Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICOBI) is currently implementing NPI Round 2 OVC project that

began April 4, 2008. ICOBI is a Ugandan Non Governmental Organization with 15 years of experience

implementing HIV/AIDS related activities OVC inclusive and supporting indigenous community based and

faith-based organizations in S.W.Uganda Uganda. ICOBI is working in Bushenyi district but also with a

mutually supporting network of two sub-partners in Mbarara district to respond to the President's

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) i.e.: Good Care and Family Support (GCFS) and Ankole

Diocese (AD).

During the first year (6 months), ICOBI has been heavily involved in project key start up activities. By the

third quarter of FY2008 (1st quarter of the project), ICOBI and its sub-partners had recruited and trained 43

project staffs to kick start the process of identifying and reaching 3,600 OVC (1,728 males and 1,872

females) with at least two or more services. In addition, within 5 months since the project started, ICOBI

successfully developed a Workplan & budget, sensitized district and sub-county leaders, held a review

meeting and procured some equipment. ICOBI is now establishing Community Care Committees (CCC),

identifying OVC and sensitizing communities on identifying OVC needs after which 2,000 caregivers will be

trained to provide improved care and support for OVC.

The expected outcome of the NPI Round 2 project in S.W.Uganda for FY 2008 is to improve the quality of

life for 3,600 OVC residing in 37 sub-counties of Bushenyi and Mbarara. The outcomes that will be worked

towards to support the achievement of this impact are: 1) OVC have access to essential services such as

education, health, care & support, food and nutrition, income generation, and psychosocial support. 2) OVC

protected from stigma, discrimination, exploitation, violence, and sexual abuse; 3) capacity of sub-partners

and community institutions developed to support quality OVC programming; and 4) lessons learnt, models,

and best practices shared and replicated. In FY 2009, ICOBI and its partners will provide care and support

to 28,000. 10,000 will receive care and support and economic security; 14,000 primary and secondary

education; 1,000 apprenticeship or vocational training and 3,000 food security and nutrition. All the 28,000

OVC will be eligible for psychosocial care and support, legal and child protection. The 14,000 OVC for

education, 3,000 for food and nutrition and 1,000 for apprenticeship will be eligible for health care. At least

18,000 will benefit from three or more services. In addition, the caregivers identified will be trained to

provide improved care and support to these OVC.

To achieve the anticipated impact and outcomes, the project will scale up and strengthen its innovative and

indigenously developed community-based approach to provide OVC with holistic and sustainable care and

support.

1. The human resource is very essential and pertinent to the implementation and delivery of services to the

target OVC population and their households hence contributing to the overall objective. Without them, no

other activity can take off. They will cover all the 18 sub-counties in Mbarara and 20 out of 29 in Bushenyi

and in so doing reach the targeted OVC in communities and families. They will be assisted by community

volunteers (CCC) in every parish who likewise will be facilitated to be able to come up with the appropriate,

most deserving beneficiaries and households.

2. The Social Workers and CCC members will mobilize the communities and sensitize the targeted

beneficiaries on socio economic security opportunities/options available. The Caregivers and beneficiaries

will identify their preferred economic activity (IGA) to undertake. Support will be channeled through groups

of households (five) and not individuals because individuals tend to misuse the support and group formation

helps in training, marketing, animal/plant disease control as well as ensuring sustainability. The facilitators

will be Extension Workers who will train the caregiver groups at community social centres in their localities.

A simple tailored training guide/manuals adopted from the approved National Training Manuals has been

developed which will be uniformly used by facilitators. The IGA selected depending on group will be given

out to them and constant follow ups made to the groups to ensure success.

3. OVC beneficiaries in primary and secondary will be provided scholastic materials, school tuition, sanitary

pads, and school uniforms, shoes depending on the needs of individuals identified by the community for

help. Each Social Worker in his/her respective sub-county will compile a list of schools in which OVC

identified for assistance study from, fees per child. A mechanism will be established with the school

authorities for payment of school dues for a period of full year from project account. This will minimize the

inconveniences the OVC go through every term as they look for fees. Out of school OVC youth will be

supported to join Apprenticeship centers and Vocational schools providing marketable skills within or nearby

their communities. Upon completion of studying, they will be provided with basic startup tools of their trade

to enable them set up their business (IGA) and become self employed.

4. Caregivers/guardians of OVC will be sensitized about food security and nutritional practices to address

not only the problem of food shortages OVC households face but also appropriate nutrition for persons who

are vulnerable to poverty. They will be sensitized about less labor intensive farming methods. Later, they

will receive enhanced highly nutritious seeds, crops like Irish potatoes or fruits that require smaller pieces of

land. The project will link up with the GoU supported NAADS and AAMP programs in the project area and

even those funded by USG.

5. The OVC households in dire need of emergency supplies like clothes and beddings especially child-

headed will be prioritized. This is short term assistance that will not be supplied again because the same

families will get socio-economic security support for long term family support.

6. In order to holistically improve the quality of life of OVC, the project will cater for their health problems by

contracting health service providers to offer them medical care whenever one falls sick through micro care

health insurance program. The project will contribute a premium of 10 US dollars for each of these OVC per

year which will entitle them to comprehensive medical care irrespective of the total cost of the medical

charges by the contracted health providers. The CCC will link / refer OVC to health service providers centre.

The grants given out in kind to start income generating activities or acquire skills will enable them to

continue paying for their premiums in future when the project is no longer paying for them. They will further

receive preventive health care messages, immunization to prevent killer diseases, increased access to safe

water and sanitation, improved nutrition and balanced diet, access to bed nets and information on

adolescent reproductive health through field and radio sensitizations. The health service providers in the

area have youth friendly services and HIV/AIDS related services.

