Community Based HIV Response among Children

1. Abstract
presentation by Melody M
Chikumbu - ZCDA
Project title :Community Based HIV Response
among Children
Target Population :Mobile and Vulnerable
Population/IDPs
Geographical coverage : Kwekwe District: Ward 4
- Tiger Reef, Blackman and Chiundura B Informal
Settlements

2. Project description
•The project aimed at training 25 peer
counsellors and 50 peer educators.
•Main targets for training - children between
the ages 12-17 and adults representing
parents.
•Raising awareness on HIV/AIDS, Child abuse,
reporting procedures within three
communities with around 2000 households.
•Under the Zimbabwe National Action Plan for
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (NAP for
OVC), the children would say “ Anything for us
without us is against us.’
•Project therefore sought to meaningfully
involve children through building their
capacities towards responding to HIV and

3. Description of context
•Informal settlements due to mine closures,
farm invasions and displacements
•High HIV risky behaviour and increased
child abuse cases.
•Over-crowdedness, poverty, high birth
rate, high prevalence of HIV as well as
multiple concurrent partnerships.
• Such a situation is detrimental to the
normal development of a child.

4. Key interventions
Training of Peer Child Counsellors and Peer
Educators on basic counselling skills, HIV related
child issues, formation of Child Support groups, child
abuse, knowledge of functions of various
departments and ministries and reporting
procedures.
Holding community awareness campaigns with
Victim Friendly Unit, Department of Social Services,
Childline, NAC, Mobile clinic, on their functions as
well as encouraging HIV testing and adherence to
treatment
 Distributing IEC material to participants and
communities on HIV and child abuse issues
Fostering a culture of tolerance to reduce Stigma
and Discrimination at all costs.

5. Approaches,
Methodologies and
strategies used
Participatory approaches - Children and
adults were all given the platform to participate
during workshops and at community gatherings
during the awareness campaigns.
Multi-sectoral approaches – Stakeholders
found an easy platform to link with communities
and make them aware of the functions of
respective departments for continued

6. Approaches,
Methodologies and
strategies used(cont..)
Rights based approaches - Children's
rights were highly emphasised such as rights to
protection, survival, treatment, care and support
as well as participation in all maters that concern
them.
Evidence based approaches - evidence
gathered during the Community Based Planning
Processes(CBP) conducted by ZCDA in 2011 in
the specific operational areas where children
came up with their own plans with regards to

7. Resources used
•RATN financial contribution through the ALUMNI
GRANT
•Facilitators from Government ministries, NGOs,
ZCDA and technical support from CONNECT-ZIST
•IEC material produced and sourced from other
organisations

8. Challenges and counter-
strategies employed
•Trainings were conducted during weekends to
accommodate children.
•Project ignited a lot of protection issues within
the short timeframe but established reporting
structures and referral links through the multi-
sectoral approach employed.
Evidence of success and
achievements;
•Strengthened Child protection committees
•Established synergies between communities and
other stakeholders.
•Raised community consciousness.

9. Lessons learnt
•Child participation is instrumental towards
steering communities to be proactive in
matters that concern them.
•There are still knowledge gaps on issues of
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission as
well as Anti-Retroviral Therapy for children /
Paediatric HIV.
•Multi-sectoral approaches pulls knowledge
together with minimum resources for greater
impact.

10. Conclusions and why it is
a best practice
Involving children in matters that affect them
help in understanding issues better and can
positively influence other children in ways
they understand.
It is important to create synergies between
community and district stakeholders.
The project should be replicated in other
wards for greater impact as the little
timeframe has yielded far reaching results.

11. Sustainability
The foundation for change has been laid
by the project and information flow is to
continue as the links had been established
between the relevant departments and
communities.
Stakeholders who include the children
vowed to keep the ball rolling though they
cited issues of resources as a possible
constraint.

12. Details of what others
will gain from the model.
•Partners and organisations should
acknowledge each other’s competencies
and collaborate for lasting impact than
individual effort.
• Evidence based approach makes people
quickly identify with project thus
enhancing ownership.
• Community ownership of a project helps
in meeting of set goals as there is bound
to be high stakeholder involvement.