Quarterly Project Report Nigeria CUBS April – June 2013

The project is implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in collaboration with Africare and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health. The project's primary objectives include increasing the number of OVC served with 6+1 services, strengthening the capacity of national and state governments to protect and care for OVC, addressing OVC-related gender issues, and increasing local capacity to implement, monitor, and evaluate OVC programs. During the quarter under review, the project provided quality services to OVC through 38 collaborating civil society organizations (CSOs). A review of the quarter's data shows that the project provided 12,041 OVC with a minimum of one care service, 2,014 of whom were newly enrolled in an OVC care program. This brings the total number of OVC served since October 2012 to 40,017, accounting for 82 percent of the project year (PY) 4 annual target. The project has retained 94 percent of the children enrolled in an OVC care program due to its rigorous community volunteer follow-up program. The project also trained 2,452 caregivers in OVC psychosocial support, health, food and nutrition, and economic strengthening skills, bringing the total number of caregivers trained to 3,715 and surpassing the PY4 target. CUBS actively participated in several meetings hosted by USAID and the Government of Nigeria to discuss OVC programming in Nigeria. The project also organized a performance review meeting with the theme, "Sustaining Current Gains through Effective Program Implementation," which provided an opportunity for implementing staff and the CUBS team to review project achievements, key results, and challenges from the first half of PY4 and plan for the second half. CUBS also held a three-day CSO review meeting where all 38 implementing organizations presented their achievements, discussed the challenges they are facing, and identified strategies to address those challenges. The project team joined the Ministry of Women Affairs in Bayelsa State and other stakeholders to commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC), which had the theme, "Eliminating Harmful Social and Cultural Practices Affecting Children: Our Collective Responsibility." CUBS continued working with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWA&SD) and MEASURE Evaluation to train staff on the National OVC Management Information System (NOMIS). The major challenge CUBS encountered this quarter was the Rivers State Minister of Health's decision to dismiss its LGA Chairmen and councilors. Although this has inhibited some of the project's work in Rivers State, CUBS has continued to provide services to children through the CSOs and child protection committees (CPCs). The project team worked closely with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (SMWA&SD) and the Association of OVC Organizations in Nigeria to engage the Lifetime Caring International Foundation (LCIF) to support the project's work in Rivers State. CUBS' Associate Director of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and the Gender attended the Women Deliver Conference and the International AIDS Conference in Malaysia, where they presented papers on CUBS' accomplishments, fostered relationships within the global public health community, and joined networks that will allow them to continuously engage in experience sharing and problem solving with their colleagues.