EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITIES SUPPORTING HEALTH, HIV/AIDS, GENDER EQUITY, AND EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS (CHANGES) PROGRAM IN ZAMBIA April 2005 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for 1nternational Development. It was prepared by Aguirre International under a contract with Creative Associates International, Inc. Its authors are Richard Kraft, Stephen McLaughlin, Catherine Mukuka, and Francis Sampa. EVALUIATIONi OF THE, COMMUNITI,ES SUPPORTING HEALTH" HIVJAIDS'" GEN.DER E.QUITY, AND, EDUCATION' IN SCHOOLS (CH'ANiGES) PROGRAM INi ZAMBIA A Report prepared for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by Aguirre International under a subcontract with Creative Associates International, Inc., and funded by the Basic Education, Policy and Support (BEPS) Activity Contract # HNE-I-00-00-00038-00, Task Order #807. The authors' views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CHANGES Program Evaluation Women, Girls and HIVIAIDS Written and Directed by Mrs. J. Jushoke Performed for the Evaluation Team Nalituwe Basic School Aguirre International Pagei iv 1 6 7 8 12 14 15 18 35 55 63 66 70 CHANGES Program Evaluation Table of Contents Acronym Glossary I. Executive Summary II. Historical, Political and Social Issues: Education III. Historical, Political and Social Issues: Health IV. The CHANGES Programme V. Ministry ofHealth Restructuring VI. Ministry ofEducation Restructuring VII. School Health and Nutrition VIII. School Health and Nutrition (SHN) Programme IX. Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation (CSMC) Programme X. Small Grant Mechanism XI. Ambassador Girls' Scholarship Programme XII. Scaling Up Bibliography Annexes Annex One: Persons Interviewed 75 Annex Two: School Health and Nutrition Competition Assessment Tool 84 Annex Three: SHN Continuous School Evaluation Questionnaire 87 Annex Four: Re-Structured Ministry of Education 88 Annex Five: The CHANGES Programme in the Context ofZambian Education 89 Annex Six: Service Learning and Community Service as an HIV/AIDS Prevention 96 Annex Seven: Ministry ofHealth Structure 98 Annex Eight: Excerpts from the National SHN Policy 99 Annex Nine: Options for Implementation of School Health and Nutrition Programmes 101 Annex Ten: CSMC Model 103 Aguirre International Page iii CHANGES Program Evaluation Acronym Glossary AEI AGSP AIDS ARV BEPS BESSIP CARE CBO CBoH CDA CDC CFPP CHANGES CHIF CHW CSMC DC DEBS DEO DHMT DHS ECZ EFA EMIS EP ESO FAWEZA FBO FPP FRESH GDP GRZ HIPC HIV HW IDA IEC JICA LBT MCDSS MOE MOH MOU NBTL NFNC NGO NHC African Education Initiative Ambassador Girls' Scholarship Program Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Anti-retroviral Drugs Basic Education and Policy Support Basic Education Sub-sector Investment Program Co-operative for Relief Assistance Everywhere Community based organisation Central Board ofHealth Community Development Assistants Curriculum Development Centre Community Focal Point Person: Communities Supporting Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equity, and Education in Schools Community Health Innovation Fund Community Health Worker Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation Campaign District Commissioner District Education Board Secretary District Education Officer District Health Management Team Demographic Health Survey Examinations Council ofZambia Education for All Education Management Information System Eastern Province Education Standards Officer Forum for African Women Educationalists ofZambia Faith-based organization Focal Point Person Focusing Resources on Effective School Health Gross domestic product Government ofthe Republic ofZatnbia Highly Indebted Poor Countries, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Health Worker Iron Deficiency Anaemia Information Education and Communication Japan International Co-operation Agency Let's Build Together Ministry ofCommunity Development and Social Services Ministry ofEducation Ministry ofHealth Memorandum ofUnderstanding New Breakthrough to Literacy Prinlary Reading Program National Food and Nutrition Commission Non-governmental organisation Neighbourhood Health Committee Aguirre International Page iv OVC PAGE PCD PEO PEPFAR PRP PTA SACMEQ SAFE SCI SESO SFPP SHN SI SIAPAC SP SPRINT STI TDRC TED TOT TTC UN UNAIDS UNDP UNESCO UNICEF UNZA USAID USG UTH VIP WFP WHO ZATEC Z-CAI ZCF ZEST CHANGES Program Evaluation Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program for the Advancement of Girls' Education Partnership for Child Development Provincial Education Officer President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Zambia Primary Reading Program Parent Teacher Association Southern Africa Consortium forthe Measurement ofEducational Quality Students' Alliance for Female Education Schistosomiasis Control Initiative Senior Education Standards Officer School Focal Point Person School Health and Nutrition Successful Intelligence Social Impact Assessment and Policy Analysis Corporation Southern Province School Program for In-Service for a Term Sexually Transmitted Infections Tropical Diseases Research Centre Teacher Education Department Training oftrainers Teachers Training College United Nations Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS United Nations Development Program United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation United Nations Children's Fund University ofZambia United States Agency for International Development United States Government University Teaching Hospital Ventilated Improved Pit Latrine World Food Program World Health Organisation Zambia Teacher Education Course Zambia Cognitive Assessment Instrument Zonal Community Facilitator Zonal Education Support Team Aguirre International Page v CHANGES Program Evaluation I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This process evaluation ofthe CHANGES programme includes an analysis ofits three major components: School Health and Nutrition (SHN), Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation (CSMC), and Small Grants. It also examines the two cross-cutting issues of HIV/AIDS and Gender Equity, within the context ofthe three major programme components. We conclude that the CHANGES programme has fulfilled its major goals of putting in place excellent models for School Heath and Nutrition (SHN) and the Community Sensitisation Mobilisation Campaign (CSMC), in addition to a well-functioning small grants model. We recommend that the GRZ, with international assistance, scale up the various aspects ofthe programme to reach beyond the two CHANGES provinces. The Memoranda ofDnderstanding have broken new ground in inter-ministerial cooperation in Zambia, by bringing together personnel and resources from the Ministries ofEducation, Health, and more recently with an international agency, SCI. The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services also has had an informal agreement to participate in the programme. This cooperation has created, particularly at the zonal level, a significant partnership to confront the educational, health and social needs of Zambian school children and communities. CHANGES concentrates on school health and nutrition needs in the Eastern Province and 3 districts in the Southern Province. There is solid evidence that the SHN has not only had positive effects on the cognitive development ofstudents, but that teachers can be trained to be full participants in the administration of drugs and in the improvement ofthe health and nutrition in their schools. "Production units," involving school fields and gardens, however, do not yet appear to be significant components of improving nutrition. Community Sensitization and Mobilization (CSMC), which focuses on issues of gender and HIVIAIDS, is now in all 11 districts ofthe Southern Province. Its effectiveness in changing deeply rooted cultural beliefs and behaviours could serve as an international model on confronting behaviours leading to HIVIAIDS and addressing the importance of girls' education. The third major component ofthe CHANGES Programme is the Small Grants Mechanism. Its goals have remained unchanged: increase the participation of girls and other vulnerable children in basic education; integrate messages about HIVIAIDS, life skills and appropriate behaviours into ongoing school-community and district-level education activities; and improve learning, health, and nutrition of prinlary school students through innovative SHN activities. Programmes in over 130 schools and communities have led to infrastructure improvements, capacity-building, and community sensitisation and mobilisation. CHANGES 1. Finding: The MOD between the MOE and MOH, and more recently the MOD between MOE, MOH and SCI are an important mechanism to promote cooperation on issues affecting children and communities. The informal understanding, between the MOE, MOH and the MCDSS at the provincial level has also served to bring that Ministry into increasing cooperation with the programme. Aguirre International Page 1 CHANGES Program Evaluation Recommendation: Any cross-cutting issues in the future should seek similar MODs between relevant ministries, with an inter-ministerial Implementation Committee and Chief of Programme housed in the MOE, and coordinators in MOH and MCDSS, to assure that it is seen as an inter-ministerial activity. Given the importance of production units and school nutrition, the Ministry ofAgriculture could be formally or informally added. 2. Finding: A programme with two different focuses (SHN and CSMC) and two cross￾cutting issues (HIY/AIDS and Small Grant) can and does function well, despite very different goals, objectives and outcomes. Recommendation: It is critical to have a strong central office and provincial coordinators and staff, particularly if any new programme seeks to scale up nationwide. 3. Finding: While the Programme dealt with two important and even critical issues, school health and community mobilization; it was not focused on the central roles of teaching and learning in schools. Recommendation: Any new programme should attempt to include one or more educationally central components, to assure a "seat at the table:" e.g. multi-grade materials and training; pre- and in-service teacher training; special needs; community schools; clinical supervision; "Read-On" for grades 3-7; PTA and Community Accountability; Out-of-School youth; or OYCs. 4. Finding: The restructuring ofthe MOE during the programme and ofthe MOH, prior to its inception, made some aspects ofmanaging the programme more difficult. Recommendation: It is critical for the functioning ofthis or future programmes, that training and retraining occur, particularly in such critical areas as administration of drugs and issues ofHIY/AIDS. Many personnel have been moved or replaced by their respective ministries. 5. Finding: School enrolment, particularly for girls, and attendance increased and, to a lesser extent, re-entry and retention of girls increased, as the result of children's improved health from the drug and micro-nutrient treatment. Recommendation: Parents, Community Members, Teachers and Head Teachers all gave credit to CHANGES for the return of girls, who had left school due to pregnancy, and the greater desire to enrol girls and have them remain in school for 7-9 years. Any new programme should maintain this focus. Finding: CHANGES has developed a highly capable staff, with great capacity in all aspects ofthe SHN and sensitization and mobilization model; research, training, implementation, and action plans. Recommendation: It is important that the skills ofthese highly qualified individuals be utilized in any scale up ofthe current programme and in the development of new directions. 