7. ICOBI will work with its partners to identify key persons from CCC to receive orientation in psychosocial

counseling and supplement the efforts of Social workers' services in their respective communities.

Activity Narrative: Caregivers, guardians and school teachers will receive basics on psychosocial care and support needs of

OVC who are in schools, at risk of falling out, or have fallen out. Social Workers will work with teachers at

schools and institutions where OVCs are receiving education to initiate and establish Kids clubs for children

between the ages of 6-12 years where trained peer facilitators will take the children through structured

manuals developed by MGLSD. In this way, these children will receive quality, structured PSS. Likewise,

youth clubs for (13-17 years) will be formed and all children including OVC will participate in the program's

life skills sessions. The sessions will be facilitated by trained peer educators with materials developed by

Population Services International (PSI) and MGLSD. Through the life skills sessions, these older OVC will

benefit from both health care support (reproductive health) and PSS.

8. The project will facilitate sensitization meetings for all Secretaries of children affairs and other stakeholder

groups like Local council leaders, Local police, teachers in schools, religious leaders and train them on

Child rights and Protection issues. The Secretaries are targeted because they are the custodians of the

Children's Act and Statute in Uganda. They will receive training in child protection, rights and laws,

awareness-raising to reduce stigma and discrimination towards OVC. They will later be passed out as

community paralegals having been equipped with knowledge on child rights and legal protection. The

national Acts on Children including the Uganda Constitution will be the guiding tool/source of information

trainings. The existing community referral system responsible for children affairs will be revived from village,

to parish, sub county where established Family and Children Court (FCC) exists. The Local Police, the

Probation and Welfare Officers at Sub county level who acts as officers of court in child abuse related

matters will act as our referral system. The offices of the LC V Chairpersons, Resident District

Commissioners (RDC) and State Attorney have desks and tasks responsible for children affairs. These will

act as / provide a referral system for abused children and even when the project winds up, these will stay

continue protecting children particularly OVC in this case. In case of child abuse the Social Worker in the

respective area in collaboration with CCC will link up with this referral system upon receipt of such cases.

Through the above community-based approach, OVC and their household will access most if not all of the

following core services: economic security, PSS, healthcare, food and nutrition, child and legal protection,

education, care and support. This will ensure that they receive comprehensive quality support. By

channeling support and capacity building through the groups, ICOBI and its sub-partners will guarantee

that the services provided to the OVC are family focused and sustainable, as it is highly likely that these

groups will continue to operate after the end of the project. The Community Care Committees will be linked

to local government structures and other sources of support. Further, by ensuring that the Kids Club and

Life Skills activities target younger and older OVC respectively, ICOBI and partners will ensure that the

interventions are age appropriate. Gender sensitivity is also promoted by ensuring that there are both male

and female peer educators to support direct work with the OVC. The life skills activities will in addition build

the capacity of OVC between the ages of 13 to 17 to avoid contracting HIV, other sexually transmitted

infections (STIs), and prevent them from succumbing to unwanted pregnancy.

The above interventions are in line with and in support of the National Orphans and Other Vulnerable

Children Policy (NOP) and the National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions (NSSPI) for Orphans

and Other Vulnerable Children 2005/6 - 2009/10. The NOP's guiding principles i.e. the rights based

approach, ensuring that the family and community is the first line of response, focusing on the most

vulnerable children, and community participation and empowerment to mention but a few clearly lay at the

foundation of ICOBI OVC project. Uganda's goal of ensuring the realization of the rights of OVC is in line

with the project's goal of "enhancing the ability of 38,000 OVC and OVC household in Bushenyi and

Mbarara districts to fully enjoy their rights and aspiration to their full potential". The project will also ensure

the realization of the objectives of Uganda's OVC policy by supporting the development of a more protective

environment for children in the participating communities, ensuring that OVC access essential services and

that resources for OVC programming are used strategically and efficiently, and that the capacity gaps of

guardians, local leaders, and community institutions are addressed to ensure that they can support the

realization of the rights of OVC for the long-term. ICOBI will ensure that the program is effectively

coordinated with the work of local governments and sub-partners attend district-level coordination meetings

and submit programmatic reports on a quarterly basis.

4. CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA:

ICOBI's project focuses on ensuring that OVC access the core program areas of support as spelt out in the

NOP. It will ensure that each OVC receives a holistic package of support based on his/ her own particular

needs. The OVC Program Area's guiding principles are closely followed. For instance focusing

interventions on the family and the community and not only on the affected child; developing the capacity of

OVC households and communities to provide better and sustained support to OVC through the promotion of

groups and OVC CCC; ensuring the meaningful participation of children in the program through their

representation on the CCC; their integration into monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes; and reducing

gender disparities by ensuring both girl and boy OVC are closely monitored and protected from exploitation,

abuse, and discrimination and by empowering both boy and girl OVC with vital life skills.

5. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES:

Through the groups of five under economic security, specific interventions will continue to be undertaken in

FY 2009 to encourage members and even OVC under their care access home based counseling and

testing (VCT) services provided by ICOBI with support from JSI, such that if they are HIV positive, they can

be linked to HIV treatment providers such as Kabwohe Clinical Research Centre (KCRC). In conclusion,

efforts will be made to link the beneficiary households to other service providers in both districts, so as to

access complementary forms of support.

New/Continuing Activity: New Activity

Continuing Activity:

Emphasis Areas

Gender

* Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS programs

* Increasing women's access to income and productive resources

* Reducing violence and coercion

Health-related Wraparound Programs

* Child Survival Activities

* Family Planning

Human Capacity Development

Public Health Evaluation

Food and Nutrition: Policy, Tools, and Service Delivery

Food and Nutrition: Commodities

Economic Strengthening

Education

Water

Table 3.3.13: