Activity Narrative

One of the objectives of the three-year Ugandan Initiative for Teacher Development and Management

System (TDMS) and PIASCY (UNITY) Project is to expand implementation of the Presidential Initiative on

AIDS Strategy for Communication to Youth (PIASCY), and strengthen Guidance & Counseling (G&C).

PRIMARY PIASCY: Between 2003 - 2005, the USAID-funded BEPS/SUPER Project supported the

development and piloting of PIASCY Primary; its launch, development and printing of Teachers' and pupils'

handbooks for Lower Primary P3-P4 and Upper Primary P5-P7, Log book and Posters. All these materials

were distributed to 15,000 public schools and 23 Core Primary Teachers' Colleges (PTCs). 45,000 teachers

from 15,000 public schools were trained in the use of the materials. PIASCY Primary has since been the

mandate of UPHOLD. UNITY project was responsible for the production of HIV Readers.

UPHOLD's PIASCY Achievements:

UPHOLD printed and distributed 100,643 PIASCY G&C materials to all primary schools, trained 17,305

primary, teachers and Supported school based activities in 2,156 primary schools and their Coordinating

Centers. The effort led to the institutionalizing of PIASCY HIV Education in schools and PTC's, regular

passing on HIV related information through talks, music, dance, skits/drama, testimonies, and other

innovative student-led activities. It resulted into the strengthening of MOES systems through provision of

support supervision and monitoring of 80 districts and approximately 3,500 model schools each term.

UPHOLD has ended and UNITY Project is continuing implementation of Primary PIASCY and G&C.

PROGRESS TO DATE:

PRIMARY - HIV READERS: UNITY Project developed and delivered a kit of 12 books as reading materials

to support the PIASCY initiative. The 12 themes are HIV related and relevant to the challenges and

situations that prevail in the community. They are aimed at improving HIV literacy and impacting behavior

change for upper primary pupils, their parents and the community around their school. The project

distributed 60,343 kits and 30,758 teachers' manuals to 9,980 primary schools in 64 districts, 47 Primary

Teachers' Colleges, MOES departments and partners. It trained 7,714 primary teachers, Tutors and MOES

Officials in the effective integration of the content into the school curriculum, co-curricular activities and

community outreach programs.

POST PRIMARY EDUCATION and TRAINING (PPET): PIASCY - The major thrust of PPET PIASCY is the

enhancement of abstinence among learners and faithfulness among the teachers and other members of

institutional staff. The project has so far printed 21,500 Teachers Resource books, 72,500 students' hand

books for lower secondary and 13,500 for upper secondary, 60,000 G&C Guidelines; and 22,500 G&C

Teachers Resource books. The materials were distributed during teacher training workshops. 40 Master

trainers and 3,654 Teachers in 688 schools from four regions: West Nile, northern, north eastern and

eastern regions were trained. As follow up of PIASCY implementation, UNITY has conducted support

supervision and monitoring of 75 institutions in Acholi and Lango sub regions.

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNE): - UNITY project has supported SNE Department to braille PIASCY,

G&C and HIV Readers materials to benefit pupils, students and teachers with visual impairment. This

support covers all the SNE institutions nationwide.

FY 2009 - FY 2010 ACTIVITIES:

With new pupils and students entering school every year, as others leave, the PIASCY program should be a

continuous program as it is always reaching out to new populations.

PRIMARY PIASCY - In order to consolidate gains made under BEPS and UPHOLD, the UNITY Project will

strengthen the Whole School Approach to include all stakeholders in addressing factors that influence

behavior and increase community support and involvement in HIV mitigation. In collaboration with the

MoES, UNITY will develop comprehensive guidelines and orient teachers on how to embrace and

effectively adapt the Whole School Approach to the PIASCY strategy. The community engagement aspect

will be enhanced by initiating the "Stakeholder Champions of Behavior Change" in which community

leaders, Members of Parliament, and other concerned citizens will serve as models and advocates of

behavior change. The project will adapt an in-depth approach to G&C in order to equip teachers with skills

to address HIV related trauma. The activities will primarily be school based, involving teachers, Center

Coordinating Tutors (CCTs), parents, opinion and community leaders, as well as district officials. The

UNITY proposed activities will focus on promoting a risk free school environment for pupils- supporting

schools to put in place advocacy and action oriented interventions to curb sexual abuse, harassment,

defilement, negative peer pressure and corporal punishment. This will promote the safety friends network, a

peer support mechanism that supports children to become proactive with skills and strategies for their

collective safety. To ensure school based implementation of these strategies, UNITY will collaborate with

MoES to orient teachers, tutors and district officials on the basics of ensuring a safe school environment,

and use music, dance and drama as a tool to educate while at the same time promote a safe environment

for pupils at school and in the community.

