SUMMARY:

In collaboration with the South African Department of Social Development (DOSD), PEPFAR funds will be

used to provide child protection and abuse (physical and sexual) identification and support training to

community-based, faith-based and other organizations that provide services to these vulnerable children. A

service provider to implement this activity will be selected in October 2007. Expert and specialist

organizations will be recruited to provide the training to all OVC partners supported under the PEPFAR

program in South Africa, to ensure effective support and service provision to OVC and other children made

vulnerable by abuse or abusive situations. Funding will be used primarily in the emphasis area of gender in

reducing violence and coercion, training specifically in-services training with additional efforts in local

capacity building with a focus on quality assurance and supportive supervision to ensure follow-up and

mentoring of trained participants. The primary target populations for the intervention include orphans and

vulnerable children (OVC) and people infected with HIV and AIDS, and the general population aged over 25

years.

BACKGROUND:

In FY 2006, PEPFAR provided funding for OVC services to more than 20 organizations in South Africa.

More than half of these organizations reported that they have seen a sharp increase in the number of

abused (sexual and physical abuse) children in their programs over the last twelve months. These partners

requested that training be provided on child abuse identification, caring for abused children with a specific

focus on the referral networks for abused children. They have specifically requested that within their

organization at least one or two individuals be trained as a resource person for dealing with child abuse, the

legal ramifications of the court case, and the after-effects and trauma of the abuse on the child. Caregivers,

guardians and OVC themselves on the front lines are in a prime position to identify early signs of abuse of

OVC and to initiate interventions. A 2005 case study of Violence Against Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in

Uganda indicated that training and support are required for guardians and other children in households

where orphans are living. It also states that a training package should be developed and delivered to

guardians covering issues such as the care and support needs of orphans, changes to family household,

use of memory books, HIV/AIDS and managing difficult behavior. Community Care Coalitions and

Community Volunteers should also be trained on these issues to provide support to the families where

orphans are staying and to further monitor situations where orphans are believed to be treated poorly

including where they are abused. It identifies the training of guardians to better care for orphans as the

optimal way to address the issues of discrimination.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

This activity will focus on providing training on abuse identification, trauma counseling, dealing with child

abuse through the court systems (court chaperones) and developing linkages and strong referral networks

with the healthcare systems and the police systems. Suggested role players who could be included in such

training besides the NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, are teachers, health professionals, the police service, foster

parents, psychologists, trauma counselors, churches, caregivers and volunteers. Training will focus on

prevention and early interventions to safe guard the well-being and best interest of the child. Innovative

methods in the identification, education and prevention of sexual abuse will be a major focus. A sexually

abused child is doubly vulnerable since medico-legal information is required to sustain a court case, and

medical information must be available within 72 hours or less to ensure that the child can get post exposure

prophylaxis (PEP). In addition to the training, this activity will also work with organizations to identify

champions among the police service, the healthcare system, as well as the justice and legal system, and

will work with the CBO/FBO and NGOs to be advocates for abused children to ensure that they get the best

quality service. This activity will work with the OVC support organizations and OVC advocates to share

resources, skills, knowledge and techniques. In addition, this intervention will build the human capacity of

OVC organizations to be able to address child protection and child abuse issues in a sustainable manner.

This activity will promote the collaboration between organizations working with OVC and those working to

address sexual abuse and exploitation. This activity will be designed and implemented in consultation with

USAID/South Africa's Democracy and Governance program which is supporting the Sexual Offenses and

Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa in its endeavor to

eradicate all forms of gender-based violence against women and children, especially the crime of rape. The

South Africa National Strategic Plan includes as part of its intervention packages the prevention and

identification of child abuse and neglect. This activity also supports the COP objective of increasing the

number of providers/caretakers trained in caring for OVC. The activities and products will contribute to

sustainability of approaches to increasing and enhancing the capacity of caregivers.

This activity will contribute to the PEPFAR goal of providing care and support to 10 million HIV-affected

individuals, including OVC.

