Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2008 2009

Details for Mechanism ID: 393
Country/Region: Kenya
Year: 2008
Main Partner: Samoei Community Development Programme
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USDOD
Total Funding: $250,000

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $250,000

THIS IS AN ONGOING ACTIVITY. THE NARRATIVE IS UNCHANGED EXCEPT FOR UPDATED

REFERENCES TO TARGETS AND BUDGETS.

1. LIST OF RELATED ACTIVITIES

This activity relates to activities in Antiretroviral Therapy Program (#6973), Counseling and Testing (#6968),

Orphans and Vulnerable Children (#6982) and Abstinence and/or Be Faithful Program (#6981).

2. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

Samoei Community Response (SCR) is a community-based organization that has been working with

orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the rural communities within Kericho District for the past four

years and became an Emergency Plan funded partner in FY 2005. SCR has an established grass-root

structure comprising of young and old (both men and women) and those affected by HIV/AIDS. SCR will

continue to directly care for and support 2100 OVC by ensuring that the core areas of essential services are

ensured for each child that is enrolled into their OVC program. SCR will continue to work with the people of

the community as their primary partner in ensuring that the needs of each child are taken care of. They will

also expand their program to address the psychosocial needs of the child by decentralizing the programs

addressing this need to the community level by working with various schools and churches in the area. An

emphasis in FY 2008 will also be to address issues of stigma which tend to prevent children in this

community to access care. Education and support groups for the caregivers have been started in FY 2005

to teach them about how to offer support and identify psychosocial needs of OVC and this initiative will

continue by using caregiver mentors to provide ongoing support and supervision to other SCR caregivers.

In FY 2008, training of 200 additional caregivers will be conducted to meet the substantial increase in OVC

and the individual needs of the caregivers. Furthermore in FY 2008, SCR will begin to provide legal

protection to the OVC in case of death of guardian or loss of property by developing close partnerships with

the local magistrate's office where these issues are a concern. The psycho-social needs of the older OVC

will also be an area of expansion in FY 2008 by establishing support groups that are developed by

OVC/youth that will be trained in peer counseling and support as well as HIV prevention and issues of

sexual reproductive health. All planned interventions are in full compliance with pertinent Government of

Kenya policies and guidelines which are based upon ongoing discussions with local authorities and

community leaders. In particular, the Kenya government's OVC guidelines will be followed as well as all

other pertinent guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National AIDS Control Council.

SCR will also collaborate with other relevant entities such as the Ministry of Health's Kericho District

Hospital in provision of healthcare services to the OVC and the Ministry of Education in the provision of free

primary education and bursaries for secondary school students. Their partnership with other local

community/religious based organizations will also ensure comprehensive and quality services are delivered

to the OVC without removing the OVC from the community.

3. CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA

SCR is a community based group that ensures that OVC will continue to gain care and support from their

original community. They work with the existing community services or government children agencies to

augment the level of community and family based support already available to the OVC. This approach is

supported by the Kenya Emergency Plan in which the needs of the OVC are identified at the community

level and subsequently cared for in by strengthening existing structures already in place to tend to the

needs of the OVC in the Belgut division of Kericho.

4. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES

This activity is linked with KEMRI south Rift Valley Antiretroviral Therapy (ARV) program (#6973), and

KEMRI-South Rift Valley Counseling and Testing (CT) program (#6968). SCR will refer OVC to the well-

established pediatrics AIDS program at Kericho District Hospital that already have put over 60 children on

ART in an attempt for early diagnosis and subsequent treatment of OVC. In addition, KEMRI's program of

the South Rift Valley will provide counseling and testing to the OVC in hopes of early identification of HIV-

positive OVC. SCR will also work with Live with Hope Center(LWHC) Abstinence and Be Faithful Program

(#6981) to ensure that the OVC receive correct HIV prevention information that will reduce their vulnerability

for HIV infection. SCR will also link with LWHC OVC program in coordinating OVC programs for the wider

district.

5. POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED

SRC will target people affected by HIV/AIDS by focusing their training activities on caregivers to support the

OVC and providing monetary and psychosocial support to HIV- positive children and HIV/AIDS-affected

families which includes widows/widowers. Community leaders and teachers will also be targeted as SRC is

a community-based organization that relies on the community members to fully support the program's

cause for OVC. SRC will target leaders of the community as well as religious leaders to participate in their

steering committee that is comprised of community members that meets once a month to assess the needs

of OVC referred to them by schools around the area. In addition, volunteers will be targeted to add support

as the program continues to expand.

6. KEY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ADDRESSED

In accordance with the Emergency Plan FY 2008 approach to OVC care and support, SRC will be an

integral part of a community wrap around service that will address the needs of the whole child. Every

orphan under the auspices of SRC will be ensured that food, education, legal protection, and other psycho-

social support will be provided to the OVC either directly or indirectly through referral and linkages with

existing community or government based services.

7. EMPHASIS AREAS

A major emphasis area of focus for SRC is community mobilization/ participation. SRC will focus their

attention on increasing the involvement of community members in program planning and implementation of

the activities for OVC. A minor emphasis of SRC's efforts will be establishing and strengthening linkages of

other sectors and initiatives. SRC will be linked with schools to provide assessment of OVC and

subsequently providing partial school fees and uniforms to OVC. SRC will also focus part of their efforts on

training of caregivers and volunteers to meet the diverse needs of OVC.

needs of OVC.

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $3,000
Food and Nutrition: Commodities $3,000