Quarterly Performance Report #9: PREPA Preparação Laboral para Jovens

The program aims to improve livelihood opportunities for highly vulnerable in- and out-of-school youth and members of their household. The program's objectives are to strengthen the employability and entrepreneurship skills of youth, strengthen life skills through training, particularly related to HIV prevention and adolescent reproductive health, and improve collaboration and build local capacity through alliances, partnerships, and exchanges among training institutes, youth-serving organizations, and the private sector. The target group includes orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) between the ages of 15 and 18, youth up to 24 years of age living with HIV and receiving anti-retroviral treatment (ART), and their household members (up to age 24) who are caregivers or provide economic support. The program has been implemented in two phases: the Pilot Phase in 2012 and the Program Redesign and Expansion Phase in 2013-2015. During the reporting period, UPA strengthened its partnership with local clinics and NGOs that work directly on HIV/AIDS. UPA partnered with local health organizations supported by FHI360 and ASSCODECHA, a local CBO supported by Population Services International (PSI). These organizations have supported UPA to strengthen its HIV/AIDS lessons and support for youth. The organizations provided support for people living with HIV, including referrals to PTS training and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling. ICEM developed its entrepreneurship training program for PREPA youth with support from PSI. PSI helped ICEM identify and select youth in the 3 target locals of Matola District that met PREPA beneficiary criteria and delivered HIV/AIDS-focused information sessions to the beneficiaries. Two such training sessions were provided to each training cohort during this quarter. The PREPA pipeline has been updated, with USAID issuing a modification to the PREPA cooperative agreement granting a no-cost extension to the project through June 30, 2015. IYF submitted requests to USAID to issue fixed fee program contracts to ICEM and CODD, which were promptly reviewed and approved by USAID. The sub-awards will end by May 29, 2015, allowing one month for project closeout activities. The program has made significant progress in training youth, with 817 enrolled and 659 completed in the first two cycles of life skills training. The program has also expanded to include entrepreneurship training, with ICEM delivering training sessions to youth in Matola District. The program's partnerships with local clinics and NGOs have strengthened, providing support for people living with HIV and referrals to PTS training and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling.