SUMMARY: The Abstinence and Risk Avoidance (ARK) Project is designed to strengthen prevention efforts through changes in behavior that will reduce the risk among youth of contracting HIV primarily through abstinence and mutual monogamy while creating supportive family and community environments. Approaches to reduce risk among sexually active youth and messages challenging harmful norms will also be supported. Key activities are capacity-building of youth and "influentials"/"enablers" while creating/ strengthening networks at commune, district and department levels for coordination and collaboration. ARK will be carried out in ten (10) of World Vision (WV)'s Area Development Programs (ADP) and their surrounding areas, located in five (5) communes of the West and Center Regional Departments: Anse à Galets, Pointe-à-Raquettes, Hinche, Thomassique, Thomonde.

BACKGROUND: This intervention builds on prevention activities began in October 2005 in Central Plateau and in April 2006 in La Gonave. Conceived to complement World Vision's SAFENET Plus activities begun in FY06, ARK's program approaches support the government of Haiti's national HIV/AIDS strategies and have the explicit support of government ministries that deal with youth and/or HIV/AIDS including the Ministry of Public Health and Population and the Ministry of Education. As the lead agency, World Vision, an FBO, is partnering with John Hopkins University/Center for Communication Program. CCP will provide technical assistance related to training, mass-communication and community mobilization. A particular focus will be on girls and young women especially OVC followed by boys and young men, and "influentials" and "enablers". Common ground melting pot meetings and trainings will emphasize vulnerability factors that put girls and young women at increased risk of HIV acquisition and how to address them. Youth leadership will ensure a balance in male and female representation.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS: To achieve its goal, ARK will utilize the expertise and on-the-ground presence of WV's Area Development Programs (ADPs), relationships with schools, local churches, FBOs, CBOs, health facilities and other affinity groups. Current involvement with these groups will facilitate the registration of target youth and scaling-up. More specifically, the following activities will be done.

Activity One: Mobilization of faith-based and community-based organizations and training of trainers. Ten (10) trained field animators will be mobilized (one for each ADP) to work with the church and community leaders. The field animators will hold a training of trainers selected from these groups. These trainers will then train facilitators who will in turn organize sensitization sessions in churches, schools, health facilities and meeting sites of community organizations. Youth Advisory Groups (YAGs) and Parents Advisory Groups (PAGs) will be carried out in cooperation with ADP health committees and community organizations. Common ground melting pot meetings (awakening, consensus-building, action planning and monitoring) between parents and youth will be undertaken. ARK will contract with 5 broadcasting radio stations including community radio stations. To create entertainment opportunities for youth, sports, music, dramas, etc will be promoted so that young people may enjoy themselves without increasing their risks to acquire HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Activity Two: Enrollment and training of youth, parents and community leaders. Select youth by specific age groups (10 to 14; 15 to 24) will undergo life skills and value-based HIV education. Parents groups will be equipped to communicate and counsel youth about sexual health and healthy choices while religious leaders and teachers trained to overcome attitudinal barriers to effective communication regarding youth sexuality such that they can facilitate, counsel and reinforce AB messages. These groups will also identify and challenge harmful norms that present barriers to positive health practices. Trained youths, parents and leaders will organize three (3) kinds of clubs: 1) Clubs of abstinent youths for single 10-24 year - olds. Using individual "ARK passport", these abstinent youths will be encouraged to delay their sexual debut and monitor their sexual behavior. Sexually active youths who are not yet married will be encouraged and motivated to practice secondary abstinence for at least one year. 2) Clubs of faithful spouses, married under 24 youths will be encouraged and motivated to stay mutually faithful. 3) Clubs of parents and leaders will meet periodically offering young people a safe, enabling environment where together they can leverage, foster, support and promote positive traditional norms of behavior that will help them traverse the risks they face in their daily lives—reminding youth to keep their promise.

Activity Three: Referral to VCT and PMTCT centers. To achieve maximum impact, "AB" interventions will be linked to a continuum of care where it exists, so that both youth and adults will know where they can go for information/assistance on HIV-related health issues. Sexually active youth will be counseled to test for HIV/AIDS and to share the results with their spouses, boy friends or girl friends. Those who tested positive will be referred to appropriate facilities to receive treatment, psychosocial and/or spiritual support. Those tested negative will be encouraged to adopt low risk behaviors. Sustainability-promoting activities include capacity-building (individually and as a group) including reducing stigma and discrimination, linking with pertinent ministries, fostering shared goals and shared responsibilities among youth, parents, faith and community leaders, churches, schools, and other community groups.

ARK contributes to the overall global PEPFAR objective of preventing 7 million new HIV infections especially among youth.