Support to Children and Students Affected by HIV and AIDS

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 6 (see below)

Swaziland has a population of 1 million and the highest prevalence of HIV in the world: 26 percent of adults and 38 percent of pregnant women are living with HIV. One effect of the high incidence is a growing number of orphans  and other vulnerable children, estimated to reach 250,000 by 2015. Households and communities are struggling to meet the basic needs of these children, but the extended family structure is eroded by poverty, urbanization and HIV. The results are weakened  family and community structures and less protective environments for children, with increased neglect and more vulnerability to violence, abuse and exploitation.

Under the overall leadership of the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS – the principal recipient from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – and working with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development and the Ministry of Education and Training, WFP will provide food assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children. This will support the Global Fund-approved programme to mitigate the impact of HIV in Swaziland and will follow the National Emergency Response Council guidelines.

Based on a WFP proposal to the National Emergency Response Council, the development project will provide food to orphans and other vulnerable children attending neighbourhood care points, and to children at selected formal secondary schools and at all informal vocational – Sebenta – schools. At neighbourhood care points, WFP will provide children aged 3–8 years with Supercereal porridge in the morning and a full lunch, typically of maize grain, pulses and oil. Lunch will also be provided to students at secondary and Sebenta schools in rural areas where there is a high prevalence of HIV.

The project builds on experience: WFP has implemented food assistance programmes at neighbourhood care points and schools since 2002. Lessons learned were ighlighted in a programme review and appraisal. The project is also directly aligned with national policies, Millennium Development Goals 1, 2 and 6, the United Nations Dvelopment Assistance Framework pillars 1, 2 and 3, and WFP Strategic Objectives 4 and 5.

To support the project’s sustainability, WFP will continue to develop the capacity of the Government and partners by providing training and technical assistance.

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This BR 6 to Swaziland DEV 200422 will extend the project by twelve months until 31 December 2017, in order to allow for feeding of OVC at NCP’s to continue in light of the serious deterioration in food security as a result of the 2015/2016 El Niño induced drought. This extension is also in line with the Government request for WFP’s continued support in providing food assistance to OVC in the country.