UNITY's key approaches will include enhancing the capacity of teachers to identify vulnerable children in

order to provide initial Psychosocial Support to the affected pupils. It will support the mapping of local and

regional service providers for the teachers, to enable appropriate referrals, the initiation of a Networking

Model to enable schools to form viable partnerships with organizations that provide specialized counseling,

(specifically The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) and Supporting Public Sector Workplaces to Expand

Action and Responses (SPEAR) against HIV and AIDS.

UNITY will promote Peer to Peer Education and the inculcation of Life skills (with a focus on Assertiveness,

Effective Communication, Decision Making, Self Esteem and Peer Pressure Resistance) that are key to HIV

mitigation and personal development. It will support primary schools to create a safe environment and keep

learners free from Stigma and Discrimination. Working closely with the MOES/G&C department, UNITY will

Activity Narrative: review the G&C intervention to strengthen it and focus it on addressing Stigma and Discrimination.

UNITY will develop a motivating scheme to acknowledge Schools of Distinction for their innovations. Adapt

and disseminate low lost incentives to complement the process that had been initiated by UPHOLD. The

project will document the good practices for replication and this will be further incentive to schools, CCs,

PTCs and districts to improve their performance and sustain the initiatives.

PPET - In FY 2009 UNITY will roll out the PPET PIASCY Program to the regions of western, central and

the remaining parts of eastern sub-region. The roll out will include printing of materials; teachers' resource

books, students' hand books for lower and upper institutions, training manuals and posters). To be followed

by the training of teachers, distribution of materials, and support supervision of institutions to ensure proper

implementation of program activities.

In addition to the above, there wil be in-depth orientation of teachers to psychosocial issues, in order to

strengthen school-based implementation. The project will support G&C and club activities that create a

conducive learning environment at school level and the development of ‘Talking' and interactive

environments; this is the display of key messages in the compound and classrooms, also using school

assemblies to impart PIASCY targeted knowledge and education on HIV on a regular basis. Emphasis will

be on student centered initiatives to facilitate learners' internalization of information and action for behavior

change. The project will encourage voluntary testing for HIV while creating necessary referral systems for

young positives and HIV positive teachers to access services. All the above activities will mainstream

gender and disability.

UNITY's priority will be targeted support to the north and eastern regions. Under PPET PIASCY, UNITY will

address G&C as well as set up referral mechanisms to address the issues of psychosocial care and support

for those learners who face post-conflict trauma.

The strategy will be to identify institutions that have good practices, support them to document them and

share them with other institutions in the region and beyond. These will become PIASCY epicenters where

high levels of support will be given to work as satellite institutions to provide leadership to other institutions

in terms of program implementation, by developing and perfecting good practices, documenting and

modeling them for replication.

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNE): - UNITY Project supported the brailing of PIASCY materials, HIV

Readers, and guidelines for mainstreaming disability to benefit pupils, students and staff with visual

impairment. In FY 2009, UNITY will expand on its SNE activities by brailing more materials to cover schools

outside the Phase 1 coverage, brailing new materials and providing orientation for teachers and instructors

to effectively utilize the braille materials. All Special Needs Institutions will be supported with materials and

teacher training.

UNITY will adapt the PIASCY Intervention (Primary and PPET) for the Hearing Impaired to ensure that

learners with special needs benefit from HIV mitigation interventions; a mini-pilot in one Northern Uganda

district will be carried out to provide a viable model for replication. The project will support the review and

adaptation of the G&C component for further inclusion of persons with disability.

During FY 2009, UNITY will expand the distribution of HIV Readers to 16 districts, thereby ensuring national

coverage. The HIV Readers are child friendly booklets meant to increase children's knowledge of

HIV/AIDS transmission and mitigation. These readers have been carefully developed to be age

appropriate, with linkages to the PIASCY manuals to reinforce content and to encourage critical thinking

about behavior change. The readers encourage children to read, increase HIV knowledge, and help pupils

to internalize the issues and analyse their personal behavior, thanks to exercises and homework included in

the various chapters. UNITY also ensures that teachers are oriented in the use and purpose of the readers.

CHALLENGES: Now that the software has been developed and used as well as refined, the challenge for

PIASCY is to improve the environment into which PIASCY is rolled out, to better ensure that the program is

successful and sustainable.

New/Continuing Activity: Continuing Activity

Continuing Activity: 15983

Continued Associated Activity Information

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

System ID System ID

15983 15983.08 U.S. Agency for Creative 7306 7306.08 UNITY $3,614,357

International Associates

Development International Inc

Emphasis Areas

Gender

* Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS programs

Refugees/Internally Displaced Persons

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 $3,614,357

Water

Table 3.3.02:

Activity Narrative

One of the objectives of the three-year Ugandan Initiative for Teacher Development and Management

System (TDMS) and PIASCY (UNITY) Project is to expand implementation of the Presidential Initiative on

AIDS Strategy for Communication to Youth (PIASCY), and strengthen Guidance & Counseling (G&C).

