This activity links to ZDF HBHC (#8787), ZDF HVOP (#8786), and ZDF AB (#9170) activities, other Track

1.0 HKID activities, and RAPIDS HKID (#8947).

The implementation of this activity is through a bi-lateral buy-in to the Project Concern International

BELONG Track 1.0 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) Project to provide care and support to AIDS-

affected OVC within and associated with the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF). This activity is under the

technical guidance and management of USAID with strong DOD collaboration. Due to the high HIV

prevalence and AIDS-related illness and deaths in the ZDF, the number of OVC associated with the ZDF is

growing. The precarious position of OVC is worsened by the fact that AIDS widows of deceased ZDF

personnel often do not receive their husbands' benefits for long periods of time, sometimes waiting for

support for up to five years. During this waiting period, AIDS widows have a very difficult time meeting the

basic needs of their orphaned children. These widows and their children suffer enormous stigma and

frequent exploitation. The financial situation of an AIDS widow and her children might be particularly

strained if a proper will was not prepared before her husband's death and family resources like property and

investments are seized by relatives. Those living outside the barracks are even more vulnerable, as they

must pay rent and utilities. This can lead to psycho-social trauma, malnutrition, discontinuation of

education, and neglect for the AIDS-affected OVC.

Prior to PEPFAR, there was no assistance available for the ZDF in OVC support. In FY 2005 and FY 2006,

USG has been working with CARE International to assist ZDF with identifying priority issues and assistance

needs involving AIDS-affected OVC who are taken care of by military families and OVC of military

personnel who have presumably died from AIDS. In FY 2008, BELONG will adapt the Bwafwano model of

OVC care and support following OGAC guidance to benefit the well-being of AIDS-affected OVC of current

and ex-ZDF personnel in the military barracks and surrounding communities.

In FY 2008, BELONG will build capacity of parents, guardians, and school teachers to provide care and

support and link to existing psychosocial, educational, medical, and other required support to OVC and their

guardians. Building on BELONG strategies, and accounting for the needs identified by the ZDF, AIDS-

affected OVC will be identified through one or more of the following channels: a) through PEPFAR

supported home-based care programs managed by the ZDF; b) through lists compiled by ZDF personnel of

AIDS widows awaiting their benefits, or other families caring for AIDS-affected OVC; or c) through schools

catering to ZDF OVC. There are three kinds of schools attended by AIDS-affected OVC: 1) schools

situated on the military base; 2) government schools situated just outside the military cantonments; and 3)

community schools located in civilian communities surrounding the military bases, which are managed by

Parent Community School Committees (PCSCs). BELONG will use its many years of experience providing

educational support to OVC to work with all genres of school.

Using the community school platform, PCI will sensitize the PCSCs and communities with which it

collaborates for school-aged OVC, about the needs of infants and young children. PCI will help the

community recognize its positive practices as well as needs of the under five children that are not being

adequately met. PCI will also support community schools to include promotion of under-5 healthy habits

such as nutrition education (breastfeeding, weaning, etc.); basic hygiene; promotion of immunizations;

promotion micro-nutrients supplementation and deworming medications; provision of bed-nets and

education on proper usage; education on the identification of childhood illness and where to seek

assistance; education on HIV/AIDS, prevention/ABC, VCT, PMTCT, treatment/ART, and stigma-reduction

activities

Using the HBC platform, PCI will build capacity among the HBC organizations on or around ZDF camps to

integrate services for all OVC in their HBC work. The strategy will consist of training HBC volunteers in

basic pediatric AIDS care, including pain relief, management of opportunistic infections, and referral to

health centers for treatment and prophylaxis, including cotrimoxazole, ART, OI (such as tuberculosis and

PCP pneumonia) and cotrimoxazole treatment and prophylaxis adherence support, counseling and

emotional support. HBC volunteers will also be trained to make referrals to PMTCT programs and other

government health services to ensure follow-up of enrolled mothers, care for the mothers and children,

health education regarding child care, nutrition, breastfeeding, malaria prophylaxis and promotion of bed-

nets, etc. and build referral linkages, including dried-blood spot referrals, with health centers offering PCR

testing so that children monitored in the PMTCT program can be tested soon after birth.

BELONG will train 100 teachers and caregivers in 10 sites to assess the needs of individual OVC and in the

provision of psychosocial support to OVC and their guardians, using training materials developed for use in

FY 2005 and FY 2006. These caregivers will in turn sensitize parents/guardians on the importance of

psychosocial support, education, medical care, HIV testing, and pediatric ART. They will also help in

identifying children who are experiencing loss and grief and will organize activities to help OVC build their

resilience and meet their needs for self esteem and positive coping skills. Psychosocial support activities

will include dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS prevention and children's rights. This will be done in

collaboration with other organizations.

Other types of support which may be provided include support for education (assistance with fees where

necessary, teaching and learning supplies, and support to improve the quality of schooling, as below);

nutritional support; shelter; and other types of critical material assistance, depending on the needs identified

for each child. BELONG will work closely with the ZDF to ensure ZDF-associated AIDS orphans receive

their rightful benefits in a timely manner. Recreation will also be used as a strategy to disseminate

information and to reach out to children who are out of school i.e. (Youths between 13 -17 years of age).

This will maximize the number of OVC to be reached in the communities including those being cared for by

military or ex-military guardians, or by widows or widowers of military staff. Untrained teachers in

community schools will be trained in teaching methodologies and class management in order for them to

provide quality education to OVC. PCSCs will be trained in community resource mobilization and

participation and in school and financial management. Community OVC Committees (COVCCs) and

PCSCs will be trained to identify and implement OVC advocacy activities in their communities. The

composition of PCSCs or selection of participants will allow for military or ex-military guardians to benefit

from the training.

In addition to psycho-social support, AIDS affected OVC ages 0-17 will be linked to medical care.

Guardians will be encouraged to take the children for HIV testing if they have signs of chronic illness or

Activity Narrative: growth faltering. Those found to be HIV positive will be referred to ART centers for further management.

The goal of this program is to provide holistic care and support to 7,000 OVC in FY 2008. Many AIDS

widows fail to manage their benefits optimally once received, due to a lack of entrepreneurial (business)

skills. The project will therefore provide basic business skills from the 10 sites for widows waiting to get

their spouse benefits. This will empower the widows with sustainable ways of taking care of their children.

Community mobilization and participation is an ongoing and underlying process of the activity, building on

those initiated in FY 2005 and FY 2006. In order to promote sustainability and develop a sense of

ownership and responsibility and to catalyze community collective action around issues of OVC, the project

will strengthen the capacity of the District OVC Committees (DOVCCs) and COVCCs, including military and

ex-military households, in community and resource mobilization. BELONG will document the participation

of military or ex-military personnel or AIDS widows in these committees. BELONG will strengthen linkages

with existing service providers or potential donors to scale up activities aimed at supporting OVC. These

will include activities to ensure COVCCs and PCSCs refer children to counselors, healthcare providers, and

Family Support Units where these exist. Currently, some of the schools are used as centers for child health

activities. Discussions will be held with district health staff and neighborhood committees to conduct school

health services (such as de-worming and hygiene education) to cater for older OVC. ZDF, through the

office of the OVC program manager will actively be involved in the planning, implementation, and monitoring

of the OVC program. This will promote ownership of the program by ZDF.

The activity is designed to put in place sustainable community level support structures for OVCs, including a

focus on capacity building of community level structures such as the PCSCs, DOVCCs and COVCCs;

improving infrastructure; and promoting involvement and ownership by communities and the ZDF of

activities designed to address OVC priorities.

All FY 2008 targets will be reached by September 30, 2009.