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WHAT WE DO

ACE Africa believes that HIV and AIDS affects all aspects of a child's life over a long period of time and that communities themselves can provide the necessary support now and in the future so that children affected can reach their full potential.

ACE Africa works in remote, rural areas of East Africa where one in three households are infected with HIV and every household affected, where 60% of the population live on less that a $1 a day and up to and over 20% of children have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.

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The ACE Africa programme concurrently addresses the short term emergency needs and longer term development issues which affect communities badly affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The holistic programme aims to strengthen community members skills, existing structures, civil society partners and administration to have the ability and commitment to take responsibility for the care and support of People Living with HIV and AIDS, their children and families, now and in the future.

ACE Africa Thematic Areas

1. Community Livelihood Initiatives – Building nutritional and economic capacity

1.1 Agriculture and Nutrition

1220 kitchen gardens established - 1,500 people trained in agriculture & nutrition - 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children fed - 4,000 people living with HIV/AIDS receive regular, nutritioud food

The programme was designed in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health Nutrition Department (Kenya) to improve the health of PLWAs, OVC and the community at large through training in and the promotion of organic agricultural practices as an HIV management tool. The programme encourages the adoption of individual, community and school organic kitchen gardens, using indigenous and exotic crops, which provide a sustainable source of nutritious food for PLWA and OVC as well as increased economic security at the household and group level through sale of surplus crops.

1.2 Income Generating Activities

118 Community Support Groups made up of 2,000 community members (80% women, 80% widows and 60% HIV +) - 85% of groups now have a profitable business, with average increase in earnings of 70% - 40,000 OVC supported with food and basic household needs - 20% of groups have diversified their business - 25% have accessed locally devolved funds to make them financially independent
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The programme was designed to complement and leverage the agriculture and nutrition programme, thereby increasing both community economic and food security. Community group members are trained in business skills to establish nutritional or eco friendly income generating activities ranging from; the production of nutritious flour and soya products for PLWA, amaranth, fish farms, eco friendly sanitary towels and fuel saving rocket stoves to horticultural production. Groups are further trained in business diversification, management skills, budgeting and proposal writing to enable them to access local funds.

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2. Child Rights and Welfare – Child protection, health education and direct aid

2.1 The protection of Children's Rights

19,051 community members sensitized on children’s rights.

The Child Protection programme was established to increase awareness of the rights of women and children and to strengthen their ability to promote a child friendly society, where all children including the most vulnerable have their rights protected; the right to love, protection, shelter, food, education and health. The programme involves educating the community about their rights within the context of HIV and AIDS and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. ACE Africa has established Community Child Rights Committees who are responsible for raising awareness of the rights of women and children and identifying, solving and referring issues of abuse. They are also trained in paralegal issues to help them work closely with administration.

2.2 Child to Child Health Promotion

29,544 children are enrolled in Child to Child Health Clubs making ACE Africa the largest implementer of the Child to Child Programme in East Africa. 100% of schools and 60% of communities have improved cleanliness since the introduction of CtC in their community.
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The CtC programme is a participatory rights based approach, encouraging children to become active agents of change in making health choices and supporting the vulnerable in their community. Children learn how to protect themselves from HIV infection, identify vulnerable children whose rights are being abused, prevent water borne diseases, create a clean environment and promote good nutrition in the community. ACE Africa trains head teachers and teachers in the CtC methodology and has developed the training with a specific focus on HIV and AIDS. Children establish, govern and manage school CtC clubs and these have been developed to include kitchen gardens and school feeding programmes.
CtC logo Read more: www.child-to-child.org >

2.3 Direct Aid to address children's welfare

Over 20,000 impoverished households have received direct aid – relieving them from a critical emergency situation and enabling them to access longer term services.

The Direct aid programme evolved due to the enormous numbers of households in critical poverty without basic needs e.g. clothes, school uniforms, blankets, food or proper shelter. ACE Africa provides these basic needs to enable children to better access education and for them and their families to move from an emergency situation and better access longer term support services in the future.

