Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 5065
Country/Region: Zambia
Year: 2007
Main Partner: FHI 360
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $409,963

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $409,963

This activity will relate to other Track 1.0 OVC projects, RAPIDS (XXXX), HCP (XXXX), along with Peace Corps.

Family Health International began implementing a Track 1.0 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program, Community Faith-Based Regional Initiative for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (Community FABRIC), in Zambia in August 2005. The project will reach 22,500 OVC in Zambia over five years, and in FY 2007 will reach 4,000 OVC, including 2,400 new and 1,600 continuing OVC.

FABRICS will continue to work with a major Zambian interfaith FBO sub-partner, Expanded Church Response (ECR), to provide small sub-grants to local FBOs and CBOs. FHI will create strong linkages with other USG partners implementing community and clinical care in the areas of project implementation to ensure a comprehensive continuum of care for OVC. In addition, FHI and ECR will work with other USG OVC partners through the USG Zambia OVC Forum, including major bi-lateral OVC projects and seven other Track 1.0 OVC projects, to share lessons and prevent overlap and duplication of activities. FHI will work in close collaboration with government facilities and district and provincial offices to ensure communication and support to OVC from Government of Republic of Zambia (GRZ).

The four components of this project are: (1) capacity building and financial support to Expanded Church Response (ECR); (2) capacity building for ECR's local partners; (3) service delivery to OVC; and, (4) collaboration with GRZ and linkages with other stakeholders. FABRIC will build and strengthen family and community capacities to provide a sustainable supportive environment for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

Currently, the FABRIC is working in five districts (Kafue, Chingola, Luashya, Mansa and Samfya) in three provinces (Lusaka, Copperbelt and Luapula) and plans to expand to two new districts (Kabwe and Mkushi) in Central Province for FY 2007. The selection of the new districts was based on an in-depth examination of current OVC coverage and the existing gaps in OVC support.

In the first component, capacity building and financial support to ECR, during FY 2006, FABRIC developed an action plan based on a technical capacity assessment of the implementing agency, training of the sub-recipient FBOs in financial and grant management, and monitoring and evaluation training of 91 volunteers. In FY 2007, FABRIC will continue to provide technical assistance to ECR in project management, OVC technical areas, and monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the partners have the appropriate skills and knowledge to support quality OVC activities in their communities. FABRIC will strengthen ECR's grant-making and grant disbursement mechanisms and capacity to provide technical and managerial support to FBOs. FABRICS will also focus on improving ECR's overall knowledge and skills in OVC programming. FABRICS will continue to ensure an effective and reliable data collection system for monitoring and planning is used and that the data collected is in line with USG, GRZ and FABRIC strategies and expectations. Capacity building will include training, supportive supervision and mentoring, and will provide the local partners with skills to set priorities/target services.

The second component is capacity building to local partners to ensure program sustainability. In FY 2005 and FY 2006, FABRIC conducted capacity assessments of FBOs and found that most FBOs had no basic management structures in place. For example, they had no accounts officers/bookkeepers. With support from FABRIC, ECR has trained the designated FBO accounts officers in basic financial management, in line with USAID rules and regulations. FABRIC has trained staff from ECR and FBOs in monitoring and evaluation and with their support, ECR has developed appropriate OVC registers, service delivery forms and referral tools for FBOs. These are now being used and expanded upon. The project, with its activities established, will focus its monitoring activities on quality assurance. Regular supervisory visits will occur to monitor the quality of service provision.

In FY 2007, FABRIC will continue to train caregivers in OVC care and support, monitoring and evaluation, and grants management and will continue providing technical assistance to ECR to strengthen the organization's ability to support local partners implementing OVC activities. OVC technical areas include psychosocial support, basic nutrition counseling,

and educational support. FABRIC will continue making efforts to improve the nutritional content of the local available food, provide food preparation counseling, and linking ECR and their sub-partners to Ministry of Agriculture to ensure more sustainable food security support from other partners or government programs. Educational services will include material support to AIDS affected children such as textbooks, exercise books, pencils, school bags and uniforms that will facilitate their attendance in school. The support programs will also provide recreational, socialization and play opportunities including day, weekend, and/or holiday camps. The program will also work to establish linkages and provide referrals to other services available to OVC and their caregivers to ensure their needs are met.

The third component is the center of this project: service delivery to OVC. In FY 2005, FABRIC worked through 17 FBOs to reach more than 1,600 OVC in five districts with food and nutrition, educational, psychosocial, and health support. The number of OVC reached surpassed the target set for the year. Of the total OVC reached, over 70% received primary direct (3+ core services) support. In FY 2006, FABRIC in collaboration with National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) trained caregivers using NFNC training curriculum.

In FY 2007, ECR and FABRIC will provide funds to 21 local partners (17 existing and four new) to expand and strengthen OVC services. These partners will reach 4,400 new and 1, 600 continuing OVC with psychosocial support, educational assistance, nutritional support, health care, and through referrals, other services such as legal and social services. In FY 2007, local partners will train 200 OVC caregivers trainers and supervisors, who will in turn train the OVC primary caregivers in caring for OVC, including those infected by HIV/AIDS. The selection and training of caregivers will emphasize male involvement. In particular, FABRIC through ECR will make an effort to work with men's Christian fellowship committees within various churches. As men are traditionally the decision-makers and their participation could have greater influence on attitudes and support towards OVC and their care, involving them in OVC care is an important part of this program.

In the final component, FABRIC and its local partners will work closely with government partners and local leaders, including provincial and district authorities and recognized community and religious structures such as Community AIDS Task Forces, to ensure they are supportive of project activities. FABRIC will link the projects to the appropriate government services. The ECR and local FBOs will also be encouraged and assisted to set up linkages with other OVC service providers within the community. Appropriate referral systems will be established to ensure optimal use of available services and maximize the benefits to the OVC.

As noted in the components above, FABRIC places a great emphasis on sustainable programming. Through the capacity building of ECR and its local partners, FABRIC aims to create programs that build the technical expertise and organizational capacity of local partners and strengthen their networks with other implementing partners and the GRZ, ensuring that programs continue after FABRIC comes to an end.

Subpartners Total: $129,125
Expanded Church Response Trust: $129,125