Expansion Proposal

Goal: Attain funding to continue existing work and expand St. Camillus Center to include an Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Center

Brief Description of Who We Are
It is assumed that over 50% of Lesotho’s entire population is HIV+, however, the accepted figure is 23%, based on the latest UN study (2005). Regardless of exact percentages, HIV/AIDS is ravaging Lesotho. Bishop Sebastian Khoarai and Sr. Juliana Manele created the St. Camillus Center in 2002 in response to this epidemic. The St. Camillus Center is a fully volunteer, grassroots NGO dedicated to home-based care, the support of orphans, and education of HIV/AIDS, proper nutrition, correct agricultural techniques, and income-generating skills. Since it’s inception, the Center has trained and continues to support 120 home-based care volunteers in 39 villages in the District of Mohale’s Hoek. The Center works in close collaboration with the Departments of Health, Social Welfare, and Agriculture, other NGOs/CBOs/FBOs, village chiefs, and volunteer individuals in the area. Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association, CARE Lesotho, the Police Department, the District Administrator, and the district hospital all contribute and support the Center’s activities and projects. Due to all its good work, the Center is a valued and trusted organization within the district.
Initially the Center focused on training village volunteers in home-based care and educating youth about HIV/AIDS. As the number of people and organizations involved grew, St. Camillus evolved into a Center for people affected and infected with HIV/AIDS. This has many facets. The physical Center itself serves as a meeting place for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and provides a place for them to learn valuable income-generating activities, as well as support one another through their struggles. There is a large demonstration garden on site to educate people about good agricultural techniques and proper nutrition. This garden also provides orphans, patients, caregivers, and support group members with organic vegetables all year round.
Another target group includes in and out-of-school youth. The most at risk population in Lesotho are young females aged 17-24, with an HIV infection rate of 51%. Combined with the fact that within this age group, a healthy girl who turns 18 has a 74% chance of contracting HIV before she turns 45 (UN Study, 2002), it is no wonder the Center has reached out to the youth. All ages of youth are encouraged to come to the Center for food, clothing, school fees, school supplies, and counseling. The Center conducts one-week workshops to teach life skills such as self-confidence, responsibility, children’s rights, and many other topics otherwise not discussed in the Lesotho school system. With an early HIV prevention education and a firm foundation in life skills, many Basotho have avoided the seemingly destined HIV infection. The Center offers self-reliance training, “How-to start a business” and basic economic skills, along with knowledge of craft making to youth and adults.
Most recently, the Center has embraced the care and support of the increasing number of AIDS orphans in Lesotho. An increasing percentage of Sr. Juliana’s time is now spent on the care and support of AIDS orphans. As more people die of the disease, the number of orphans increases while the village capacity to support them diminishes. There is as yet, no systematic registration of orphans, but the UN World Food Programme, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Disaster Management Authority have estimated the number in Lesotho to be over 95,000 (2004). There are a growing number of orphans being exploited or abused in the villages, thus adding even greater urgency to her cause. Sr. Juliana uses small funds raised in various income-generating projects and donations to support these orphans, but the problem has become overwhelming.
As most of our home-care patients are sick with AIDS, and most die, orphans are continually being left behind. We have observed that the children’s process of decline begins before the parent’s death, as the family situation deteriorates due to the parents’ illness. Once the parent(s) die, some orphans are cared for to varying degrees by other family or village members. Decreasing numbers of healthy adults in villages has caused the village-based support system to diminish. Many orphans are left with no family members or neighbors willing to care for them and are often abused and/or exploited. Since the Center is already present in villages through its home-based care volunteers, the Center has a unique advantage toward helping these AIDS orphans. Home-based care volunteers are familiar with village members and are aware of children’s needs during the decline into AIDS and subsequent death. In addition to the care of those suffering from AIDS, the Center has begun to primarily focus on the village-based support network and orphans.

