mkubwa members,

WORTH group members, and community volunteers. Based on WORTH training, members have

established small businesses such as processing food items (e.g., rosella, green leafy vegetables, ripe

bananas, and mangoes), and then marketing the products, thereby increasing their economic power to

provide care and support to the identified OVC. About 260 WORTH groups have been established with

5,600 members.

ACTIVITIES: 1) Train 1,840 Mama Mkubwa teams/(MVCCs) members in community counseling,

psychosocial support (PSS), first aid, M&E, and resource mobilization training. 1a) Train 80 Mama

Mkubwa members/MVCCs members per district. 1b) Train 23 district social welfare/community

development officers (1 per district) in M&E and use of the national Data Management System (DMS) in

order to monitor data collection, tracking, and progress in the respective districts according to program

indicators and objectives. 1c) Conduct community dialogues regarding OVC to assist communities in

understanding OVC problems, identify needs, and establish sustainable community plans for further

provision of care and support.

2) Provide refresher training for 35 staff in community counseling, PSS, first aid, M&E, and resource

mobilization so that staff and officers will have more knowledge, skills, and increased capacity to effectively

provide quality care and support to OVC.

3) Train providers on the WORTH program. 3a) Train four social welfare officers on WORTH operations

and the guiding book "Selling Made Simple." 3a) Form 40 new WORTH groups as a scale up in new

communities with 25 members each. 3b) Train and conduct follow-up for the 260 existing WORTH groups

as a means of strengthening and encouraging sustainability of the program. 3c) Train additional OVC

households to enhance their capacity to provide quality services to children.

4) Provide PSS to 524 kids clubs. Children will receive counseling, education, and rehabilitation

psychologically, physically, and emotionally. 4a) Distribution of 100 new kids clubs kits to new clubs. 4b)

100 first aid kits distributed to clubs. 4c) Replace old club tools.

5) Production of HIV/AIDS sensitization materials and WORTH books. 5a) 1,000 copies of series of "Our

Group," "Road to Wealth" and "Selling Made Simple" will be printed. 5b) Copies of HIV/AIDS sensitization

materials will be provided to communities to help decrease the stigma of OVC.

6) Provide OVC with access to insecticide treated nets (ITNs), centrally procured nutritional supplements,

and other best/promising practices identified through the OVC Implementing Partners Group (IPG).

LINKAGES: This activity will contribute to the implementation of the OVC National Plan of Action (NPA),

and with the entire USG-funded IPG network for OVC. TSA/Tanzania will link with Peace Corps Tanzania

on income-generating activities (IGA) to support the nutritional and economic needs of OVC households.

Salvation Army will continue to work with the Department of Social Welfare through national facilitation

teams and continue to be member of the national implementing partner group. Lastly, TSA/Tanzania will

link with the voucher scheme for the President's Malaria Initiative so that OVC, especially those under five

years, receive ITNs.

Activity Narrative: CHECK BOXES: Gender was selected due to the WORTH program that will increase women's access to

income and productive resources; Human Capacity Development was selected due to the in-service training

to addresses the needs of staff and community volunteers in PSS, community counseling, nutrition,

monitoring, and reporting tasks.

M&E: 1) Adopt the national DMS for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Ensure that sub-grantees'

information about OVC identified at the local level feeds not only into the national system, but is also

available to MVCCs at the local level for planning, decision making, and monitoring.

2) Build capacity of the district social welfare and M&E officers and provide basic training to use purchased

computers to ensure data quality and integrity.

3) Conduct daily monitoring through Mama Mkubwa personnel. TSA/Tanzania will conduct quarterly field

visits to assess the quality of services provided, collect data, and provide onsite refresher training as

needed.

4) Conduct mid-term and year-end evaluations. Feedback is provided to staff, partners, community

members, and district leaders to ensure quality services as well as follow up of challenging situations.

5). Program work plans include M&E activities that are built in throughout the program. Data are collected

from the field on a monthly basis and reviewed by the program M&E specialist. In year 2008, 7%of the

budget will be used for overall M&E purposes

SUSTAINAIBLITY: TSA/Tanzania will support capacity development of the district social welfare officers

and local CSO sub grantees. It will play a crucial role in ensuring the incorporation of TSA/Tanzania work

plans, budgets, and reports in the overall district response plans and integration of the OVC data in the local

government database. TSA/Tanzania works closely with government structures from entry into the

community using the OVC identification process, to the direct support of OVC and their caregivers. The

project's support of OVC, district child forums, and communities in caring for OVC enhances ownership of

the situation with locally grown solutions and ensuring sustainability. Village MVCC and households will be

strengthened through training. Economic strengthening activities in the community will further enhance

caregivers' earning potential and ability to care for family needs in the long term without dependence on

donors. Low-cost, community-run KAY clubs are effectively operated and will contribute to sustainability of

PSS for OVC in the communities. Having trained peer kids club leaders in place also contributes to

sustainability of the PSS program for OVC.