ROSI

Regional OVC-Organization Support Initiative (ROSI)

The Regional OVC-organization Support Initiative (ROSI) aims to assist existing Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programmes in sub-Saharan African countries build their organizational capacity and increase the reach, quality and effectiveness of the OVC services that they offer.

ROSI works together with, and through the infrastructure of, the OLIVE LEAF Foundation's ANCHOR programme - the ‘Africa Network for Children Orphaned and at Risk’. ANCHOR is an OLIVE LEAF Foundation initiative and has OVC service delivery programmes in South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire; and will be establishing programme in Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the near future.

ROSI will serve OVC organizations through an approach that integrates and acknowledges both technical OVC service delivery (OSD) and organizational capacity development (OCD).

The four key focus areas of ROSI will be to:

·         Developing high quality, relevant training material for OSD and OCD

·         Establishing a regional master-trainer-mentor network

·         Facilitating, documenting and sharing learnings

·         Regional problem solving and advocacy

BACKGROUND

For the past 10 years, the OLIVE LEAF Foundation has been working in the area of community-based care and support of OVC affected or infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The OLIVE LEAF Foundation 's OVC programming is in line with the “UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID Framework for the protection, care and support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children”[1] and through ANCHOR intervenes for the child on multiple levels:

Child Level: Psychosocial support is offered through programmes such as Kids Clubs, counselling, Structured Group Therapy / play therapy, Child Support Groups; physical support provided through nutrition programmes, and resource mobilization for material goods and shelter.

Family Level: Psychosocial support is offered through Adult Support Groups, family counselling and educational work; physical support in the form of food parcels, shelter improvement, and income generation; families are assisted in accessing official documentation and social services.

Community Level: Sensitization and mobilization work done with communities, childcare forums are established and empowered; other child-serving Organisations are trained and mentored.

System Level: Work is done in partnership with local and national government and an advisory role is assumed where relevant, Public-Private Partnerships are formed and resources mobilized.

ROSI supports the existing ANCHOR interventions by adding an ‘Organization Level’ providing OSD and OCD support to the ANCHOR programs and their OVC-organization partners in the country.

  

ROSI’S STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

ROSI will achieve its objectives through the following strategies:

Develop High Quality, Relevant Training Material for OSD and OCD

Existing paper, guidelines, manuals and toolkits will be used to develop training manual sets for both OCD and OSD programming that is high quality, open-source, OVC-focused and Africa-relevant and that can be used broadly in the region. This will be done in partnership with industry experts. These materials will also be adapted into a mentoring framework based on the goals and expected outcomes for participating organizations. This material will be continuously updated based on learning in the field and from academia. 

Establish a Regional Master-Trainer-Mentor Network

ROSI includes a number OSD and OCD master trainer-mentor teams (ROSI facilitators). The ROSI facilitators based in the regional Johannesburg office play a role in material development, piloting and testing material and importantly in coaching and rolling out the materials to the in-country trainer-mentors.

The in-country ROSI facilitators empower national OVC organizations, trainers and leaders to use and incorporate the latest knowledge and skills in OSD and OCD into their programs. Selected organizations enter a mentoring relationship with the master trainers toward specific organizational outcomes.

The in-country master trainer-mentors attend biannual regional training workshops where they will be exposed to the latest learnings in the field and receive training on the latest materials developed.

Facilitate Documentation and Sharing Learnings

The role of the regional team is to serve the countries as a conduit to gather and disseminate OSD and OCD learnings between programs, countries, partners and stakeholders. This is done through the training and mentoring vehicle, in written reports and case-studies, and through learning events and workshops.

In-country trainer-mentors gather and disseminate learnings from and to partner organizations, stakeholders and the regional ROSI team. The Johannesburg-based facilitators coordinate learnings on a regional level, analyzing and reporting on the gathered leanings; as well as seeking out international learnings that are relevant to the needs of the country programs.

Additionally senior OLIVE LEAF Foundation staff from the Johannesburg office serve in an advisory capacity and, where necessary, provide the programme and partners with technical assistance.

Regional Problem Solving and Advocacy

Taking advantage of the existing infrastructure of the OLIVE LEAF Foundation and partner OVC programmes, ROSI will be able to identify and report on regional progress, issues and opportunities. ROSI is in a unique position to raise awareness within and on behalf of the region, coordinate regional problem solving efforts, and to mobilize regional resources and partnerships.

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[1] The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Living in a World with HIV/AIDS, July 2004.