Goals
To establish an expanded St. Camillus Center to include a new Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Center. The OVC Center will be run in conjunction with the St. Camillus Center, but its focus will be explicitly on orphaned and vulnerable children. The OVC Center will make a two-pronged effort supporting both the village-based orphan support network and providing a place for OVCs to come during the day to receive valuable services. The OVC Center will appoint, train, support, and monitor 3 volunteers in each of the villages the Center is already active with home-based care, thus building upon the level of trust already established in the villages. These teams would be responsible for oversight of village’s OVCs and provide links with all child protection and welfare organizations. They will be trained and guided to focus on the children’s rights, as well as their physical and psychological welfare. In addition to the village-based network, the OVC Center (attached to the St. Camillus Center) will provide a place for orphaned and vulnerable children to go during the day and occupy their time or receive after school help. All of these new activities will add to, not replace the existing activities already a part of the Center. A new OVC Center will allow all of the following activities to take place:
- Emotional, spiritual, psychological support and counseling from Sr. Juliana and the other
support group members to caregivers, patients, and orphans
- Free classes in sewing, knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, carpentry, aloe vaseline and lotion, AIDS pins construction, basic economics and business skills, etc.
- Training of how to form village cooperatives, register with the district, group dynamics, and shared business responsibility
- After school place with electricity to get tutoring for homework
- Warm, nutritious meal
- Friendly, inviting atmosphere providing a safe place for people to be and ways to constructively use their time
- “Talk groups” that meet once a week to discuss HIV concerns, issues, questions, and provide emotional support to one another
- Beds for the homeless children, while we search out relatives willing to take them or place them at the local orphanage.
- Beds for the very sick children needing to go to the hospital and are too weak to get there or live to far away
- Playground and garden areas where the children can play or learn depending on their preference

Implementation
- Volunteers are contacted and asked to select 2-3 members in each village to serve as
OVC Support Project volunteers.
- Meetings with Community Counselors and chiefs to describe project and plan pitsos
in each village
- Trainings for volunteers in:
How to recognize child abuse and exploitation
How to provide emotional support to orphans
Children & Gender Protection Unit of the Lesotho Police
Tuition bursaries
Available food programs
Inheritance rights
Child Protection Act of Lesotho
Sexual Offenses Act of Lesotho
Social Welfare Policy on OVCs
Orphanage placements
Counseling children
Teaching and supporting child-headed households
Establishing emergency communications
Working with the chief, community counselors, and community members
Home gardens and good nutrition
Monitoring and evaluation techniques and forms
- Principal Officer monthly visits to each village for the first 6 months (Sr. Juliana
Manele will be on hand to counsel any orphan in need. She will offer God’s love
and an understanding heart.)
- Principal Officer visits every other month to each village for the next 6 months
- After first year, bi-annual meetings for OVC volunteers to discuss and report back to the
Center
- By project completion, the OVC Support Project training topics will become part of
every home-based care training conducted by the Center making the OVC Support Project fully integrated into the Center and it’s volunteers


Expected Results
By project completion, the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Center will be fully operational and integrated with the existing programs of the St. Camillus Center. The Center will have trained volunteers in each of the 39 villages to ensure the safety and security of OVCs within their homes, as well as freedom from exploitation or abuse by relatives or neighbors. Each volunteer will make sure each orphan is receiving all the benefits and services to which they are entitled. OVCs needing further assistance will be referred to the appropriate authorities by the village volunteers, with volunteers serving as the bridge between the orphan and the organizations/authorities/services. The OVC Center’s ultimate goal is to strengthen the existent village-support network prevalent in the Basotho culture. However, the new OCV Center will provide a place for the out-of-school youth to come during the day, and an after school place for the enrolled students. The OVC Center will be a headquarters of sorts for the village-based volunteers and OVCs, as well as a place of learning and support for the caregivers, patients, and support group members.

