IMARISHA Quarterly Report: Tanzania Economic Strengthening for Households Affected by AIDS

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is being implemented by DAI. The project's primary goal is to improve the economic well-being of households affected by AIDS through various interventions. The project's technical program is divided into four technical areas. Technical Area 1 focuses on increasing the capacity of PEPFAR implementing partners (IPS) to deliver economic strengthening (ES) activities. During Quarter 2, IMARISHA staff engaged in informational dialogues with PEPFAR IPS to discuss IMARISHA's vision and plans. IMARISHA also conducted baseline assessments of PEPFAR partners and sub-partners to gather data on their ES activities. The partner assessment tool, a questionnaire that captures data on PEPFAR partners and sub-partners, was finalized and field-tested during a trip to Morogoro. The tool was used to collect data from more than 35 implementing partners, and by the end of Quarter 2, IMARISHA staff had collected assessment questionnaires from 32 organizations. The assessment process aims to provide a baseline for IMARISHA's technical assistance to partners and to provide partners with a clearer understanding of ES activities. Data analysis of the returned assessment questionnaires began in June, and early trends identified include a lack of ES interventions focused on economic growth or income creation, a reliance on one-off trainings, and a lack of referrals for ES interventions. The analysis also revealed a substantial underinvestment in ES activities, with budget figures reported by partners showing many discrepancies and inaccuracies. IMARISHA's Economic Strengthening Capacity Building Program is being designed to address these gaps and to provide effective ES programming to beneficiaries. The program will focus on building upon existing group structures, utilizing local resources within the community, and reducing dependency on donor support. In terms of project administration and finance, IMARISHA has made significant progress in Quarter 2. The project has hired local staff, including a Livelihoods Coordinator and an Economic Development Manager, and has set up and trained staff on the IMARISHA IT system and field accounting system. The project has also developed and submitted its work plan, which was approved by USAID on May 31, 2011. Overall, IMARISHA is making progress in its efforts to strengthen the economic capacity of households affected by AIDS in Tanzania. The project's technical program is focused on increasing the capacity of PEPFAR IPS to deliver ES activities, and the project's economic strengthening capacity building program is being designed to provide effective ES programming to beneficiaries.