Religious Communities Assisting Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa

Transcription

1 RELIGIONS for PEACE Religious Communities Assisting Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa WORLD CONFERENCE ON RELIGIONAND PEACE 777 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA NEW YORK, NY TEL: ; FAX:

2 RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES ASSISTING CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA Executive Summary In this proposal, the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) is seeking support in order to assist religious communities across Africa to further mobilize in response to the impact that HIV/AIDS is having, particularly on children. WCRP will facilitatemulti-religious collaboration to expand.the.capacity of local religious organizations to provide care and suppmt for children affected by HIVIAIDS by cha~g resources, offering training and technical assistance, and through networking and information sharing across religious and national lines. In addition, WCRP will work directly with Africa's religious leaders to implement a broad-based advocacy cll.mpaignat national, regional and international levels to r~uce stigma and di crimination associated with HIVIAIDS and to ensure that the rights and needs of all vulnerable children are being met. WCRP is committed to working in partnership not only with religious organizations, but also with mai2r NGOS through the Hope for African Children Initiative, with governments, and with international agencies such as UNICEF in this effort. HIVIAIDS is creating a crisis for children in Africa. The social and economic impact of this crisis - both on the children and the society in general- is difficult to overstate. The illness and death of one or both parents from AIDS triggers a host of sociological, economic and psychological effects on the orphaned child. Children left behind are at greater risk of malnutrition, illness, abuse and sexual exploitation than children orphaned by other causes. Lacking parental guidance and love, economic security and education, children orphaned or otherwise affected by AIDS feel a sense of powerlessness and despair. These challenges are particularly acute for girls who suffer even greater neglect and exploitation. Even as children face these individual challenges, AIDS is ravaging African societies in general, creating a "caring deficit" for children; the ever-growing number of orphaned children is matched by a corresponding reduction in the number of adults. Over the past 5 years, there has been a growing international consensus on the most effective strategies for supporting orphans and other vulnerable children. These strategies recognize that any response that seeks to meet the scale, ubiquity, and multiplicity of needs of afflicted children must be community-based and must focus on providing families and local communities the additional resources they need to care for their children. Local community groups across Africa are proving what works - hojp.e~based care, school feedillg programs, day-care programs, and transition planning - but these intervenlkms m~t be extended widely ai'idexpandeddeeply through all levels of society to address the multiple dimensions of care required by the children, as to date responses have tended to be small scale and localized. Ifthe goal is to strengthen the ability of local communities to meet the needs of the children, then it is essential to actively engage religious organizations in this effort, as they represent the most extensive, best-organized and most viable network of local community organizations in Africa. They are tremendously well positioned, already active, and yet under-utilized in responding to the needs of children affected by AIDS. Religious organizations bring particular strengths in education, health and other social services, as they often run the institutions that provide these services. Even as religious organizations across Africa are already deeply involved in assisting children affected by AIDS, multi-religious collaboration can increase the scale and effectiveness of their interventions by efficiently identifying critical local actors; coordinating information sharing, capacity building, and training; directing resources where they will have the greatest impact; and strengthening the influence of public advocacy by the religious communities on behalf of children. 2

3 Such collaboration among Africa's religious organizations requires developing effective mechanisms that can facilitate interaction among them. The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) is well positioned to assist in this effort by working through its existing network of inter-religious bodies in Africa and assisting religious leaders to form such structures in countries where they do not currently exist. WCRP is committed to working with Africa's religious communities in a collaborative way to further mobilize their wealth of social and moral assets in the service of children affected by AIDS through two main objectives. First, it aims to increase the capacity of local religious organizations to provide care for children; and second, it aims to support a broad-based advocacy campaign engaging religious leaders at national, regional, and international levels to address the rights and needs of children and to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding AIDS. Capacity Building: Working in close collaboration with existin national multi-religious task fq!ffs in Uganda. Kenya, Malawi, and with new ones. zambi ue Z la, am r, N'l-mibiaand elsewhere, WCRP will provide JZe.sQ1R=Ges..for small gmnts «US$5000) and for scale up grants (US$~Q,0400) that will assist local religious groups to initiate, sustain, and expand their efforts to care for children. The national.task forces will also coordinate training workshops for service providers and volunteers working in these programs. WCRP, through its Network of Rcl-..JgiG~~~tions,will conduct regional training seminars for leaders of local religious women's groups working with children. Finally, WCRP will convene three pan-african committees - the n-african Multi-reli ious Task Force on Children and AIDS, the African R~ligious Women's EQUlm, and the African Religious out etwork - that will assist in sharing information, mobilizing constituencies, and providing advice ana guidance to WCRP in implementing its programs. Advocacy: Building on the outcomes of the African Religious Leaders Assembly on Children and HIV/AIDS, which was convened by WCRP in June 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya, WCRP will assist religious leaders across Africa to conduct national advocacy campaigns by providing communications materials (video, audio and print) and supporting advocacy and media training workshops for national and local religious leadership. WCRP will also convene the African Religious Leaders Council- a multi-religious forum for Africa's senior most religious leaders - to lead a regional and international advocacy campaign and to provide advice and guidance in the implementation of the Nairobi Plan of Action. In these ways, and through its partnership in the Hope for African Children Initiative, WCRP will further equip and mobilize religious organizations throughout Africa to playa leading role in helping families and local communities address the needs of children affected by HIVIAIDS in ways that begin to meet the scale of the problem and that can be sustained throughout its duration. 3

4 I. Project Description Problem Statement HIV/AIDS is creating a crisis for children in Africa. According to the latest statistics, over 11 million children on the continent have lost one or both parents to the disease, and that number is projected to reach over 20 million by By that date, at least 12 African countries will have over 15% of their children as orphans, the vast majority due to AIDS. Not only is the size of the problem staggering, so is its duration. Even if countries are able to begin reducing HIV infection rates, the size of the orphan population will continue increasing until at least The social and economic impact of this crisis - both on the children and the society in general - is difficult to overstate. 1 The illness and death of one or both parents from AIDS triggers a host of sociological, economic and psychological effects on the orphaned child. Children left behind are at greater risk of malnutrition, illness, abuse and sexual exploitation than children orphaned by other causes. Their education suffers as they are faced with domestic responsibilities and cannot afford the school fees and books. The high costs of caring for a sick family member combined with the decrease in household income leaves many AIDS-affected families impoverished and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Girl children are particularly vulnerable, as they are often the first to be taken out of school, to be used for household help, and to be victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, which in turn leads to increased risk for HIV infection.' At the same time children must cope with the stigma and discrimination so often associated with AIDS, which can even deprive them of basic social services and education. Lacking parental guidance and love, economic security and education, children orphaned or otherwise affected by AIDS feel a sense of powerlessness and despair. Even as children face these individual challenges, AIDS is ravaging African societies in general, creating a "caring deficit" for children; the ever-growing number of orphaned children is matched by a corresponding reduction in the number of adults. Those getting infected and dying are mostly in the year cohort - the most productive segment of the population. They are not only parents, but also teachers, health workers, and others who provide social services and keep economies functioning. Strategies for Response Over the past 5 years, there has been a growing international consensus on the most effective strategies for supporting orphans and other vulnerable children. These strategies recognize that any response that seeks to meet the scale, ubiquity, and multiplicity of needs of afflicted children must be community-based and must focus on providing families and local communities the additional resources they need to care for their children. There simply is no other way to bring needed responses "to scale." In addition, greater effort must be given to ensuring that governments develop 1 Statistics from "Children on the Brink2002", joint study publishedby UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID, July As overwhelming as these numbers are, the report notes that millions more children suffer directly from the impact of AIDS, such as those caring for sick or dying parents, those in families who take in orphaned children from relatives or neighbors, and those over the age of 15 who have lost parents and are often serving as the primary caregivers for their 1'0unger siblings. " This risk is illustrated by estimates that girls make up 2/3 of the young people between who are infected with nrv. 4

5 appropriate policies and that all sectors of society create an environment that strengthens support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. 3 The families and local communities who are the front-line caregivers have demonstrated both remarkable resilience and creativity in addressing the myriad needs of affected children. There must be particular attention given to women in local communities, as they are the vast majority of caregivers, both for those infected with HfV and the children affected by the disease. These communities need to be strengthened because institutional responses to the crisis, such as orphanages, will never meet the scope of the problem and they run counter to local traditions. Local community groups across Africa are proving what works - home-based care, school feeding programs, day-care programs, and transition planning - but these interventions must be extended widely and expanded deeply through all levels of society to address the multiple dimensions of care required by the children, as to date responses have tended to be small scale and localized. These responses have been further limited by the all too prevalent social stigma of AIDS and the patterns of discrimination it creates within communities. Role of Religious Organizations If the goal is to strengthen the ability of local communities to meet the needs of the children, then it is essential to actively engage religious organizations in this effort, as they represent the most extensive, best-organized and most viable network of local community organizations in Africa. They are tremendously well positioned, already active, and yet under-utilized in responding to the needs of children affected by AIDS. Over 85~ the population across Africa is actively involved in a religious community, and religious communities are present in every place where children feel the impact of AIDS. The religious infrastructure connects villages, districts, capitals and regional centers and thereby provides an existing capacity to channel information, to organize people and to 1mobilize action. These structures include governing authorities, academic institutions, social service bodies, and women's organizations. In addition, much of the education and health infrastructure in Africa is run by religious organizations. Numerous religious individuals, officials, and institutions are deeply involved in caring for children affected by the disease out of sheer necessity and moral concern. Moreover, religious leaders in African countries are uniquely positioned to lead a campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. And yet, the full potential of these communities and their leaders has not been realized and they still require a great deal of further capacity to expand and sustain their efforts to assist children. Value of Multi-religious Collaboration Even as religious organizations across Africa are already deeply involved in assisting children affected by AIDS, multi-religious collaboration can increase the scale and effectiveness of their interventions by efficiently identifying critical local actors; coordinating information sharing, capacity building, and training; directing resources where they will have the greatest impact; and strengthening the influence ofpublic advocacy by the religious communities on behalf of children. Such collaboration can also mobilize greater resources to support interventions on behalf of children, as many external donors are more comfortable channeling funds through a multi-religious structure than a particular religious organization in order to avoid any perception of supporting or propagating a specific faith tradition. 3 See annex 1 for a list of the five key strategies and 12 principles to guide programming for children affected by AIDS. 5

6 Role of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) Such collaboration among Africa's religious organizations requires developing effective mechanisms that can facilitate interaction among them. The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) is well positioned to assist in this effort by working through its existing network of inter-religious bodies in Africa and assisting religious leaders to form such structures in countries where they do not currently exist. 4 WCRP plays a unique role due to its approach of addressing the full dimensions ofreligious communities. By developing working relationships with existing structures within religious communities, WCRP can help direct support to local service-providers and caregivers in each target country with maximum efficiency. WCRP is the largest worldwide coalition of representatives of religious communities working to take common action to solve critical problems in the fields of conflict transformation, human rights and development. Since its founding in 1970, the organization has been dedicated to promoting cooperation among the world's religions for peace, while maintaining respect for religious differences. WCRP provides a potent base at local, national, regional and global levels for a variety of peace-related activities, and is strengthened by its partnership with civil society institutions in many different countries and by its accreditation at the United Nations. One important example of this reach is the WCRP Globgl.Network of Religious Women's Organizations, which has more than 80 members from Africa. As the primary caregivers and advocates on behalf of children, women playa central role in addressing the impact mv/aids has on children. By working through the already well organized and active women's associations in religious communities across Africa, WCRP can leverage this resource and at the same time coordinate efforts to increase the capacity of these women and their religious communities to sustain and expand care and support for affected children. Building Partnerships It is clearthat the scale of the problem of children affected by AIDS prohibits anyone organization or sector of society from successfully tackling the problem on its own. So in addition to facilitating collaboration among religious organizations, WCRP is committed to building partnerships between religious organizations and otherkey actors working on behalf of children, such as NGOs, international agencies and governments. As part of this commitment, WCRP became a partner in the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI)5 because it offers a model of partnership and a technical framework of proven interventions that can be taken to scale to address the tremendous impact of AIDS on children. HACI's methodology is based on three principles: it is child-focused, community-based, and integrated, recognizing that children affected by mv/aids often need multiple interventions and therefore program strategies must be prepared to support a wide range of 4 In Africa, WCRP has national chapters in Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as active affiliation with religious leaders incote d'ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Its working relationships with major religious institutions in Africa include the All African Conference of Churches, major Muslim associations, Catholic bishops' conferences, Hindu Councils and the Organization of African Instituted Churches. 5 The Hope for African Children Initiative is a community-based, pan-african effort created to address the enormous challenges faced by more than 11 million children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by the AIDS pandemic in Africa, Established in the sururner of 2000, this unique partnership brings together five organizations that share an y international focus (CABE, Plan International, Save the Children, the Society of Women and AIDS in Mtica,and the Wol'k1--GGnference on Re.ligion and Pe~e) with the purpose of increasing the capacity of African communities to provide care, services and assistance to children affected by HIV/AIDS and their families through an initial five-year $100 million campaign. 6

