• Civil Society and Governance
  • Civil Society and Governance Overview
  • Institutional Capacity Building
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• Education
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• HIV/AIDS
  • HIV/AIDS Overview
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Institutional Capacity Building
• International Visitors Exchanges
  • International Professional, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges Overview
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
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• Capacity Development and Training
  • Capacity Development and Training Overview
  • Participant Training
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Grant Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

School Community Partnerships Serving OVCs (SCOPSO)

It is estimated that 5.4 million children in Ethiopia are orphans, including approximately 898,350 who have lost either one or both parents as a result of AIDS.  Research indicates that orphans, and particularly HIV/AIDS orphans, are generally more vulnerable to a range of risks than children living with both parents.  Both orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) suffer from health problems, lack access to health care and education, they are more likely to experience stigma and discrimination. They face the risk of becoming dependent on drugs and alcohol and HIV/AIDS infection.

To address these problems, World Learning’s is implementing the School Community Partnerships Serving OVCs (SCOPSO) project in 11 administrative regions of Ethiopia. The project aims to expand care and support for 40, 000 OVCs in 400 primary schools in Ethiopia.  School represents the one place where large numbers of children gather virtually daily.  For this reason, as well as other intrinsic benefits to education, schools and teachers offer an ideal mechanism for providing care and support to OVC and connecting OVC and their families with the resources and services available to them within their own communities.

The project will follow two strategies to provide care and support to OVC:

• Providing quality, comprehensive services to at least 40,000 HIV-affected or infected OVC, with a focus on increased enrollment, retention, and academic performance
• Strengthening School-Community Partnership in 400 primary schools to enhance their capacity to plan and manage OVC support programs

World Learning, in collaboration with implementing partners Tigray Development Association (TDA) and Making Cents, will work to build the capacity of school-community groups to:

• Support school enrollment, attendance, and academic achievement of OVC
• Engage teachers, caregivers, and other young people to provide OVC psychosocial support
• Provide supplementary nutrition and critical health services
• Create a protective environment and increase access to legal services
• Ensure safe shelter and stable and loving care arrangements for OVC
• Increase household income

Read about the Ethiopia: Communities and Schools for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CASCAID) Project, and view World Learning's CASCAID video (also available on World Learning's YouTube channel.)