Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2020 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
1. Summary
UNESCO seeks the services of an implementing partner to support the implementation of in-school programmes on the well-being of young people living with HIV under the project entitled Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) in the following provinces: Lusaka, Eastern, Southern, Central and North-Western.
Currently, over 30% of all new HIV infections globally are estimated to occur among youth ages 15 to 25 years. Also, increasingly, children infected at birth grow into adolescents who have to deal with their HIV positive status. In Zambia, young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) are a diverse group and their experiences and challenges vary, particularly between those infected as adolescents and those who were infected as infants and have survived with the help of increasingly effective antiretroviral therapies (ART). Research suggests that young people may find it especially difficult to accept an HIV diagnosis, adhere to treatment, and use HIV prevention practices. Common challenges reported by YPLHIV include stigma, discrimination and disclosure. Through the project entitled Our Rights, Our Lives and Our Future, UNESCO seeks the services of an implementing partner who will support the project by ensuring that young people in school living and affected by HIV have access to information aimed at helping them live a better and healthier lives while continuing with their own lives.
2. Background
UNESCO is supporting the government of Zambia through the Ministry of General Education to implement comprehensive sexuality education through the project entitled Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3 Zambia) which seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRHR), gender, and education outcomes for adolescents and young people in Zambia through sustained reductions in new HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, early and unintended pregnancy, and gender-based violence.
UNAIDS (2019) spectrum indicate that there were 7,900 children who became newly infected with HIV in 2017 in Zambia. Although this is a significant decline from the 13,000 children who became HIV positive in 2010, the figure indicates an upward trend, as 8,300 children contracted HIV in 2015. Further, The UNAIDS spectrum indicates that in 2019, 6,000 young people contracted HIV. While this number is low compared to 2017, it is still significant and more needs to be done for young people living with HIV. With inadequate knowledge, adolescents and young people living with HIV are ill-equipped to make healthy and safe decisions about their sexual health and well-being. However, while knowledge is a crucial foundation, it is not in itself sufficient to change behaviour and reduce the risk of HIV infection especially among young people living with HIV.
Therefore, young people living with HIV are a key component as they are growing up like any other young people in society. It is also established that some were born with HIV while others acquired it through adolescence sexual interactions. However, majority of them are now growing up and are engaging in sexual relationships. CSE information coupled with ASRH and HIV is therefore critical to the young people so that they can make well informed decisions and take responsibility for their own lives as they transition to adulthood.
3. Project objectives
There are five objectives designed to contribute to the effective strengthening of sexuality education programmes through additional programming for specifically young people living with HIV. These objectives include:
1. To increase adolescent boys’ and girls’ access to good quality CSE programmes that integrate content on HIV, GBV, prevention of EUP and child marriage.
2. To create safer, healthier, and inclusive school and community environments that are free from GBV, bullying, and discrimination.
3. To support the prevention and management of EUPs.
4. To secure and sustain community support for CSE and SRHR services and promote greater engagement of men and boys.
5. To expand knowledge and evidence base on CSE for planning and implementation.
4. Implementation of programs for In-school young people living with HIV
Through the O3 Zambia programme, UNESCO is supporting the delivery of CSE that aims to equip children and young people including those living with HIV with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being and dignity. It aims to develop respectful relationships; consider how their choices affect their own wellbeing and that of others; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.
UNESCO recognizes that school settings provide an important opportunity to reach large numbers of young people living with HIV with sexuality education before they become sexually active, as well as offer an appropriate structure within which to do so systematically over time. Teachers remain central to the process given their critical role in effective delivery of sexuality education with the right knowledge, skills and comfort levels. Activities will include training of young people in-school who are living with HIV in coping and management of HIV and AIDS including linking young people to ASRH services, teachers and community members. These will happen in selected schools and surrounding communities in focus provinces of the O3 Zambia project namely; Lusaka, Eastern, Southern, Central and North Western Provinces. This additional targeting of young people living with HIV will contribute to the increase in the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive health knowledge of young people about their sexuality and well-being thereby decreasing levels of HIV stigma and discrimination. .

