Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

The purpose of the existence of the organization is to help and support children living positively aged between 10 to 15 years in the Midlands province in Zimbabwe.

We also try to help school going children from primary level up to high school on Hiv and AIDS education.

We are trying address the problem of stigma and discrimination faced by the young children in schools, churches and the general community and complementing Zimbabwean government 3 Zero’s program: that is Zero new Hiv infections, Zero Hiv and AIDS related deaths and Zero Hiv and AIDS related stigma and discrimination.

What is your project and how will it help?

We have two projects that are directly aimed at addressing Hiv and AIDS issues among children and adolescents with much emphasis on school going children. The two projects are Kidz with Confidence Support groups and Youth Alive Club.

Kidz with Confidence Support groups

Under this project we aim at providing psycho-social support to children living positively. This support is provided through the support groups which are made up of the children living positively, their immediate parents or guardians and local community health workers such as nurses and village health workers from the local community clinics.
The members meet once a month to assess the health conditions of the children, sharing with each other life experiences and other Hiv and AIDS related issues. Counseling and spiritual development services are provided under this project and the kids take in recreational activities to free them from the depressing thoughts and feeling of Hiv and AIDS.
This project helps in the promotion of drug and medication adherence through health condition assessments and educating the importance of adhering to medication. Self confidence is developed on the part of the children through life skills training. The support provides a platform for the children to share their life challenging experiences and encourage each other (peer-to-peer support).

The support groups leaders addresses stigma and discrimination dangers to the local community through public speaking and anti-stigma campaigns. The emotional support the children receive helps them to accept their Hiv status and be confident of themselves through interacting with other peers in the same predicament.

Youth Alive Clubs

This project aims at disseminating Hiv and AIDS education to school going children and adolescents in schools. The students create youth alive clubs which are aimed at promoting behavior change among their peers; engaging them into social responsibility donating food stuffs to the vulnerable children in their vicinity. Life skills training and sexual reproductive health education is encompassed under this initiative.
It helps the students to make wise choices since it teaches about sexual reproductive health with much emphasis on sexual abstinence which is safe way of avoiding Hiv infections and unwanted pregnancies. It provides a platform for sharing ideas and peer-to-peer counseling and role modelling and instills a culture of social responsibility and leadership.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Partnerships that are required by the organization are in the form of information exchange with other organizations working in a similar way.

Funding partnerships are also required to reach out to more children facing the same problem especially in the rural areas. Request for the formation of other support groups and youth alive clubs have been forth coming but have been put on hold due to financial challenges.

Please detail the resources that you need.

Information Exchange through
- partnerships workshops on Children living positively.
- learning tours to other partners projects.
- Hiv and AIDS research partnerships.

Funding partnerships through
- Kidz with Confidence Support groups project – Yearly Budget – US$60.000
- Youth Alive Club project – YEARLY BUDGET US$45.000
- Vehicle to use in our operations
- Computers to use on e-mentoring of beneficiaries with other kids outside Zimbabwe