Monitoring and Evaluation
- Records of all pitsos held: dates, number of attendees, agenda, and results
- Principal Officer monthly visits will be recorded with activities and outcomes of each
village each month
- Principal Officer every other month visits will be recorded with activities and outcomes
of each village each month
- Volunteers will be spot tested during visits and results recorded
- Reports from each village volunteer begin coming in every other month including
record of all OVC under their care, services rendered, assistance provided, etc.
- Bi-annual project reports by Principal Officer (reports will be quantitative as well as
qualitative, including comments solicited from NGOs the Center collaborates with, chiefs, and community counselors
- Annual reports will include bi-annual findings with a year analysis and a description of
project sustainability and overall progress
BUDGET DETAILS
Funding to run St. Camillus and the OVC Project for 3 years

Salaries (Donor: R366, 000; Cost Share R195, 000)………….……..….R366, 000.00
1. Project Manager (PM)
R80, 000/year for 3 years: R240, 000.00
2. Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant
R42, 000/year for three years, part-time, 3 days per week: R126, 000.00
3. Principal Officer (PO, Sr. Juliana Manele) (in-kind SCC)
Salary at R50, 000 per year R150, 000.00
4. Peace Corps Volunteer (in-kind SCC)
Salary at 15,000 per year R45, 000.00

Travel & Training: Phase 1 (Donor: R18, 000)...…………..………..……R18, 000.00
1. Meeting with Community Counselors and chiefs to describe project and plan pitsos within 20 villages
Public transport estimated at R100 per village for PM, PO: R2, 000.00
2. Pitsos in 20 villages
Public transport estimated at R150 per village for PM, PO, PCV: R3, 000.00
3. Training sessions in initial 20 villages 3-5 volunteers per village
a. Transportation estimated at R150 per village for PM, PO, PCV
(R3, 000.00)
b. Food expenses for lunch and tea for 5 volunteers and SCC staff at R50
(R8, 000.00)
c. Material and supplies estimated at R100:
(R2, 000.00) R13, 000.00

Travel & Training: Phase 2 (Donor: R17, 100).……..………..……..……R17, 100.00
1. Meeting with Community Counselors and chiefs to describe project and plan pitsos within remaining 19 villages
Public transport estimated at R100 per village for PM, PO: R1, 900.00
2. Pitsos in 19 villages
Public transport estimated at R150 per village for PM, PO, PCV: R2, 850.00
3. Training sessions in initial 19 villages 3-5 volunteers per village
a. Transportation estimated at R150 per village for PM, PO, PCV
(R2, 850.00)
b. Food expenses for lunch and tea for 5 volunteers and SCC staff at R50
(R7, 600.00)
c. Material and supplies estimated at R100:
(R1, 900.00) R12, 350.00

Monitoring & Evaluation (Donor: R44, 790 )………..…………..……..….R44, 790.00
1. PM & PO monthly monitoring visits for all 39 villages
a. Monthly visits for 1st 6 months
Transportation estimated at R50 per visit for 6 months R11, 700.00
b. Estimated additional 5 monthly visits as necessary due to problems or issues
R50 per visit for 5 visits: R1, 500.00
2. PM & PO monitoring visits every 2 months for 2 years
a. Transportation estimated at R50 per visit for 2 years R23, 400.00
3. 2 bi-annual meetings of village volunteers for 2 years
a. Transport at R30 x 60 volunteers (3 per village) 20 villages: R7, 200.00
b. Transport at R30 x 57 volunteers (3 per village) 19 villages: R6, 840.00

Supplies (Donor: 20, 300.00 Cost Share/St. Camillus Center: R21, 009.98).….…..R41, 309.98
1. IBM Laptop (SCC) R13, 999.99
2. Printer (SCC) R899.99
3. 8 cartridges (R300 each) R2, 400.00
4. 6 boxes of paper (R150 per box) R900.00
5. 10 Flip Charts (R80 each) R800.00
6. 20 Markers (R10 each) R200.00
7. Training Supplies R1, 000.00
8. Photocopy Machine R13, 000.00
9. Office Supplies R2, 000.00
10. 2 office desks (R1925 each; SCC) R3, 850.00
11. 2 office chairs (R1, 130 each; SCC) R2, 260.00