PRIMARY PIASCY: Between 2003 - 2005, the USAID-funded BEPS/SUPER Project supported the

development and piloting of PIASCY Primary; its launch, development and printing of Teachers' and pupils'

handbooks for Lower Primary P3-P4 and Upper Primary P5-P7, Log book and Posters. All these materials

were distributed to 15,000 public schools and 23 Core Primary Teachers' Colleges (PTCs). 45,000 teachers

from 15,000 public schools were trained in the use of the materials. PIASCY Primary has since been the

mandate of UPHOLD. UNITY project was responsible for the production of HIV Readers.

UPHOLD's PIASCY Achievements:

UPHOLD printed and distributed 100,643 PIASCY G&C materials to all primary schools, trained 17,305

primary, teachers and Supported school based activities in 2,156 primary schools and their Coordinating

Centers. The effort led to the institutionalizing of PIASCY HIV Education in schools and PTC's, regular

passing on HIV related information through talks, music, dance, skits/drama, testimonies, and other

innovative student-led activities. It resulted into the strengthening of MOES systems through provision of

support supervision and monitoring of 80 districts and approximately 3,500 model schools each term.

UPHOLD has ended and UNITY Project is continuing implementation of Primary PIASCY and G&C.

PROGRESS TO DATE:

PRIMARY - HIV READERS: UNITY Project developed and delivered a kit of 12 books as reading materials

to support the PIASCY initiative. The 12 themes are HIV related and relevant to the challenges and

situations that prevail in the community. They are aimed at improving HIV literacy and impacting behavior

change for upper primary pupils, their parents and the community around their school. The project

distributed 60,343 kits and 30,758 teachers' manuals to 9,980 primary schools in 64 districts, 47 Primary

Teachers' Colleges, MOES departments and partners. It trained 7,714 primary teachers, Tutors and MOES

Officials in the effective integration of the content into the school curriculum, co-curricular activities and

community outreach programs.

POST PRIMARY EDUCATION and TRAINING (PPET): PIASCY - The major thrust of PPET PIASCY is the

enhancement of abstinence among learners and faithfulness among the teachers and other members of

institutional staff. The project has so far printed 21,500 Teachers Resource books, 72,500 students' hand

books for lower secondary and 13,500 for upper secondary, 60,000 G&C Guidelines; and 22,500 G&C

Teachers Resource books. The materials were distributed during teacher training workshops. 40 Master

trainers and 3,654 Teachers in 688 schools from four regions: West Nile, northern, north eastern and

eastern regions were trained. As follow up of PIASCY implementation, UNITY has conducted support

supervision and monitoring of 75 institutions in Acholi and Lango sub regions.

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNE): - UNITY project has supported SNE Department to braille PIASCY,

G&C and HIV Readers materials to benefit pupils, students and teachers with visual impairment. This

support covers all the SNE institutions nationwide.

FY 2009 - FY 2010 ACTIVITIES:

With new pupils and students entering school every year, as others leave, the PIASCY program should be a

continuous program as it is always reaching out to new populations.

PRIMARY PIASCY - In order to consolidate gains made under BEPS and UPHOLD, the UNITY Project will

strengthen the Whole School Approach to include all stakeholders in addressing factors that influence

behavior and increase community support and involvement in HIV mitigation. In collaboration with the

MoES, UNITY will develop comprehensive guidelines and orient teachers on how to embrace and

effectively adapt the Whole School Approach to the PIASCY strategy. The community engagement aspect

will be enhanced by initiating the "Stakeholder Champions of Behavior Change" in which community

leaders, Members of Parliament, and other concerned citizens will serve as models and advocates of

behavior change. The project will adapt an in-depth approach to G&C in order to equip teachers with skills

to address HIV related trauma. The activities will primarily be school based, involving teachers, Center

Coordinating Tutors (CCTs), parents, opinion and community leaders, as well as district officials. The

UNITY proposed activities will focus on promoting a risk free school environment for pupils- supporting

schools to put in place advocacy and action oriented interventions to curb sexual abuse, harassment,

defilement, negative peer pressure and corporal punishment. This will promote the safety friends network, a

peer support mechanism that supports children to become proactive with skills and strategies for their

collective safety. To ensure school based implementation of these strategies, UNITY will collaborate with

MoES to orient teachers, tutors and district officials on the basics of ensuring a safe school environment,

and use music, dance and drama as a tool to educate while at the same time promote a safe environment

for pupils at school and in the community.

UNITY's key approaches will include enhancing the capacity of teachers to identify vulnerable children in

order to provide initial Psychosocial Support to the affected pupils. It will support the mapping of local and

regional service providers for the teachers, to enable appropriate referrals, the initiation of a Networking

Model to enable schools to form viable partnerships with organizations that provide specialized counseling,

(specifically The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) and Supporting Public Sector Workplaces to Expand

Action and Responses (SPEAR) against HIV and AIDS.

UNITY will promote Peer to Peer Education and the inculcation of Life skills (with a focus on Assertiveness,

Effective Communication, Decision Making, Self Esteem and Peer Pressure Resistance) that are key to HIV

mitigation and personal development. It will support primary schools to create a safe environment and keep

learners free from Stigma and Discrimination. Working closely with the MOES/G&C department, UNITY will

Activity Narrative: review the G&C intervention to strengthen it and focus it on addressing Stigma and Discrimination.

UNITY will develop a motivating scheme to acknowledge Schools of Distinction for their innovations. Adapt

and disseminate low lost incentives to complement the process that had been initiated by UPHOLD. The

project will document the good practices for replication and this will be further incentive to schools, CCs,

PTCs and districts to improve their performance and sustain the initiatives.

PPET - In FY 2009 UNITY will roll out the PPET PIASCY Program to the regions of western, central and

the remaining parts of eastern sub-region. The roll out will include printing of materials; teachers' resource

books, students' hand books for lower and upper institutions, training manuals and posters). To be followed

by the training of teachers, distribution of materials, and support supervision of institutions to ensure proper

implementation of program activities.

In addition to the above, there wil be in-depth orientation of teachers to psychosocial issues, in order to

strengthen school-based implementation. The project will support G&C and club activities that create a

conducive learning environment at school level and the development of ‘Talking' and interactive

environments; this is the display of key messages in the compound and classrooms, also using school

assemblies to impart PIASCY targeted knowledge and education on HIV on a regular basis. Emphasis will

be on student centered initiatives to facilitate learners' internalization of information and action for behavior

change. The project will encourage voluntary testing for HIV while creating necessary referral systems for

young positives and HIV positive teachers to access services. All the above activities will mainstream

gender and disability.

UNITY's priority will be targeted support to the north and eastern regions. Under PPET PIASCY, UNITY will

address G&C as well as set up referral mechanisms to address the issues of psychosocial care and support

for those learners who face post-conflict trauma.

The strategy will be to identify institutions that have good practices, support them to document them and

share them with other institutions in the region and beyond. These will become PIASCY epicenters where

high levels of support will be given to work as satellite institutions to provide leadership to other institutions

in terms of program implementation, by developing and perfecting good practices, documenting and

modeling them for replication.

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNE): - UNITY Project supported the brailing of PIASCY materials, HIV

Readers, and guidelines for mainstreaming disability to benefit pupils, students and staff with visual

impairment. In FY 2009, UNITY will expand on its SNE activities by brailing more materials to cover schools

outside the Phase 1 coverage, brailing new materials and providing orientation for teachers and instructors

to effectively utilize the braille materials. All Special Needs Institutions will be supported with materials and

teacher training.

UNITY will adapt the PIASCY Intervention (Primary and PPET) for the Hearing Impaired to ensure that

learners with special needs benefit from HIV mitigation interventions; a mini-pilot in one Northern Uganda

district will be carried out to provide a viable model for replication. The project will support the review and

adaptation of the G&C component for further inclusion of persons with disability.

During FY 2009, UNITY will expand the distribution of HIV Readers to 16 districts, thereby ensuring national

coverage. The HIV Readers are child friendly booklets meant to increase children's knowledge of

HIV/AIDS transmission and mitigation. These readers have been carefully developed to be age

appropriate, with linkages to the PIASCY manuals to reinforce content and to encourage critical thinking

about behavior change. The readers encourage children to read, increase HIV knowledge, and help pupils

to internalize the issues and analyse their personal behavior, thanks to exercises and homework included in

the various chapters. UNITY also ensures that teachers are oriented in the use and purpose of the readers.

CHALLENGES: Now that the software has been developed and used as well as refined, the challenge for

PIASCY is to improve the environment into which PIASCY is rolled out, to better ensure that the program is

successful and sustainable.

New/Continuing Activity: Continuing Activity

Continuing Activity: 15978

Continued Associated Activity Information

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

System ID System ID

15978 15978.08 U.S. Agency for Creative 7306 7306.08 UNITY $400,000

International Associates

Development International Inc

Emphasis Areas

Gender

* Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS programs

Refugees/Internally Displaced Persons

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 $400,000

Water

Table 3.3.03: