FY 2012 Semi-Annual Report for New Partners Initiative – Round Three

The report covers the period from October 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. The FXB-Villages are community-based, holistic models of care and support that aim to improve the long-term well-being of over 8,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) by reinforcing the capacities of 1,920 families to meet their own needs, as well as the needs of OVC in their care. Each of the 24 FXB-Villages in this project supports 80 households affected by HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty, comprising children, caregivers, and adult dependants. The project meets the following PEPFAR strategic objectives: Care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, HIV Prevention and HIV Counseling and Testing. The project's objectives include providing comprehensive services and compassionate care to OVC, strengthening family, community, and government systems to help families and community members implement and monitor the delivery of high-quality comprehensive services to a maximum number of children, increasing fidelity and reducing the number of sexual partners among beneficiaries, supporting and enabling young people to choose abstinence and be faithful, increasing recognition through prevention programs that increase vulnerability to HIV, and increasing recruitment and access to counseling and testing, especially for couples and families. The project is implemented in five units of four or five Villages each, one unit each in Muhanga, Nyamagabe, and Rubavu Districts in Rwanda and one unit in both Kampala and Kyenjojo Districts in Uganda. The project facilitated access to VCT for approximately 6,000 individuals and remaining project targets were completed. Preparation for the end-of-project transition was begun in partnership with 1,920 households, focusing on counseling and emotional support, economic strengthening, group enterprises, and diversification, and on community referrals and resources. In Uganda, seasonal flooding compromised hygiene and sanitation in the Kampala area, while in Rwanda, rising costs of living, hidden education costs, and steep increases in the cost of basic healthcare were challenges. During close-out and transition meetings, households reflected on their progress over the project period, suggesting that FXB ensure progress and continued motivation by creating household plans at the project's start. The USAID budget for Q1 and Q2 2012 was just over USD 90,000, which was expensed in full by March 2012. FXB has expensed the full award amount as of this reporting period and met its cost-share requirement. The report also presents a summary table of PEPFAR indicators, which includes data on the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) reached with a minimum package of Prevention with PLHIV (PwP) interventions, the number of the targeted population reached with individual and/or small group level preventive interventions, the number of eligible adults and children provided with a minimum of one care service, and the number of HIV-positive adults and children receiving a minimum of one clinical service. Overall, the report highlights the progress made by FXB in implementing the NPI in Rwanda and Uganda, and the challenges faced by the project. The report also emphasizes the importance of continued support and motivation for households and communities to ensure the long-term well-being of OVC.