5. Scope of Work
The implementing partner is expected to mobilise young people in schools who are living with HIV and conduct training meetings aimed at equipping them with skills and abilities of living with HIV and how they can prevent further infections. It is also clear that when young people do not know their HIV status they do not understand why they are taking antiretroviral drugs; this lack of understanding can lead to incomplete adherence. Further, adolescents often do not want to take ART in front of others due to the risk of unintentional disclosure. Alcohol use and peer pressure also affect adolescents’ adherence to ART. The Implementing partner is therefore expected to support the implementation of activities that promote the well-being of young people living with HIV in the five focus provinces namely Lusaka, Eastern, Southern, Central and North-Western provinces. The implementing partner is further expected to support community engagement activities that aim to increase support for CSE and SRHR services under the O3 Zambia project. Specifically, the implementing partner will implement the following activities;
I. Conduct in-school health education sessions on HIV treatment, prevention and comprehensive sexuality education, targeting 7,500 adolescents and young people living with HIV in selected school from the five focus provinces
II. Train 7,500 in-school adolescents and young people living with HIV from selected schools in the five focus provinces in coping mechanisms and management of HIV conditions including how to prevent reinfections.
III. Training 1000 counsellors, teachers, parents, social workers, Health care providers and community health workers from communities around selected schools in the five focus provinces on prevention, treatment, stigma and discrimination.
IV. Support the production of adolescent friendly IEC materials i.e. brochures and leaflets V. Hold stake holder meetings bringing together Ministries of Health, Education and Youth.
VI. Conduct on-site peer mentorship sessions targeting learners (AYPLHIV) and schools on HIV treatment and CSE
6. Deliverables
The deliverables of the partnership will be as follows;
I. Quarterly reports on the training of adolescent young people living with HIV. The reports must include the number and lists of young people trained disaggregated by gender
II. Quarterly reports on community engagement meetings with lists of community members engaged and trained in the support for CSE for young people living with HIV
III. Quarterly reports on activities implemented to promote parent child communication including the number of people reached disaggregated by gender
IV. Quarterly reports on activities implemented to strengthen the linkage to services. The report must highlight the number of young people linked to services disaggregated by gender
V. Reporting to the district structures on the work being implemented by the implementer (District HIV AIDS Committees)
7. Description of Activity and Timeframes
Conduct in-school health education sessions on HIV treatment, prevention and comprehensive sexuality education, targeting adolescents and young people living with HIV by submitting quarterly reports on YPLWH trained in HIV prevention CSE; October, 2020 to October, 2021.
Train in-school adolescents and young people living with HIV in coping mechanisms and management of HIV conditions including how to prevent infections and submitting quarterly report on activities implemented HIV management among the In-school young people; October, 2020 to October, 2021.
Implement community engagement activities including linking young people to ASRH services and submitting quarterly report on community engagement and linking YPLWIH to ASRH services; January to May 2021
Support the production adolescent friendly IEC materials i.e. brochures and le
aflets by submitting quarterly report on the printing of IEC materials; January to May 2021. Hold stake holder review meetings bringing together Ministries of Health, Education and Youth and submitting report on review of activities, sharing progress and lessons learnt; November 2020 and May, 2021

Job Skills: Not Specified

8. Qualifications and Requirements for the Implementing Partner
The implementing partner is expected to have the following qualifications and skills;
• Mandatory for the organisation to demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience of implementing programs in the education and health sectors focusing on people living with HIV
• Mandatory for the organisation to demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience in implementing programs for young people living with HIV in Zambia.
• Demonstrate experience with providing training in the education sector for people living with HIV supported by at least 2 references
• Experience working with UNESCO or other UN agencies is desirable
9. Reporting
The contract will be managed by the UNESCO Zambia office.
10. Evaluation of Proposals
Interested CSOs are requested to submit a technical and financial proposal. The Technical proposal will be evaluated on the basis of responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TORs).

Job Education Requirements: Not Specified

Job Experience Requirements: Not Specified

Work Hours: 8

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Job application procedure
11. Submission of Proposals
The offer, comprising of technical proposal and financial proposal should reach the following email address no later than 1st October, 2020 at 17:00 hours Central Africa Time (CAT). Please email your submissions to: en.sichimba@unesco.org
Submissions which do not meet the above mandatory requirements will not be reviewed.

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