HELPAGE-Strengthening Social Protection 2011-2015

General question: Results related to the intended outcome 2015Question: Summarise results related to the intended outcome (this information will be sent to Open Aid)Answer: Between May 2015 and April 2016, the various activities implemented in the project counties had resulted in a total of 67,782 vulnerable men, women and children accessing a range of HIV and social protection services such as cash transfers, grants to initiate small businesses and education support for orphans. In total, 6 training sessions for traditional health practitioners (THPs) aimed at facilitating HIV counselling and testing, initiation into ART and management of opportunistic infections were conducted in 14 communities. Additionally, HelpAge and its partners remained actively involved in advocacy efforts at various levels. For instance, HelpAge was part of the discussion of the WHO Healthy Ageing Policy regionally and internationally and made statements that raised sensitivity around the context within the region, including basic access to health services. The Coalition, one of the nested partners, produced an advocacy brief titled “The 2016 High Level Meeting (HLM) HLM on HIV’s Political Declaration: What we need to see on PMTCT, Paediatrics, Children and Adolescents” that was used to galvanize advocacy ahead of the HLM held in June 2016. A number of areas reflected in the advocacy brief were included in the Political Declaration. The final project evaluation conducted in November 2015 by PMDC consultants, an independent consulting firm, highlights a number of achievements including the following: - In terms of societal impact, the project generally created space for older people, children and families affected by HIV to address issues affecting them. The project applied an integrated approach for older people to play a critical role in social, political and economic spheres. Older persons and PLHIV, OVC and their families received livelihood support from local associations, NGOs and financial institutions. These beneficiaries experienced improved living standards as a result of their ability to manage social, economic and environmental challenges through their participation in project interventions. -At the sub-regional and respective national levels, the incorporation of social protection mechanisms and the needs of vulnerable groups into SADC regional and national HIV and AIDS and poverty reduction strategic plans, specifically in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia will ensure continuous mainstreaming of these issues beyond the project. At the continental level, the development of 10 national social protection policies, 6 regional policies and guidelines, the formation of national social protection platforms in over 26 countries should indeed drive sustainability of the project interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. -The University College of London (UCL) study contributed much to the learning process for child protection service providers through its community care study of children affected by HIV and AIDS in Malawi and South Africa. The study sought to find mechanisms of strengthening resilience of children in homes affected by HIV-related illness. The study has yielded important insights into the current situation of children and older care givers supported by community based organisations. The analysis of the impact of cash transfers plus care on preventing HIV infection among girls and adolescents has had a big influence on the way stakeholders such as UNICEF and USAID structure their interventions.