The overall goal of the Children Tariro Program is to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on Zimbabwe’s Children by enhancing the sustainability of care and support services for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children.
The Children Tariro project aims to provide that holistic approach to child care through the following main thematic areas:
·Psychosocial support and referrals,
·Health assessments, treatment and care,
·Educational assistance,
·Sexual Reproductive health services and support and, Economic strengthening
BACKGROUND
Gutu is one of the 7 districts in Masvingo province. It has 41 wards under its jurisdiction which consist of communal, resettlement and A2 farms. Its economy is predominantly agro-based. A better number of households are child-headed, owing to the AIDS pandemic.
Girl-children are often dropped out of school early and married off young, thus exposing them to high risks of illiteracy, disease, and death. Due to the economic meltdown that has seen many impoverished families struggling to earn a living, orphans and vulnerable children bear the major brunt of the economic hardships that see them leave school early, married off or engaging in child labour to help the struggling caregivers.
Orphans often rely on the care and support of extended family well-wishers and in most cases they lack critical access to protection services and basic human rights such as birth registration and the much needed psychosocial support.
The Friendship Bench Counselling project is funded by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC): A cluster randomized control trial of a brief psychological intervention in a high HIV prevalent population.
The Friendship Bench programme started October 2012 and is a 3 year project with local initiative that seeks to address depression through a structured counselling programme, which has been running in three City health clinics for over 6 years. Over 5000 people, mainly people living with HIV have benefited from the programme in the three-city health clinics situated in Mbare.Available data on the Friendship bench shows improvement in adherence to HAART, TB treatment, and a general improvement in conditions seen at primary health care level when co-morbid common mental disorders are identified and treated using structured psychological intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Due to the high demand for this structured counselling programme a need to test this intervention through a randomized controlled trial has emerged
HPV VACCINE PROGRAM
The HPV survey was funded by PATH
The support provided by PATH was focussing on evaluating the acceptability, feasibility and coverage of HPV vaccine achieved through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
Period of projectJuly 2019-September 2019
TYPHOID CONJUGATE VACCINES PROGRAM
The TCV is currently funded by PATH
The Administrative support provided by PATH is focussing on Accelerating, Availability and Access to Typhoid Conjugate Vaccines introduction.
Our Current Projects
Children Tariro
OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of the Children Tariro Program is to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on Zimbabwe’s Children by enhancing the sustainability of care and support services for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children.
The Children Tariro project aims to provide that holistic approach to child care through the following main thematic areas:
· Psychosocial support and referrals,
· Health assessments, treatment and care,
· Educational assistance,
· Sexual Reproductive health services and support and, Economic strengthening
BACKGROUND
Gutu is one of the 7 districts in Masvingo province. It has 41 wards under its jurisdiction which consist of communal, resettlement and A2 farms. Its economy is predominantly agro-based. A better number of households are child-headed, owing to the AIDS pandemic.
Girl-children are often dropped out of school early and married off young, thus exposing them to high risks of illiteracy, disease, and death. Due to the economic meltdown that has seen many impoverished families struggling to earn a living, orphans and vulnerable children bear the major brunt of the economic hardships that see them leave school early, married off or engaging in child labour to help the struggling caregivers.
Orphans often rely on the care and support of extended family well-wishers and in most cases they lack critical access to protection services and basic human rights such as birth registration and the much needed psychosocial support.
ZAPP-Friendship Bench (Mental Health Programme)
The Friendship Bench Counselling project is funded by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC): A cluster randomized control trial of a brief psychological intervention in a high HIV prevalent population.
The Friendship Bench programme started October 2012 and is a 3 year project with local initiative that seeks to address depression through a structured counselling programme, which has been running in three City health clinics for over 6 years. Over 5000 people, mainly people living with HIV have benefited from the programme in the three-city health clinics situated in Mbare. Available data on the Friendship bench shows improvement in adherence to HAART, TB treatment, and a general improvement in conditions seen at primary health care level when co-morbid common mental disorders are identified and treated using structured psychological intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Due to the high demand for this structured counselling programme a need to test this intervention through a randomized controlled trial has emerged
HPV VACCINE PROGRAM
The HPV survey was funded by PATH
The support provided by PATH was focussing on evaluating the acceptability, feasibility and coverage of HPV vaccine achieved through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
Period of project July 2019-September 2019
TYPHOID CONJUGATE VACCINES PROGRAM
The TCV is currently funded by PATH
The Administrative support provided by PATH is focussing on Accelerating, Availability and Access to Typhoid Conjugate Vaccines introduction.
Period of project February 2020-Current