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3. Counselling and Wellbeing Services – Prevention, Care and Treatment

3.1 Outreach Counselling and Testing and Counselling services

15,000 tested for HIV - 7,445 community members received outreach counselling - 16,072 children received ‘In school guidance and life skills’ - 22,348 PLWA and orphans received medication - +65,000 condoms distributed annually - 2,239 individuals have accessed referral services - 64,245 in total receiving nutrition suppliments

This programme aims to increase access to testing and counselling services, reduce the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS and improve the psychosocial well being of PLWA and OVC and ultimately their health. Activities include; provision of individual outreach counselling, couple and group counselling at homes and at ACE Africa resource centres and 'in school guidance and counselling and life skills' in schools. ACE Africa has trained Child Welfare and Household mentors, youth and teachers in basic counselling skills to support the work of the ACE Africa HIV and AIDS professional counselors. Outreach HIV testing and ’Moonlight Testing’ are provided regularly, enabling community members to know their HIV status.

3.2 Provision of medication and nutritional supplements

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The provision of medication and nutritional supplements compliments the direct aid programme and is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health at outreach centres. PLWA and malnourished children in the rural areas, often lack basic medication or access to health facilities and are often too sick to eat. The provision of nutritional supplements (manufactured by trained community groups) enables the very weak or bedridden to drink a highly nutritious porridge which over time, increases strength appetite, weight and overall health.

3.3 Referrals and networks

The ACE Africa programme is reliant on strong networks, links and referral points with partners in the project areas in order to maximize effective service provision, avoid duplication and increase community awareness and access to welfare facilities. Partners include government and private sectors e.g. Comprehensive Care Clinics, ART therapy, Constituency AIDS Control Council, Children’s department etc, NGOs, micro finance groups and support groups.

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4. Education and vocational training services – Increasing access to Education

124 orphans on secondary bursary scheme - 1,100 orphans and vulnerable children on primary school support - 41 young people on the alumni and further education programme - 19 qualified or started University degrees - Over 29,000 children enrolled in Child to Child Health Education Clubs at 179 schools - 2,187 orphans provided with school uniforms - 2,040 girls provided with sanitary towels
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Education services include; the ACE Africa Secondary School bursary scheme, Primary school support for exceptionally vulnerable children and the ACE Africa Secondary School Alumni. ACE Africa also has well established Community Resource Centres in the rural target areas which provide information about HIV and AIDS, nutrition, children's rights, counselling and support services. Education services also extend to informing the community about HIV and AIDS issues, support services, stigma and ACE Africa activities.
Find out more here: www.rosiedwyer.co.uk >

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5. Transfer of a 'best practice' model of OVC support – Cost efficient sharing and affecting policy from grassroots

5.1 Materials development, technical support and advocacy

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ACE Africa has developed and streamlined its training manuals across the thematic areas to share with local, national and international organizations who are implementing a community orphan support programme - these tools can be accessed on line or through partner visits to ACE Africa Project sites - Bungoma, Siaya and Arusha. In addition, ACE Africa is developing staff capacity in technical support in each thematic and institutional category to assist in the effective sharing and transfer of the model with partner organizations.

  • Community Livelihoods Initiative - Building nutritional and economic capacity
  • Child Rights and Welfare - Child protection, health education and direct aid
  • Counselling and Wellbeing Services - Prevention, Care and Treatment
  • Education services - Increasing access to information & education
  • Programming Timetable - overview of training resources, beneficiaries and stages of implementation
  • Monitoring and Evaluation systems - ACE Africa & internationally recognized systems, research
  • Institutional systems – Financial Controls and Procedures, Governance, HR etc
  • Engaging with beneficiaries, government and partners – sustainability and cost effectiveness
  • Advocacy – local, national and international information sharing and affecting policy change
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A Sustainable Approach to OVC Support

Breakdown of Direct OVC support by ACE Africa and the Community per site

Evidence suggests that through greater community involvement and participation in the programme, activities are being sustained by the community and their ability to provide direct support to OVC is increasing. All ACE Africa sites, at their different stages are in line or in advance of the strategic target which aims that communities will be able to provide and sustain support to OVC, without ACE Africa direct support within 10 years of programme implementation.