FACT ZIMBABWE
PRESS RELEASE- 18/10/2022
FACT Zimbabwe to launch PEPFAR/USAID-supported USD 54 million programs targeting Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces
Launch Date: 24 October 2022
Venue: Holiday Inn- Mutare
Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT-Zimbabwe) a Christian-based organization and partners with support from The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development in Zimbabwe (USAID Zimbabwe) will launch the DREAMS- Support, Maintain, Advocate, reduce Risk and Transform (SMART) Girls and Sustaining Prevention, increasing Access to Care and Empowerment for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (SPACE for OVC) programmes worth USD 54,158,672 on the 24th of October 2022.
From 2022-2027 the two grants will support the implementation of DREAMS- Support, Maintain, Advocate, reduce Risk and Transform (SMART) Girls USD 25,350,000 and SPACE for OVC USD 28,808,672.00, in Makoni, Mutare, Chipinge, Buhera, Gutu, Chiredzi, Mwenezi, Chivi and Masvingo districts. These will be done in partnership with Population Solutions for Health, Bantwana Zimbabwe, ZAPP Trust, Rujeko Home Based Care Programme, Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V and Pact. This is a follow-on programme to the previous Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) mechanism that was implemented in Buhera, Chipinge, Gutu, Makoni, Mutare and Mutasa that reached 172,000 vulnerable at its peak. The follow-on DREAMS SMART Girls program has reached 59,271 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in its first year (2022) and the SPACE for OVC will reach 70,000 most vulnerable children and their families.
The programs come in to complement other programs in Manicaland province which aim to contribute towards the realisation of the UNAIDS set and PEPFAR adopted, 95-95-95 targets towards HIV epidemic control through:
DREAMS SMART Objectives:
- Increase Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) access to high-impact HIV prevention services and activities according to the DREAMS package.
- Strengthen the capacity of families and communities to provide a safe and supportive environment for AGYW
- Strengthen systems for planning, coordinating, monitoring and assuring the quality of programs for AGYW.
SPACE for OVC Objectives:
- Improve access to HIV care and treatment services for children, adolescents, and youth;
- Strengthen child and family safety skills through improved access to HIV and GBV prevention, GBV response, and child protection services;
- Improve economic stability and educational attainment for vulnerable children and their families; and
- Strengthen local systems for planning, coordinating, monitoring and assuring the quality of services for vulnerable children and their families.
For Press Contact:
Gertrude Shumba | FACT Zimbabwe Country Director | director@fact.org.zw | +263 (20) 61648/67493/66015
Tinotenda Kabai | Documentation and Communications Coordinator | tkabai@fact.org.zw | +263 775 957413