Pamoja Tuwalee

“Together we nurture [the children]”

Through the Pamoja Tuwalee project, we built the capacity of families and communities, as well as community volunteer structures (most vulnerable children’s committees and para-social workers), local government authorities, and civil society organizations to address the long-term, comprehensive needs of vulnerable families. We strengthened and expanded existing service delivery platforms for the most vulnerable children to provide core services that mitigate the impact of HIV on children and families by keeping them healthy, safe, stable and schooled. To reduce vulnerability, prevent new HIV infections, and support children’s enrollment and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART), we used multisectoral platforms including:

• Advocacy platforms to mobilize local council to plan, budget, and support vulnerable children at the local level
• Empowering peer leaders to facilitate Child rights clubs to educate communities about the importance of preventing and responding to violence against children
• Multi-sectoral School Assessment to identify children with immediate needs and provide appropriate referrals when necessary; strengthen relations and coordination between schools, communities, and local government authorities to use locally available resources; and ensure most vulnerable children are receiving the care and support they need
• Economic strengthening through Livelihoods Improvement for MVC Care (LIMCA) to complement interventions in nutrition and child protection by informing and empowering caregivers to enhance the well-being of the children in their care
• Community Nutrition Assessments and Education (CNAE) to assess the nutritional status of children, provide nutrition education to caregivers, and provide support through referrals including HIV testing and counseling