SUMMARY:

Abuse Referral Network

In collaboration with the South African Department of Social Development (DOSD), PEPFAR funds will be

used to provide child protection and abuse (physical and sexual) identification and support training to

community-based, faith-based and other organizations that provide services to these vulnerable children. A

service provider to implement this activity will be selected in October 2007. Expert and specialist

organizations will be recruited to provide the training to all OVC partners supported under the PEPFAR

program in South Africa, to ensure effective support and service provision to OVC and other children made

vulnerable by abuse or abusive situations. Funding will be used primarily in the emphasis area of gender in

reducing violence and coercion, training specifically in-services training with additional efforts in local

capacity building with a focus on quality assurance and supportive supervision to ensure follow-up and

mentoring of trained participants. The primary target populations for the intervention include orphans and

vulnerable children (OVC) and people infected with HIV and AIDS, and the general population aged over 25

years.

BACKGROUND:

In FY 2006, PEPFAR provided funding for OVC services to more than 20 organizations in South Africa.

More than half of these organizations reported that they have seen a sharp increase in the number of

abused (sexual and physical abuse) children in their programs over the last twelve months. These partners

requested that training be provided on child abuse identification, caring for abused children with a specific

focus on the referral networks for abused children. They have specifically requested that within their

organization at least one or two individuals be trained as a resource person for dealing with child abuse, the

legal ramifications of the court case, and the after-effects and trauma of the abuse on the child. Caregivers,

guardians and OVC themselves on the front lines are in a prime position to identify early signs of abuse of

OVC and to initiate interventions. A 2005 case study of Violence Against Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in

Uganda indicated that training and support are required for guardians and other children in households

where orphans are living. It also states that a training package should be developed and delivered to

guardians covering issues such as the care and support needs of orphans, changes to family household,

use of memory books, HIV/AIDS and managing difficult behavior. Community Care Coalitions and

Community Volunteers should also be trained on these issues to provide support to the families where

orphans are staying and to further monitor situations where orphans are believed to be treated poorly

including where they are abused. It identifies the training of guardians to better care for orphans as the

optimal way to address the issues of discrimination.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

This activity will focus on providing training on abuse identification, trauma counseling, dealing with child

abuse through the court systems (court chaperones) and developing linkages and strong referral networks

with the healthcare systems and the police systems. Suggested role players who could be included in such

training besides the NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, are teachers, health professionals, the police service, foster

parents, psychologists, trauma counselors, churches, caregivers and volunteers. Training will focus on

prevention and early interventions to safe guard the well-being and best interest of the child. Innovative

methods in the identification, education and prevention of sexual abuse will be a major focus. A sexually

abused child is doubly vulnerable since medico-legal information is required to sustain a court case, and

medical information must be available within 72 hours or less to ensure that the child can get post exposure

prophylaxis (PEP). In addition to the training, this activity will also work with organizations to identify

champions among the police service, the healthcare system, as well as the justice and legal system, and

will work with the CBO/FBO and NGOs to be advocates for abused children to ensure that they get the best

quality service. This activity will work with the OVC support organizations and OVC advocates to share

resources, skills, knowledge and techniques. In addition, this intervention will build the human capacity of

OVC organizations to be able to address child protection and child abuse issues in a sustainable manner.

This activity will promote the collaboration between organizations working with OVC and those working to

address sexual abuse and exploitation. This activity will be designed and implemented in consultation with

USAID/South Africa's Democracy and Governance program which is supporting the Sexual Offenses and

Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa in its endeavor to

eradicate all forms of gender-based violence against women and children, especially the crime of rape. The

South Africa National Strategic Plan includes as part of its intervention packages the prevention and

identification of child abuse and neglect. This activity also supports the COP objective of increasing the

number of providers/caretakers trained in caring for OVC. The activities and products will contribute to

sustainability of approaches to increasing and enhancing the capacity of caregivers.

This activity will contribute to the PEPFAR goal of providing care and support to 10 million HIV-affected

individuals, including OVC.