The HAPA Support Program - usaid

CARE/Rwanda
Headquatters in New Yorlc, New York, and
programs in 65 countries
Overview
The CARE/Rwanda HAPA grant was implemented in five rural communes in the Byumba
district of Rwanda, a region approximately 100 km from the capital, Kigali. The project
incorporated AIDS education and training activities into existing water and agroforestry
development activities sponsored by CARE. Entitled the "AIDS Education and Training
Pilot Project" (AETPP), the purpose of the project was to promote changes in attitudes and
behavior to decrease personal risk of my infection and to help prevent the spread of
HIV!AIDS.
Counterpart
The primary counterpart of the project was the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in
the Ministry of Health. The NACP worked closely with CARE in designing the project,
training project personnel and in materials development. At the communal level, AETPP
coordinated closely with the Bourgmestre and the Communal Center for Development and
Permanent Training.
Methods
AETPP was one of the first rural liN!AIDS prevention projects to be implemented in
Africa. The major activities during the start-up year included training project staff, carrying
out the baseline KABP survey, conducting focus group discussions and developing
educational materials. During four months of this initial period, significant delays in
implementing project activities occurred due to rebel activity near the border between
Rwanda and Uganda. In its second year, AETPP focused on community training and
outreach education activities. Six CARE extensionists hired for the AIDS project received
education in HIV/AIDS prevention and training techniques. AETPP's strategy was to use the
CARE extensionists to train leaders of community groups to reach the population and serve
as local resources on mvIAIDS prevention.
The key activities planned by the project were: 1) to reach 30 percent of the adult
population in the target area through general education and awareness raising about AIDS; 2)
to train 36 community groups and 60 group leaders to design, implement and evaluate
liN!AIDS education and training activities; 3) to develop flip charts and distribute 3,000
brochures to the general population in the impact area; and 4) to disseminate lessons learned
from the project through an AIDS Education in Africa workshop to be held for CARE
personnel from several countries.
Accomplishments
Through the above activities, CARE/Rwanda successfully reached 25 percent of the target
population directly with educational sessions and up to 72 percent through its educational
materials on HIV/AIDS prevention. The survey results showed the proportion of
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