There are two main goals under this mechanism:

Goal 1: To support rural communities develop and implement appropriate and sustainable HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs.

Goal 2: To support rural communities to provide support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their caregivers and families.

PC/Zambia will primarily contribute to PF Goal number 1 by strengthening the capacity of rural communities to implement programs that address gender inequity, encourage fidelity, increase use of condoms and acceptance of male circumcision, delaying of first sexual intercourse, reduce multiple and concurrent partnerships and discourage age disparate and transactional sexual relationships.

This will be done through increasing the number of PEPFAR funded volunteers and training all volunteers and their community counterparts in HIV prevention and care and designing behavior change interventions. Some will also receive alcohol awareness training, enabling them to implement strategies to reduce alcohol consumption, raise awareness of alcohols negative effect on health and related risks including HIV transmission, ARV adherence and gender based violence.

Volunteers will implement strategies through the utilization of Volunteer Activities, Support and Training (VAST) grants and providing technical assistance to communities implementing care and support programs at grassroots level. Peace Corps Response and Extension volunteers will build expertise and capacity within local NGOs and CBOs at National, Provincial and District level to respond effectively to the pandemic.Volunteers will improve linkages between service providers and rural communities by liaising with USG partner organizations providing mobile VCT services to come to their communities.

Volunteers and their counterparts will build the capacity of community based home care providers and mobilize people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) to form community based support groups and link the members to other care and support programs.

Volunteers will work with affected households to enhance food security through delivery of nutrition workshops, provide technical assistance on nutrition gardening and fish farming by using the skills and expertise of the other Peace Corps projects (Linking Income Food and Environment and Rural Aquaculture).

Volunteers will work with communities to leverage VAST and other funds for income-generating activities for improved nutrition and food security for PLWHA, their families, and caregivers. As more women take on the role of care-giving, special emphasis will be given to training them and helping them access income generating activities and saving groups for example through collaboration with partner organizations including the World Fish Centre.

Volunteers will also work with affected households and home based care providers to improve access to safe water and sanitation, encourage thorough hand washing and coaching family members on maintaining hygienic environments for the chronically ill. They will provide education on ART adherence, PMTCT, Malaria and how to hang bed nets correctly.

Volunteers and their counterparts will target both HIV positive men and women in the age groups 15-49 years. Activities will be undertaken in 73 districts in six provinces, reaching approximately 1000 people living with HIV.

Volunteers will alert health workers or home based care teams of the need to visit a chronically ill person or to collect supplies to replenish a home based care kits. Volunteers will also interact with representatives from other sectors such as agricultural extension agents and collaborate with entrepreneurs to establish nutrition gardens and income-generation activities.

PC/Z will conduct regular monitoring of the program through the Volunteer Reporting Tool and will coordinate and collaborate with other USG funded organizations providing care and support including Feed the Future initiative.

Volunteers and their community counterparts will continue to deliver culturally and age-appropriate AB messages with a focus on intergenerational and transactional sex to older youth through school and community based programs. Targeting older youth (15 to 24 years), Volunteers and their counterparts will work with health centre staff to support peer educators, establish youth-friendly corners for message and material dissemination, establish youth clubs, and also use sports and entertainment to build motivation and skills for HIV prevention.

Volunteers will follow the Peace Corps Life Skills Manual, a 24 session comprehensive, evidence based, behavior change approach, used successfully by Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide since 2000. Training sessions on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, communication, decision making and relationship skills will be integrated appropriately for different age groups and target audiences.

Volunteers will further target traditional initiators with HIV prevention messages and married couples with Feed the hungrys 9 session evidence based program Faithfulness in Marriage A Guide to Reduce HIV Transmission and Strengthen Marriage.

Volunteers will target male groups (ages 20-49) to address male norms and behaviors such as multiple and concurrent partnerships and encourage risk reduction including promotion of male circumcision and referral to HIV counseling and testing services; especially couple counseling. Working with established groups such as fish farmers, farmers, teachers, women's groups, and church groups, Volunteers will conduct continuous education and re-enforcement of messages.

Volunteers will use VAST funds for income-generating activities for community groups with specific attention being given to increasing young womens opportunities to improving their economic status through these income- generating activities.

Volunteers will link the communities to USG funded counseling and testing services, male circumcision, and other prevention services. The activities will occur in rural, remote villages in 73 districts within six provinces and will target 15,000 individuals.

Volunteers and their counterparts will carry out prevention activities targeting mainly at risk youth (15 to 24). Volunteers will reach sexually active youth through community health centers by working with staff to train and support peer educators and to establish youth-friendly corners through which prevention materials and messages including the correct use of condoms can be disseminated. Volunteers will further support community groups to improve systems to increase the accessibility and availability of condoms beyond the clinic setting.

Volunteers will disseminate alcohol education and risk reduction strategies based on SHARPZs (Serenity House Alcohol Reduction Program in Zambia) 5 day Awareness and Risk Reduction program; to reduce alcohol misuse, particularly with men. When conducting community-based training, Volunteers will follow the Peace Corps Life Skills Manual, adapting it appropriately for different age groups and target audiences.

Volunteers will target males (ages 20-49) within already established groups such as farmers, fish farmers and teachers to address male norms and behaviors. Volunteers will conduct male engagement activities (21 sessions) based on Engender Healths Men As Partners addressing multiple, concurrent partnerships, high mobility, low rate of male circumcision and low condom use.

Volunteers and their counterparts will continue to provide workshops and coaching to Banafimbusa (traditional initiators) who instruct girls on marriage customs, on how to facilitate discussions with youth to encourage safer sexual practices. Use of condoms after marriage for discordant couples will also be emphasized, along with the importance of testing and counseling. Volunteers will target at risk youth, especially girls aged 18-24, engaging in transactional or trans-generational sex through Camp Glow and Womens groups.

Activities will occur in 73 districts, in six provinces in Zambia and will target 25, 000 individuals. Volunteers will work with other USG partners to link rural communities to counseling and testing, male circumcision, PMTCT and ART services. Volunteers will continue to work with USG partners to bring in mobile testing services to their remote communities.