Family Health International (FHI) implements Pamoja Tuwalee, a five-year cooperative agreement that aims to improve the quality of life and well-being of OVC and their households by empowering households and communities to provide care and support. The projects objectives are to increase the capacity of communities and local governments to meet the needs of OVC and their households; increase the capacity of households to protect, care for and meet the basic needs of OVC; increase OVC household access to comprehensive services; and empower OVC, particularly females, to contribute to their own well-being. The program operates in 25 districts in the Coast Zone, targeting 43,000 OVC and their households. The project also contributes to the first goal of the Partnership Framework, which aims to maintain and scale-up services to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the lives of Tanzanians affected by HIV/AIDS. It also supports the Global Health Initiative Immediate Result 1, relating to increased access to quality maternal, child, and reproductive health services.

Using sustainable approaches such as promotion of local ownership and strengthening of LGA and communities will ensure cost efficiency over time as these entities gain capacity to implement program interventions with less external support. Key structures to be strengthened include LGAs, most vulnerable childrens committees (MVCCs), and 10 civil society organizations that will deliver services at the community-level. FHI will monitor program implementation as addressed in the M&E plan, as well as report progress to the national OVC data management system. In addition, FHI will support LGA to conduct supportive supervision through field visits at the various levels.

Family Health International (FHI) is an international organization that has implemented Pamoja Tuwalee in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and the Coast Zone since 2010. The program aims to improve the quality of life and the well-being of OVC and their households by empowering households and communities to provide comprehensive, sustainable care, and support. The key program strategies primarily support the USG/T priorities of increasing the capacities of households and communities and strengthening linkages between services. FHIs key strategies include improving integration of the program with other health and social service initiatives to increase sustainability and empowering key stakeholders to meet their own needs. These major activities respond to critical gaps in the national OVC response, specifically weaknesses in local capacity and ownership. In particular, FHI will strengthen the capacity of 15 local government authorities (LGAs) to implement the National Costed Plan of Action by facilitating incorporation of MVC activities and budget allocations into the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, a mechanism that guides budgeting and planning at local levels. Furthermore, the program will support improved collection, management, and use of data captured in the national OVC database.

FHI will train and support local civil society organizations to deliver services to vulnerable children. Collaborating with various partners, the project will link beneficiaries to specialized services, particularly economic strengthening, psychosocial support, and nutrition. In a coordinated effort with partners, FHI will develop various referral systems to ensure access to comprehensive services for vulnerable children and their households. For instance, FHI will partner with the UJANA HIV prevention project and link vulnerable youth to appropriate reproductive health and prevention education activities through youth clubs. To address the high levels of physical and sexual abuse recently detailed in the Tanzania Violence Against Children Report, FHI will work with SEMA Tanzania, a program that sponsors a helpline for children, to increase support to children who have experienced abuse. In addition, one district in Dar es Salaam will pilot the One Stop Centre child protection model, currently implemented by Save the Children, UK in Zanzibar.