Project Concern International's work with the Africa KidSAFE program ("Kid"; "Shelter, Advocacy, Food,

Education") began in 2005, with the objective of consolidating and expanding a safety net of civil society

organizations (CSO) and government institutions that can effectively meet the immediate and long-term

needs of street and at-risk children in Zambia. Related to this overall objective are four results: 1) Reduced

number of at-risk children moving from their communities to the street.; 2) Increased number of children

moving from the streets back to communities through family and community reintegration; 3) Increased

number of children benefiting from high quality street- and facility-based services; and 4) Increased public

awareness and participation in protecting and promoting the rights of children on the streets. A cross-

cutting objective is to increase capacity of civil society organizations and government institutions to

intervene effectively at a national level for the benefit of street children and those at risk of ending up on the

streets.

The Africa KidSAFE program has been an active member of the USG/Zambia OVC forum and will seek to

collaborate and link with other OVC efforts such as the RAPIDS project, other Track 1.0 OVC projects

operating in Zambia, and other donor-supported and GRZ efforts. PCI has a very close working relationship

with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and

Child Development.

In FY 2008, PCI will reach 12,000 OVC, as the network expands to other parts of the country. The primary

beneficiaries of the program are children (generally 18 years of age and under), whose situation on the

streets reflects the following: living essentially full-time on the streets, including nights; spending some

portion of their days or nights on the streets, who may or may not be homeless; staying at centers

established for the care of street children; and living at home and who are not currently active on the

streets, but who are considered to be at-risk of ending up on the streets.

In addition, PCI will train 200 providers to provide effective services to street children. Children will be

provided with services in at least three core program areas, such as shelter, health care, education, and

psychosocial support. Implementing partners include Rainbow Project (Ndola); Friends of Street Children

(Kitwe); Sables Drop in Centre (Kabwe); and in Lusaka: Flame, Fountain Of Hope, Chisomo, St. Lawrence

Home of Hope, Jesus Cares Ministries, Messiah Ministries, Lazarus Project, Mapode, Mthunzi Centre,

Lupwa Lwabumi Trust, Children's Transformation Trust, and Barefeet, a performing arts group.

In FY 2008, the KidSAFE program will focus on strengthening critical coordination and logistical support to

the network, and provide technical support, training, and limited financial and material assistance to partner

organizations. KidSAFE is also facilitating much wider involvement in issues relating to street children, as a

more sustainable approach to promoting and protecting street children's rights and as a means of promoting

public awareness and sustainable involvement.

PCI/KidSAFE members will work in these communities with a primary prevention strategy to complement

"curative" interventions with children on the streets or in centers. Preventive activities will include a range of

small micro-credit support activities targeting caregivers of children on or formerly on the streets, and

community sensitization campaigns on child rights, child abuse, and child care in targeted zones using

drama and discussion groups.

PCI will continue to use its "outreach" program to reach children on the streets through street workers or

street educators, at times convenient and in ways appropriate to them. Outreach will help establish trust and

a quality relationship with the child, and for understanding the individual needs and aims of each child,

prerequisites for withdrawing children from the streets. As children come in contact with KidSAFE

implementing partners—through contact with an outreach worker or the mobile health team, or when visiting

KidSAFE drop-in centers, feeding programs, or transit centers—their background will be documented

carefully through thorough one-on-one sessions with a staff member, with the ultimate objective of

permanent reintegration with his or her extended family or other suitable guardian.. If there is a family

(immediate or extended) or members of the community that the child is willing to return to, efforts are made

to trace them. If the family or community can be located and is willing to accept the child, reintegration is

encouraged and facilitated, as long as it is determined not to pose a threat to the child's well being.

PCI will sub-contract a partner to increase access to medical services to street children due to their

increased vulnerability to disease and injury on the streets through violence, sexual abuse, poor nutrition,

and lack of hygiene, which lead to high levels of morbidity and mortality. PCI's mobile health unit serves

children on the street and in the drop-in centers, and children with special needs are linked to government

health facilities for higher level clinical care. KidSAFE partners will psychologically prepare children for

integration into a more structured life of the centers or home by providing an opportunity for them to think

clearly about the transition from the street, get all their questions about entering a center or re-entering

community life answered, or receive the necessary guidance and counseling.

Due to the fact that substance abuse constitutes one of the main barriers for children on the streets to

access services, PCI will provide training on prevention activities, how to work with intoxicated children, and

the detoxification process. PCI will also provide support to highly vulnerable girls. Since girls account for up

to 20 percent of children working or living on the streets, PCI will organize training for partners and services

related to sexual abuse, commercial sex activities, and health-related issues such as tuberculosis, sexually

transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and pregnancies. In addition, PCI will raise awareness to target the most

at-risk households and focus on specific conflicts which may lead children to the streets, child labor issues,

child abuse, and sensitizing children on their basic rights.

PCI will continue its work with the soccer league, which has demonstrated that street children can be

successfully engaged in constructive activities where inhalants are prohibited. PCI will add a basketball

and/or volleyball league to the ongoing soccer league in order to attract a greater range of children,

including more girls. PCI plans to continue to engage the private sector in order to support these activities

and also build greater public awareness about street children.

As described above, this project is primarily focused on youth, and youth will participate in all aspects of the

program. Specific examples of how youth will be engaged include the design and evaluation of the

retreat/camps, the Club-House prevention strategy, the recreation/arts program, and the activities of the

drop-in and residential centers.

Activity Narrative:

PCI will build on the monitoring systems and tools already in place with the KidSAFE partners to assess

progress on project indicators and will experiment with new approaches to measuring service quality and

monitoring/evaluating changes in children's well-being, The monitoring system starts with data collected on

individual children and on partner program services, and is aggregated through quarterly reports prepared

by partners and submitted to PCI, which then compiles, analyzes and reviews this information with project

partners. The child intake forms and KidSAFE database serve as important sources of project data.

Quarterly meetings and annual program review meetings will be held with implementing partners and other

key stakeholders, including government, during which monitoring data are reviewed with partners and

beneficiaries, and decisions made about program modification based on the results.

PCI will support UNICEF and GRZ in carrying out an assessment on women and children. The 2008

situation analysis will be a comprehensive analysis of children- and women-related issues in national

development. The analysis will generate current evidence on vulnerabilities, responses, achievements,

opportunities and challenges in improving results for OVCs.

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