7 interventions based on how families and communities assess the particular needs of their children. Given the critical role ofreligious organizations in local communities, WCRP, therefore, is in a unique position to integrate them in this partnership for the ultimate benefit of Africa's children. WCRP is also working in close cooperation with UNICEF to build models of cooperation between UNICEF and other UN agencies and religious organizations." II. Plan of Action WCRP is committed to working with Africa's religious communities in a collaborative way to further mobilize their wealth of social and moral assets in the service of children affected by AIDS through two main objectives. First, it aims to increase the capacity of local religious organizations to provide care for children; and second, it aims to support a broad-based advocacy campaign engaging religious leaders at national, regional, and intemationallevels to address the rights and needs of children and to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding AIDS. Based on its strength and credibility in facilitating collaboration among religious communities, WCRP will serve primarily as a means to increase the efficiency and scope of efforts by local religious communities to meet the challenge oflllv/aids. WCRP will build on already existing efforts and work in partnership with religiously based organizations that possess significant loperational experience, such as the extensive network of local partners working with Norwggian Ch4:ICh Aid, Islamic Relief Agency, Casitas, as well as secular organizations like UNICEF and in particular through its partnership in the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI). In the past year, WCRP began this work in three countries initially: Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda. In each country, WCRP assisted the existing religie>tl5 structures to faun a smallmulti-teligi.q.us task force.on children and AIDS made up of representatives who have particular expertise on these issues? These task forces gather and share information and develop strategies to increase the capacity of religious communities to provide care for the greatest number of children. They also provide an efficient mechanism to channel resources directly to local religious organizations to support their workwith children. In addition, the Task Forces represent WCRP on the n~al HACI "Country Program Councils" (CPC), which serve as the grant-making bodies in each ~ - country. During , WCRP will continue its work in the three initial countries with a focus on getting greater resources to an expanding range of local groups and to start identifying and supporting opportunities to fund scaled-up programs. WCRP will also expand into 4-5 additional countries in each of the next two years, which will be closely coordinated with the expansion of HACI. Target countries for 2003 include Zambia, Mozambique, Cameroon, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal and Ethiopia; WCRP already has multi-religious bodies formed in Cameroon and Mozambique and is developing them in the other countries. In these countries, WCRP will work with local religious organizations to develop a multi-religious AIDS task force that will coordinate 6 One example of this cooperation is a joint project between WCRP and UNICEF to document existing programs supporting orphans and vulnerable children being carried out by religious organizations in 6 African countries Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland. The research and data collection is currently underway and the final reports should be published by March For example, the task force in Uganda is composed of representatives of the main communities, including the Director of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda, the program office on AIDS in the Catholic Secretariat, and senior staff on AIDS from the Anglican and Orthodox churches. The Muslim and Christian members are carefully coordinated with their respective Councils. The task forces in other program countries are similarly composed. In each case the members are appointed by the leaders of their respective communities. 7

8 program activities, including providing small grants and training opportunities, as well as representing WCRP in country-level HACI CPCs. In all aspects of this work, WCRP will utilize its Network of Religious Women's Organizations, ensuring that these groups are actively engaged in the full range of project activities - from leadership and skills training to direct funding and participation in advocacy strategies. Area I: Capacity Building WCRP will increase the capacity of religious organizations to respond to the AIDS pandemic and its impact on children through activities in three key areas: further equipping and mobilizing local religious communities, training and technical assistance, and networking and information sharing. WCRP will work in close cooperation with the multi-religious task force in each country to carry out these activities and will provide direct support to the task forces so that they are able to develop the administrative and coordinating capacity necessary. A. Equipping and Mobilizing Gettin more resources to religious organizations working directly..with-children in local communities is the most cntica aspect 0 this pfuject. These are the groups having a direct impact on children's lives and they need more support to be able to meet the rapidly growing needs. WCRP will be providing direct support to help keep children in school, maintain nutritional and health standards, provide visitation and counseling, and many other interventions that can help ensure that children have a future. It will be particularly essential to provide support for girl children, as they face even greater challenges to their protection and development. During the current phase of this program, the task forces in Uganda, Kenya and Malawi have been developing their capacity to identify effective OVC programs being carried out by local religious organizations and providing small grant funding to them to sustain, expand and replicate their work. Through this work and their direct involvement in the HACI CPCs, the task forces have strengthened the linkages between the religious organizations and other key partners and have increasingly become the focal point for other organizations to engage faith groups. They are taking on a growing coordination and resource mobilization function among the religious organizations in their respective countries as they try to strengthen their response to HIV/AIDS. These task forces are proving to be an efficient mechanism in directing and leveraging funds. WCRP will continue to work to strengthen the task forces in the three countries and to develop them in new countries so that they can carry out the following activities: Ai - Small Grants Local groups throughout Africa have proven time and again how much impact they can have in children's lives with very little in the way offinancial resources. The scale of the AIDS pandemic, however, has severely strained this local capacity. In such situations, relatively small amounts of funding can provide significant marginal impact to sustain and expand programs, whether school feeding schemes, school fees subsidies, day care programs, or homebased care and visitation. WCRP will provide small grants of up to US$5000 to projects addressing the needs of children affected by AIDS being run by local religious organizations that have been identified by the national task forces. The WCRP regional office in Nairobi will overseethis process and provide appropriate monitoring to ensure effective disbursement and reporting on the funds. 8

9 A2 - Scale up Grants The most challenging dimension of the OVC issue is the sheer number of affected children. As critical as small grants can be in sustaining the ability of local communities to care for children in a variety of ways, they will not be able to transform the situation. Recent studies have estimated that at least 90% of affected children are not receiving any type of external/formal assistance. There is a great need to develop models of programs that can start to match the scale of the problem. WCRP will provide funds for expansion and/or replication of select model programs in each country that have proven successful at a local level. For example, in Malawi, the task force is working with the Tidzuke Women's Group and Orphan Care, which is run by a group of volunteer women who care for almost 400 orphans in the area through feeding programs, day care, and counseling. They are working to devise an expansion program so that this project can be expanded and replications. Another example is a parish-based community center in the Kamwokya section of Kampala that has developed a very effective integrated program that combines a health clinic, a school and a range of foster care options for orphaned children. They face similar challenges - first, the need to expand their own facilities and capacity to care for the ever growing number of children in need in their community; and second, resources for training and start up costs to help other parishes begin a similar kind of program. A larger grant could enable this expansion and replication to take place. B. Training and Technical Assistance Effectively addressing the scope, duration and widespread nature of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its impact on children will require religious communities to improve both the technical capacity and the scale of programs at the local community level. Religious communities have a great advantage in that they are present in almost every village where the children are, but their services for children often rely on voluntary, untrained people. Local communities need training to increase their technical.skills in areas such as health care, nutrition, counseling and education, and management skills in strategic planning, administrative/organizations development, and monitoring and evaluation that are needed in expanding the scale of their programs. In the current phase, WCRP has worked with the national task forces to assess particular training needs among local religious organizations and develop pilot training seminars that draw participants from different religious communities together and focus on increasing the technical capacity of local organizations to expand their OVC programs. In all of the trainings outlined below, WCRP will draw on technical expertise that exists within a range of partners to provide trainers and resource persons for the workshops and advice on the development of training methodology and materials. Bl - National training workshops WCRP will continue to support training workshops within program countries in close coordination with the task forces. The task forces will identify topics for training - both technical and management skills - in consultation with local religious organizations. Trainings will target those persons working directly on OVC programs and will particularly target staff and volunteers from those programs receiving grant funding. Multi-religious training sessions will also serve to strengthen interaction and cooperation among different religious organizations. At least three such trainings will be held annually in each program country: 9

10 B2 - Regional training workshops WCRP will utilize its Network of Religious Women's Organizations to convene a series of regional training workshops (i.e. East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa) that will target specifically religious women who are working directly with OVC and AIDS programs. These meetings will draw women from different religious organizations to share their work experiences, develop strategies for mobilizing resources and strengthening their organizations' capacity. These workshops will also serve to increase the membership and reach of the Network across Africa. Three such workshops will be held each year. B3 - Taskforce exchange visits and training To ensure that the national task forces are well equipped to carry out an increasing range of coordination, funding and mobilization functions, WCRP will provide periodic regional consultations for the task force coordinators and chairpersons that will address technical and management issues. In addition, WCRP will facilitate exchanges between existing and newly formed task forces so that experiences and lessons can be exchanged. C. Networking and Information Sharing Increasing the capacity of local religious communities to care for children can be greatly enhanced by the identification and sharing of creative and effective community-based approaches already being done by religious communities and many other community organizations across Africa. WCRP will work with the task forces and through its HACI partnership to both gather such information and to share itwidely through a range of religious and non-religious channels. This process will continue to refine approaches for strengthening project support at the country level. Cl - Pan-African Multi-religious Task Force In 2001, WCRP created a small pan-african Multi-religious Task Force made up of men and women from religious communities around Africa who are recognized for their experience as practitioners dealing directly with issues related to the impact of IDV/AIDS on children. They are joined by representatives of NGOs with strong religious affiliations such as the Salvation Army, the Islamic Relief Agency, Norwegian Church Aid, and Caritas. The Task Force plays a critical role in information sharing, compilation of best practices and expanding communication flows among religious communities around Africa. It can also assist WCRP in vetting materials and developing advocacy strategies. WCRP has ensured that each of the national task forces has a representative on the pan-african task force so there is effective information flow between the national and regional level. 8 WCRP will convene meetings of the task force twice a year, and these meetings will be opportunities for members to share information on current programs, to advise WCRP on program strategies, and to provide technical support and advice to the emerging African Religious Leaders Council. In addition, WCRP will draw upon these sources of information to publish a newsletter designed to highlight the work of religious organizations and to share examples of particularly effective programs. The newsletter will also provide information on key conferences and meetings where religious organizations are engaged on children and IDV/AIDS matters. The newsletter will be distributed in both electronic and print versions. 8 See Annex 2 for the terms ofreference and membership list of the pan-african Task Force 10

11 C2 -African Religious Women's Forum The African religious women leaders who attended the Religious Leaders Assembly on Children and AIDS that was convened by WCRP in June 2002 in Nairobi agreed in principle to create a pan-african forum that could serve to strengthen networking and support advocacy among religious women's organizations. WCRP will work with a steering committee to develop this forum, which can serve as the African region of the Network of Religious Women's Organizations, and will convene an initial meeting of the Forum that will address the particular leadership needs and opportunities for religious women in Africa, with a focus on their advocacy role in mobilizing more support and resources for religious organizations and their role in caring for children affected by AIDS. C3 -African Inter-religious Youth Network There was also a youth forum at the Religious Leaders Assembly, and the participants focused on the critical role that young people must play in the fight against HIV/AIDS, as they are the ones being most affected and are often providing a great deal of care for sick parents and younger siblings. They agreed at the forum to work on an inter-religious youth network across Africa that could focus attention on strengthening the involvement and capacity of young people to respond to the impact of HIVIAIDS in their communities and its impact on children and youth. There is a particular need to focus on girls and young women, as they are currently experiencing the greatest rates of new infections, and are the most vulnerable to exploitation and abuse after the death of parents. WCRP will work with the committee that was chosen at the Nairobi meeting to develop a plan of action and to hold a series of sub-regional consultations that can identify the ways religious young people and youth organizations are already working on these issues and how to expand their involvement and develop methods for sharing information across religious and national lines. Outcomes (Capacity Building) As a result of the program activities outlined above, WCRP will have worked with religious organizations in countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Namibia and Ethiopia, to achieve the following outcomes by the end of the 2-year project period: 1. Small grant funding provided to at least 150 local religious organizations to initiate or expand programs for children affected by AIDS, providing care and support to tens of thousands of additional children, with particular attention to reducing the vulnerability of girl children. 2. Replication/scale-up funds provided to at least 25 religious organizations to carry out major expansion of programs with a proven experience of improving the situation of OVCs. 3. At least 6 training workshops conducted in each of the project countries, each reaching participants who are directly working on programs for OVC within their respective religious communities. This will result in approximately 1800 persons having expanded skills and competence to implement and manage program interventions for children. 4. At least 6 sub-regional training workshops conducted for religious women's organizations working with children, each reaching participants. Approximately 200 leaders in these organizations will have strengthenedtheir ability to provideleadership and expand the services of their organizations directed towards children affected by AIDS, and they will have developed a vibrant network of religious women across Africa. 5. Fully operational multi-religious task force in each program country serving as the principal mechanism to coordinate and mobilize religious organizations to respond to the needs of children, with the technical and administrative capacity to disburse funds, provide training 11

12 and to coordinate the sharing of information and the development of advocacy strategies among religious organizations. 6. Strengthened pan-african multi-religious networking and advisory bodies (pan-african Task Force and Women's Forum) that provide ongoing technical support and strategic advice to WCRP and other organizations working with religious organizations in Africa, and that serve as a clearinghouse for information on effective programs being carried out by religious organizations across the continent. 7. Establishment of African Inter-religious Youth Network, and 4 sub-regional consultations held to address the role of young people in responding to AIDS and its impact on children and youth and to develop pan-african strategy for further engaging religious young people in advocacy and in programs for prevention and care. Area II: Advocacy Strengthening and expanding the programs that care for children affected by HIV/AIDS is essential, but it is equally important to change the environment in which these children live if they are to have a future. WCRP is working closely with religious leaders across the continent to mount a coordinated advocacy campaign to engage their entire religious networks to: Encourage social mobilization at all levels to act on behalf of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS; Reduce stigma by confronting and breaking down the social shame of HIV/AIDS that has thwarted actions to remedy the impoverished situation of children; Urge governments and international agencies to address the needs ofavcs in their national AIDS action plans and to mobilize the necessary resources; Promote the rights of children, as expressed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Develop partnerships with political, traditional and business leaders in efforts to work on behalf of children affected by HIV/AIDS. In June 2002, WCRP convened the African Religious Leaders Assembly on Children and HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya. This historic meeting brought together over 120 senior religious leaders, men and women, from more than 25 countries for the first-ever pan-african multi-religious gathering to address the impact ofhiv/aids on Africa's children and families. The Assembly was held as part of the Hope for African Children Initiative, and it galvanized a strong commitment among all the participants to become more engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS and its impact on children, and to carry out the above advocacy campaign. Delegates adopted a final declaration and plan of action and agreed to form an African Religious Leaders Council under the auspices of WCRP. 9 As one example of national follow up from this Assembly, religious leaders in Kenya, under the auspices ofwcrp-kenya, are lobbying the government to ensure that a new bill on HIV/AIDS contains provisions that recognize and support the critical role religious organizations can play in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Building on the outcomes from the Nairobi Assembly, WCRP will carry out the following activities to advance this advocacy campaign on behalf of children, ensuring that the core messages outlined above are communicated to key publics at the local, national, regional, and international levels. 1. National advocacy campaigns WCRP will work closely with national multi-religious task forces and religious leaders in each of the program countries to develop and implement an advocacy strategy at the national and 9 See Annex 3 for the Nairobi Declaration and Plan of Action 12

13 local level based on the outcomes of the Nairobi Assembly. This will include video, audio and print materials to communicate about the rights and needs of children and to address the problems of stigma; meetings with key leaders in government to address OVC issues; engaging other key organizations working on behalf of children in advocacy coalitions; and speaking openly and regularly at meetings, services, and other gatherings within their respective religious communities. 2. Advocacy and media training WCRP will work with the pan-african Task Force and national task forces to develop training materials to assist religious leaders in their advocacy work and relationships with the media. Using this manual, WCRP and the national task forces will conduct workshops in each program country to train religious officials in advocacy and media relations. 3. African Religious Leaders Council Fulfilling the mandate given to WCRP at the Nairobi Assembly, we will convene an African Religious Leaders Council that will serve as a multi-religious forum for Africa's senior most religious leaders to provide coordination and leadership on children and AIDS issues. The members of the ARLC will be selected in close consultation with the major religious bodies in Africa, and the Council will playa major role in pan-african advocacy and in overseeing the implementation of the Nairobi Plan of Action. The ARLC will meet once a year to gauge progress, share information, and advise WCRP in its program and advocacy strategy. Council members will also ensure the expanding engagement of their own religious communities in efforts to counter the AIDS pandemic and its particular impact on children. The Council members will be selected by the end of 2002, and the first meeting is planned for May/June Support to meetings ofreligious leadership WCRP will provide support and technical assistance to regional and sub-regional meetings of religious leadership - both multi-religious and within particular religious traditions - that address the issues ofhiv/aids and children to assist the leaders in developing specific plans to implement the Nairobi Declaration and Plan of Action. Outcomes (Advocacy) As a result of these activities, WCRP will achieve the following results by the end of the project period: 1. Active advocacy campaigns carried out in each program country - marked by radio programs, public statements, meetings held with political officials and others - that address issues of stigma and discrimination and the need for more resources and policy support for OVCs, particularly in creating environments where they can receive the social support, education and health care they need to build a strong future. 2. Advocacy and media training manual produced and training workshops conducted for at least 200 religious officials (local clergy, leaders of women's and youth organizations, and senior leadership) in every program country. 3. Functioning African Religious Leaders Council that has engaged in public advocacy at the regional and international level on behalf of children affected by AIDS, and that has further mobilized religious organizations at the regional and national level to make the fight against AIDS, and its particular impact on children a major priority. 13

14 ANNEX 1: Strategies and Principles to Guide Programming for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children The five strategies listed below have been part of the Children on the Brink series. The 12 principles were developed by UNICEF, UNAIDS, and USAID and evolved from widespread consultations among governments, NGOs, international agencies, the private sector, community organizations and young people. These principles provide practical guidance for implementing the five strategies in order to guide a rapidly accelerated expansion of actions to strengthen the capacities of families and communities to ensure the rights of orphans and children affected by AIDS are fulfilled, respected and protected. The principles promote actions that are child-centered, family and community focused and human rights based. Strategies to Assist Children: 1. Strengthen and support the capacity of families to protect and care for their children. 2. Mobilize and strengthen community-based responses. 3. Strengthen the capacity ofchildren and young people to meet their own needs. 4. Ensure that governments develop appropriate policies, including legal and programmatic frameworks, as well as essential services for the most vulnerable children. 5. Raise awareness within societies to create an environment that enables support for children affected by IllV/AIDS. Summarized Principles: 1. Strengthen the protection and care of orphans and other vulnerable children within their extended families and communities. 2. Strengthen the economic coping capacities of families and communities 3. Enhance the capacity of families and communities to respond to the psychosocial needs of orphans and vulnerable children, and their caregivers 4. Link my/aids prevention activities, care and support for people living with IllV/AIDS, and efforts to support orphans and other vulnerable children. 5. Focus on the most vulnerable children and communities, not only those orphaned by AIDS. 6. Give particular attention to the roles of boys and girls, men and women, and address gender discrimination. 7. Ensure the full involvement of young people as partof the solution. 8. Strengthen schools and ensure access to education. 9. Reduce stigma and discrimination. 10. Accelerate learning and information exchange. 11. Strengthen partners and partnerships at all levels and build coalitions among key stakeholders. 12. Ensure that external support strengthens and does not undermine community initiatives and motivation. 14

15 ANNEX 2: PAN-AFRICAN MULTI-RELIGIOUS TASK FORCE ON HIV/AIDS AND CHILDREN A. Terms of Reference The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) has made a particular commitment to facilitate collaboration among African religious communities to increase their ability to care for children affected by HIV/AIDS. As part of this commitment, WCRP is a partner in the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI), which seeks to expand the capacity of local community organizations in Africa to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS. WCRP will work to ensure that religious organizations have full access to the HACI structures and the flow of resources, and will facilitate collaboration among religious organizations to increase the sharing of information and the capacity for programming. As part of this effort, WCRP has formed a pan-african Multi-religious Task Force on Children and AIDS to facilitate the effective and efficient participation of the religious communities in this initiative. This task force will provide expertise and advice to WCRP on issues related to HIV/AIDS and children. These terms of reference shall serve to guide the functioning of the taskforce. 1. The task force shall be composed of up to 20 persons with experience working on issues related to mv/aids within their respective religious organizations. Particular attention will be given to religious and geogra.phical distribution among the members and including pan African religious bodies. The task force will appoint two co-chairpersons from among its members for one-year terms. Ifnecessary, additional meetings can be called. 2. The Task Force will meet two to three times per year to review progress in achieving its objectives, to share information, and to develop strategies for further programming. 3. The primary duties of the task force will be the following: a) To develop a shared agenda and framework strategy for engaging religious communities more fully in efforts to care for children affected by HIV/AIDS; b) To facilitate the participation of religious communities in HACI through WCRP and advise HACI partners and other organizations in working with religious organizations; c) To serve as a forum to share information, lessons learned, and effective practices about programs to assist children affected by AIDS that are being carried out by religious organizations; d) To facilitate technical support and capacity building for religious organizations. e) To facilitate coordination among religious organizations through multi-religious collaboration at both country and regional levels; f) To facilitate advocacy efforts by religious organizations to reduce stigma / discrimination and improve OVC policies and programs; g) To facilitate efforts to increase investment and resource mobilization for religious organizations' OVC programming; h) To advise WCRPlInternational in setting program priorities for supporting and expanding programs conducted by religious organizations to assist children affected by AIDS; i) To review the impact of HACI-supported programs. 4. WCRP will provide staff support to the Task Force through its regional project office in Nairobi and the International Secretariat in New York. 15