Hi All

My project started collecting its fruit; all children started their respective works (shoe shining and selling items using mobile shops) under the supervision and support of the project stakeholders.

After the selection of students, distribution of uniforms and school stationary to them, the distribution of working materials and items was made this month; all costs are covered by the project, two sectors are selected to deploy our 30 children in different parts of the city. 15 started working shoe shining and the rest 15 engaged in selling items using mobile shops in busiest parts of the city. Be aware that 10 girls are taking part in this project.

We didn’t provide all necessary items and materials necessary to start their work initially to our children, to see their effectiveness in making their business well, attending their schools and tutor sessions constantly and save 10% of their income. On the 4th month, the remaining part of items and materials will be provided to expand their business.

Our children easily penetrate the market since this project involved key stakeholders that played their part in implementing it successfully. As a result children are attending their Schools by doing their business when the came back from their respective Schools (students learning in public schools are attending only half a day, all students are learning in public schools, these schools don’t charge tuition fee).

Our children have their own account in Abyssinia bank under the supervision of Green and Wealthy Ethiopia volunteers, starting form October they will save 10 % of their income.

This picture shows the handover ceremony of one of our children when received his Abyssinia bank account book and certificate of temporary place for his work from the local administrators

The second phase of the grant, I have received from GYCA last Friday will enable us to start our tutor in 3 schools by purchasing necessary material for the tutor intended to support our children in compensating the their studying time in which our children spent in working their businesses, other remaining parts of this project will be implemented successfully in the coming months.

This project ensures community ownership and contribution to make sure the program is sustainable even after the end of the project time line.

Steering committee consisted from concerned bodies has been organized at the beginning of the project implementation period to ensure accountability. As a result this individual grant is not implemented only by the good will and good intent of me, all members of the committee know all activities of the project vary well and they have the full power and authority in managing the overall activities of the project including the financial aspect.

Hello,

In our Project titled “Awareness Raising about HIV/AIDS among Young Women,” we were supposed to do a KAP survey to get knowledge about the Knowledge, attitudes, and perception of Young women about HIV/AIDS. We have almost completed the survey and have started analyzing the data. We did the survey among young women of Peshawar City, we visited Colleges, and Universities, met young women, and did survey. This week we will visit some schools of Peshawar to fill survey forms from very young women.

While talking with Young Women, many young women focused that their should be increased work on raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. Young Women of Universities (age 20-23) were very happy about such a survey and showed their support of such activities.

We will soon share the quantitative results of the Survey.

Regards,
Gulalai Ismail

Dear all,
I am sending this information in order to share with all of you about ongoing activities we carried out few weeks ago.
As suggested by one of young people met during initiation of an Anti-AIDS Club at BUKOMEYE Primary School, instead of forwarding with the Home-based campaign (an outreach campaign where project volunteers will make house calls providing comprehensive information about HIV and encouraging family members to go to a VCT location), we decided to first initiate Anti-AIDS Clubs at BUKOMEYE and LIBA Primary schools and provide for them teaching sessions in order to give them accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS,STIs and Reproductive Health. For both locations, Anti-AIDS Clubs members will be defined as all young people, motivated, interested in being engaged in the struggle against HIV/AIDS and who aged from 13 years old up to 25.Working with these clubs will help us, apart from providing accurate information on HIV and other sexual issues to rural young people, we will get in touch with different associations of parents hence we will be able to provide specific sessions to parents on how to address sexual issues to their children.
At LIBA Primary School, an Anti-HIV/AIDS Club has already initiated with more than 45 members and at BUKOMEYE, we are still recruiting young people who will voluntarily be part of the Anti-AIDS Club.
I wished I should post at least a picture showing what we are doing on ground but it didn't work.I am trying my best,once it will work you will directly see some pictures.

Next!

For the past two weeks, girls in all the groups has been involved in composition of songs carrying HIV/AIDS and gender messages,practices traditional dances, drama in preparation to awareness and community mobilisation campaigns. Participating girls continue to show willingness and eager to learn more and discover about themselves and what they are able to do to overcome their problems. The clubs is providing forums where girls are able to discuss and share their experience with regards to sexual abuse, HIV/Aids and their rights. In addition, girls has been making netball trainings in preparation to HIV/Aids prevention Netball tournament scheduled between October-December 2008.

During one of our discussions, I learnt that some of these girls were involved in what they call "love binding", this is where a girl and a boy in a relationship, make a small scratch or graze their skins and make their wounds meet and blood mix (this is like blood covenant). The girls said that this is common amongst their peers and that they believe this helps to strengthern love and commitment to keep a relationship. Girls do this without realising that such practice can expose them to HIV/Aids infection and it was discussed at length that such practice should be discouraged and condemed.

Currently I am designing a leaflet or information sheet to be published in a week or so. I have discovered that these girls are too hungry for this information (which they have been denied for so long).