Other Direct Expenses (Cost Share R44, 100).………………....……..…..R44, 100.00
1. Airtime for cell phone for PM & PO
R300/month per person for 3 years: R21, 600.00
2. Bank Fees: R1, 000/year for 3 years R3, 000.00
3. Electricity: R200/month for 3 years (SCC) R7, 200.00
4. Cleaning: R50 per month for 3 years (SCC) R1, 800.00
5. Housing for Peace Corps Volunteer at R400/month
for 2 years (SCC): R9, 600.00
6. Supplies (soap, toilet paper, etc.) at R25/month for 3 years (SCC) R900.00

TOTAL REQUESTED FROM DONOR: R431, 109.98
TOTAL BUDGETED AMOUNT: R726, 299.98




St. Camillus Center’s Expanded Site To Include an Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Center
In addition to the funding needed to enable the St. Camillus Center to continue it’s mission, a new building is also needed. Bishop Sebastian Khoarai has purchased the land, but blueprints, building costs, and architectural assistance is still needed.

We would like the building to include:
- Large hall for workshops, trainings, annual Orphan and HIV Support Feasts, etc.
- Partition for large hall to provide room for a craft area in one half of the area when an event isn’t happening
- Office and bathroom for Principal Officer (Sr. Juliana), Project Manager, and Peace Corps Volunteer
- Sick room for emergencies for maximum of 5 people with adjoining bathroom
- 2 private bedrooms for overnight accommodation for trainers/presenters involved in workshops or for caregivers living in extremely rural areas
- Kitchen for preparing meals for daily hot lunch and dinner for those at the Center
- 2 rondovaals and bathrooms for Project Manager and the Peace Corps volunteer residences
- 4 latrines to serve large hall
- Store room
- Garage


The “600 Project”
Substantially help 600 orphans in 3 years

As we are a very small Center with a far-reaching network of volunteers, it is impossible to help every orphan in the way we would like to. We wish we could provide every one of our 607 orphans with the following services and/or products, but currently, each orphan receives only one or more of the following from the Center:
School fees High School: R1, 300/year
School fees Grade School: R400/year Standard 1-7 are free from the government yet there are other items necessary to receive the free education (watchmen fees, feast days, lunches, etc.)
Male Uniforms (High School and Grade School): approx. R500/year (Shirts
white & colored R50 & R45, trousers black and colored R120 &R100,
Jersey R120, Tie R30, Socks R20)
Female Uniforms (High School and Grade School): approx. R670 (Shirts
white & colored R50 & R45, Tunic dress R130, Pleated skirt R90, Track
top R185, Jersey, R120, Tie R30, Socks R20)
Shoes & polish: R300 & R20
Pens, notebooks, paper, etc.: R30
Food/Milk: R284 (12.5kg maize meal R80, 5kg beans R130, 1 kg sorghum R17,
6L milk R57)
Seeds: R30 (carrots, spinach, cabbage, beet root)
Clothes: R100 (R35 top, R38 trousers, R15 underwear, R12 socks) Much of the clothing we give has been donated to us, but if we purchase these items, these are the costs.
Soap, vaseline, medicine, toothbrush, etc.: R50
Blankets: R80
Vegetables: R40 Vegetables are given for free from the large garden we have at the Center. If we were to purchase these items, this would be the cost.

Our hope is to assist these orphans in a more substantial way over the next 3 years. We are currently seeking funding to help 20 orphans a month with a complete list of the above items. This would mean in 3 years we could help approximately 600 orphans.

1. Projected cost per male orphan in High School per year: R2, 734
2. Projected cost per female orphan in High School per year: R2, 904
3. Projected cost per male orphan in Grade School per year: R1, 834
4. Projected cost per female orphan in Grade School per year: R2, 004
#1 x 5 per month= R13, 670 x 12= R164, 040
#2 x 5 per month= R14, 520 x 12= R174, 240
#3 x 5 per month= R9, 170 x 12= R110, 040
#4 x 5 per month= R10, 020 x 12= R120, 240

Total requested to assist 240 orphans in one year: R568, 560
Total requested to assist 600 orphans over 3 years: R1, 421, 400 (avg. of R2, 369 per orphan)