NGO Training: OVC (Orphans & Vulnerable Children) Empowerment

FACT:
• More people with HIV/AIDS live in South Africa than anywhere else in the world- an estimated 5.5 million.
• South Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection among 15-20 year olds in the world. HIV infection among this age group is increasing at a rate of 65% per year.
• About 45% of South Africans—12 million people—are under the age of 15.
• Repeated surveys have shown that more than 95% of South Africans are aware of HIV/AIDS, but risk-reducing behavior—specifically condom use—has remained almost unchanged for the past decade. More than two-thirds of youth are not using condoms consistently.
• Without dramatic action, in less than a decade, the number of people infected will exceed 10 million.

SOLUTION:
In December of 2006, Barefoot Workshops partnered with the U.S. Department of State, to train caretakers of orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa to leverage digital video technology to highlight the needs of youth and orphans affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Resulting videos were screened live via videoconference from the U.S. Consulate in Cape Town to members of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID's Global Health office, U.S. State Department, and the Corporate Council on Africa– to encourage the expansion of effective programs and practices benefiting youth. Both policymakers and NGO leaders acknowledged that education and outreach is not enough to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS- especially among women and girls. Young women are desperately in need of mentorship and support services that boost self-esteem.

Kate Radebe, a caregiver for NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity), who oversees 258 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) in Johannesburg, suggested the creation of a program that provides comprehensive life skills and support services to at-risk girls.

What is an NGO?
The World Bank defines NGOs as "private organizations that pursueactivities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development" (Operational Directive 14.70). In a wider usage, the term NGO can be applied to any non-profit organization which is independent from government. NGOs are typically value-based organizations which depend, in whole or in part, on charitable donations and voluntary service. Although the NGO sector has become increasingly professionalized over the last two decades, principles of altruism and voluntarism remain key defining characteristics.

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE:
In this two-week follow-up workshop, Barefoot returns to South Africa to support Kate Radebe and Albert Musiye two caretakers, who participated in the December workshop, to take their skills to the next level, and give twenty at-risk youth, a voice through filmmaking.

Barefoot will train the two Ark Managers from NOAH, to integrate video into a powerful peerto- peer counseling program, whereby young women, ages 12-18, enrolled in NOAH’s programs, can share their stories of leadership, empowerment and hardship with others like them. The videos will be built into a media library of stories that can be viewed by girls in weekly support groups, peer-to-peer counseling sessions, and as part of an intake process at NOAH support centers.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PARTICIPATION:
Barefoot will pair a limited number of international students, interested in filmmaking, to work with Albert and Kate, to produce a total of ten videos that give young women a voice, and inspire hope, leadership, and increased confidence and self-esteem. Together with Barefoot, international participants will help to “train the trainers”, Albert and Kate, as well as increase their own level of proficiency in video production by documenting the workshop process itself. International students will work together to produce a short video that helps NOAH to promote a new model of media empowerment that can be expanded throughout the Western Cape.

COURSE STRUCTURE
Week 1 – International students arrive, meet participants from NOAH, review equipment and outline a structure/script.
Week 2 –Students film together with NOAH staff and beneficiaries in the field. Students produce a three-minute promotional video for NOAH.

WORKSHOP RESULTS
Resulting videos will be screened in Washington DC on May 7, 2006, World AIDS Orphans Day, and will be incorporated into numerous campaigns through partners like Global Action for Children (GAC) and Francois-Xavier Bagnoud International (FXB), to raise the visibility of youth who are orphaned by AIDS.

Locally, the videos will be distributed via mobile devices in South Africa in partnership with YouthAIDS, to those who are directly affected or working on the frontlines of the epidemic in impoverished communities. Videos will also be distributed to high schools in the United States with curriculum created by FXB, to partners, Global Kids in New York, Metro Teens in Washington DC and One Global Tribe in Los Angeles.

Additional outcomes of the workshop will included: advanced training in video production for both locals and internationals, increased networks of support for young girls in South Africa, greater public awareness of the root causes of HIV infection, and hands-on experience with a media project that empowers young women and girls to heal themselves.

Barefoot’s goal is to create responsible filmmakers who care about the world around them and who make it a point to give back to the people they work with. The point of Barefoot Workshops is to enrich and empower communities at a grassroots level. Barefoot encourages students internationally, to find their voice as filmmakers, while improving conditions locally by passing on their knowledge and skills others.

CONTACTS/WEBSITES/RESEARCH
Nurturing AIDS Orphans for Humanity: http://www.noahorphans.org.za
FXB International: http://www.fxb.org
Global Action For Children: http://www.globalactionforchildren.org