Deadline: 26-Jun-23
USAID/South Sudan, with resources from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is seeking assistance for a 5-year activity to support children, adolescents, and their families in the HIV epidemic to improve HIV and health outcomes and reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW).
With the current funding, the activity will be based in Juba County. The activity is expected to result in mitigation of the impact of HIV, reduction in new HIV infections, and improved HIV clinical outcomes for those on HIV treatment among the target sub-populations.
Guiding Principles
- The following are programmatic principles which should be clearly incorporated into the interventions and approaches under this Activity:
- Alignment with South Sudan AIDS Commission and the Ministry of Health priorities – PEPFAR South Sudan recognizes the SSAC as the center of decision-making, leadership and management of the national HIV Prevention response. It also recognizes the leadership of the MoH in regard to the health sector response and the treatment of HIV clients in the country.
- Sustainability – The Activity will contribute to South Sudan’s self-reliance by strengthening the ability of local organizations and community structures to reach and support vulnerable and at-risk populations (OVC and AGYW) and increase the use of services that mitigate the impact of HIV, prevent new HIV infections, and improve HIV clinical outcomes for C/ALHIV.
- Family/Household-Centered Approach – Client focused and family-centered approaches that strengthen the parents and caregivers at the household level are considered fundamental to a quality OVC Activity. Households are composed of people who are in some way affiliated, i.e., individuals who share common space for living, cooking, and caring for children.
- Child Safeguarding – Vulnerable children need to be protected from further abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation which sometimes comes from the people that are supposed to protect them. Families, communities, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations and governments need to work together towards safe-guarding children.
- Gender Equality – To promote gender equality and mitigate structural and other gender inequalities, it is critical that this Activity articulates gender integration into all planned activities.
- Approaches are informed by evidence, epidemic realities, and contribute to epidemic control Programming to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and other adversities on OVC, AGYW and PLHIV should prioritize interventions that have been proven effective through outcome evaluation and/or research and should comply with relevant PEPFAR guidance.
- Coordination and collaboration with other sectoral programs and providers – Leveraging existing and on-going efforts from other sectors, especially government counterparts (i.e., Ministries of gender, youth, education), other USG, United Nations agencies, and Global Fund initiatives to promote effective cross sectoral implementation of interventions (e.g., prevention, treatment, care and support, nutrition and food security, livelihoods and education program) will maximize impact.
- Innovation – Innovative interventions to strengthen families, communities, the sub national government, and link community-based and clinical services needs to be articulated.
- Emerging Leaders – The Applicant is encouraged to include an Emerging Leaders Program as part of project implementation in which minimum of five (5) youth will be hired as emerging leaders into jobs, fellowships and/or internships within the project or directly linked to specific jobs or remunerated internship opportunities outside the project (such as with local government or private sector providers)
Purpose
- The goal of this activity is to support children, adolescents, and families in the epidemic to improve HIV and health outcomes and reduce new HIV infections among AGYW. The period of performance of this Activity is for five (5) years with a Total Estimated Amount (TEC) not to exceed $15,000,000. This Activity supports South Sudan’s national strategic plan (NSP) Framework for reduction of HIV transmission and acquisition and in meeting the 95-95-95 goal.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $15,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $15,000,000
- The anticipated period of performance is 5 (five) years. The estimated start date will be {October 2023}.
Anticipated Targets
- In FY24, the activity is expected to achieve the following PEPFAR Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting targets:
- At least 5,114 orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers are reached with OVC services.
- Of these, at least 4,965 should receive the comprehensive package of services
- Of these, at least 1,336 adolescent girls aged 15-17 receive an OVC-eligible service through the DREAMS program
- At least 4,031 AGYW are active DREAMS program beneficiaries, of whom at least 2,418 finishes at least the primary DREAMS service packages.
- These numbers are an indication of anticipated annual reach for Year 1. Annual PEPFAR targets for future years will be defined through the COP (for PEPFAR funds/results) and work planning process.
Geographic Focus: The geographic focus is Juba County. However, USAID may require the Recipient of this award to shift or expand the geographic focus outside of Juba during the life of the Activity to better align with PEPFAR geographic priorities, shifts in the epidemiology and/or gaps in coverage and alignment with other donor geographic priorities. This will be based on additional funding availability.
Eligibility Criteria
- Local entity means an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:
- Is legally organized under the laws of;
- Has as its principal place of business or operations in;
- Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and
- Managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a country receiving assistance from funds appropriated under title III of this Act.
- For purposes of this section, “majority-owned’ and “-managed by” include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means.
For more information, visit USAID.