The Community-Based Orphan Care, Protection and Empowerment (COPE) project is a regional project that is implemented by Africare in the four emergency countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Mozambique. In Uganda, the project has already made significant impact on the lives of orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers in Ntungamo district, south western-Uganda. This project is implemented within the context of eight emphasis areas including; community mobilization/participation, development of networks/linkages/referral systems, information, education and communication, local organization capacity building, quality assurance and supportive supervision, strategic information, training and to a lesser extent, infrastructure. Key legislative issues include gender, stigma and discrimination and wrap arounds such as education, food and microfinance. COPE will continue to work with communities to encourage a shared responsibility for OVC and their caregivers. Over five years, the project will target directly and indirectly over 220,000 beneficiaries through the following five components: 1) enhancing District and Community capacity to coordinate care and support services to OVC and caregivers through the already established District level Child Forum. This forum is comprised of selected local NGOs/CBOs/FBOs and members of the district executive, whose roles are to coordinate and ensure service delivery of quality services to OVC and caregivers. Structures to be trained include: Orphan Care Committees in 15 sub counties with 880 members, 20 staff members of selected civil society organizations and members of the district child forum; 2) provision of life skills, peer education and psychosocial care and support services to OVC and caregivers. The project has already identified 45 Service Corps Volunteers at the community level who will be trained in life skills, psychosocial care and support. These Service Corps will later train caregivers and OVC in the community and school COPE clubs. Service Corps Volunteers will also be instrumental in training peer educators to provide HIV/AIDS prevention education. These activities will be developed in partnership with local schools, churches and youth serving organizations; a total of 12,351 OVC and caregivers will be reached. 3) Increasing access to educational support services. The project has finalized with a rapid assessment to identify the most needy house holds within the district and as a result, OVC with education needs will be supported through local schools and other partners. This support will facilitate the enrollment and retention of 3,400 students through the provision of block grants and other direct material support in form of scholastic materials, uniforms to schools. Selected secondary schools through their Parents Teachers Associations will develop proposals for funding under the block grants methodology; 4) Increased access to health care and nutritional support for OVC and caregivers. The project will seek to increase production of food for consumption and income through the establishment of back yard gardens and working with other organizations that provide goats, pigs and sheep within the same community. ITNs will be provided to caregivers to protect the OVC against malaria as well as carrying out malaria and HIV/AIDS awareness creation. Through the Child Survival project, Africare will continue to link children and caregivers to appropriate health care services such as immunizations and access to ITNs. Following a health facility assessment exercise, referrals of OVC and caregivers will be carried out in collaboration with district directorate of health services and this will done with the existing health facility within each sub county. COPE will facilitate and coordinate the birth registration exercise for OVC in the entire district in partnership with the sub county leaders; under this arrangement a total of 5,000 OVC and caregivers will be served. and 5) Increased access to IGA for caregivers and OVC. COPE is working with Emerging Markets Group to increase income generating opportunities for older OVC and caregivers by facilitating access to credit for group micro-enterprise business ventures and enrolment into vocational training institutions. The project will therefore train caregivers, continue to follow on OVC enrolled under vocational skills training and identify existing associations with caregivers for technical assistance. COPE will follow up with training and technical assistance provided by Fruits of the Nile to community groups in Ntungamo District. Artemisia annua, a plant used in the manufacture of anti malaria drugs will be introduced to caregiver groups and existing associations as a potential income generating activity. Selected OVC will be placed under the artisan apprenticeship program to gain some artisan skills. This year 100 OVC will be trained in vocational skills and 1000 caregivers will be involved in key identified income generating activities.

Africare will reach its targets set fourth through the established and existing structures that include; Orphan Care Committees (OCC) at the parish level, networks of PLWHAs, schools, churches, and community local organizations currently serving OVC. The District Child Forum will play a key role in bringing together all CSOs serving OVC for coordinated

service delivery within the district. The Service Corps Volunteers, Community Development Officer, and sub county leaders will be instrumental in identification of needy households, their needs and how they can be addressed. Partnerships will be formed at all levels to encourage collaboration and optimum utilization of resources. COPE will also provide support to local organizations like Kyamate and Kitunga Child Development Centres, FUGA, UWESO that are currently serving OVC in an effort to boost their capacity to reach more beneficiaries and create the much needed synergy.