6. Finding: Most Standards Officers still appear to utilize an inspectorial, generally negative, approach to their monitoring and evaluation duties. Recommendation: An important contribution of any new programme could be the retraining of current Standards Officers or the formation of a new cadre ofHead Teachers and Officers trained in new supervisory roles that assist teachers, rather than in the traditional punitive, inspectorial role found in many countries. Aguirre International Page 2 CHANGES Program Evaluation 7. Finding: While CHANGES staff offer some workshops on HIVIAIDS and Gender Equity for staff and students in the TTCs, it remains quite limited. Recommendation: To have a broader impact on the overall educational system, any future programme should seek to have a greater impact on the TTCs and the Teacher Resource Centres, not just in HIV/AIDS and Gender Roles, but through a range of workshops and/or courses that would assist future teachers in becoming genuine "community" educators and developers. In addition, National Trainers could serve an important in-service function in these and other topical areas. School Health and Nutrition 1. Finding: Before beginning the SNH process, a detailed Situation Analysis was conducted in the Eastern Province. Recommendation: It will be critical in any scale-up or expansion ofthe model beyond the Eastern Province and the three districts in the Southern Province, that a Situation Analysis be conducted, so as to assure the appropriate health interventions. 2. Finding: The SHN programme has developed an excellent model to detail Inputs, Outputs, Short-term outcomes and Long-term outcomes, in addition to listing Antecedent and Mediating Variables. It has proven to be an exceptional model to systematize school health in the whole Eastern Province and in three districts ofthe Southern Province. . Recommendation: In any scale-up of SHN, the many components ofthe model should be carefully studied and used wherever appropriate. 3. Finding: The improvement of children's health, particularly as it involves de￾worming, schistosomiasis, and micro-nutrients, affects not only attendance and enrolment, but has been shown through research to have positive effects on cognitive development. The national SHN policy is being implemented in most schools. With evidence of anaemia, a case for iron supplements can be made. Recommendations: The SHN programme should be scaled up to eventually reach all provinces, and carefully coordinated with all other MOE and MOH programmes dealing with children's health. It also would be helpful to have EMIS disaggregate grade 7 exam results to ascertain achievement effects on treated and non-treated students. 4. Finding: Teachers are capable of being critically important persons in the health of children, including the administration of drugs. Recommendation: Teachers can be trained to assist the health sector in recognizing symptoms, and sending children to clinics or hospitals for professional medical care. School health should be a part ofthe pre-service teacher education programme. 5. Finding: While many schools had "production units," they did not function as important sources offood or nutrition for students. They were more likely to serve as a location for agricultural or vocational learning. They should not be seen as sources of child labour. Recommendation: School feeding programmes or even snacks were seen as critically important for schools in particularly poor areas, for the many OVCs and to promote girl's enrolment and retention. The name "production unit" should be changed to "school feeding units" or "school food gardens" to assure their even limited use to provide nutrients to children. Aguirre International Page 3 CHANGES Program Evaluation 6. Finding: The SHN programme ofCHANGES has not only gone well beyond its original goals in de-worming and other interventions, but has provided exceptionally good manuals, assessment tools, health cards, measuring poles, and charts that are now in use throughout the country. Recommendation: It is critical to utilise the lessons learned by CHANGES on treating whole schools and communities, and assuring that all schools have SHN manuals. 7. Finding: The School Health and Nutrition Competition Assessn1ent Tool and Evaluation Questionnaire provides excellent means for evaluating and measuring a wide range of School Health and Nutrition elements. Reconlmendation: Similar instruments should be developed for use in measuring a range of academic school issues. Community Sensitization and Mobilization Campaign 1. Finding: The CSMC model has worked very well in effectively reaching deep into rural communities, to a depth seldom attained by regular Ministry activities. Recommendation: The CSMC model could be used for many additional components ofschooling and health, not just those found under SHN, HIY/AIDS and Gender Equity. 2. Finding: There is excellent cooperation and collaboration between the community development workers, health professionals and education officers at the zonal level, with apparently less effectiveness at higher levels. Recommendation: Under any new programme, it will be important to continue developing these linkages between the MCDSS, with their intimate community knowledge, MOH with their health professionals who provide daily medical assistance, and the MOE education officers, who work closely with the schools. 3. Finding: CSMC has strong credibility in rural communities confronting a range of issues concerning HIY/AIDS and Gender Roles. Traditional drama, poetry, and community meetings appear particularly effective, while English language posters and instructional materials appear to have less effect among the many non-English reading children and community members. Recommendation: The model could be used to confront a broad array ofissues facing rural Zambia, but must always be specially tailored to meet the cultural and linguistic needs ofthe community. Since a full national expansion ofthe programme is unlikely to be financially feasible, any new programme should carefully target districts which appear to be suffering from low girl's enrolment, cultural practices affecting early marriage and pregnancy, high HIY/AIDS rates, extreme poverty and large numbers ofOYCs. 4. Finding: In a sense, the gender equity activity and the SHN activity are partially victims oftheir own success, with so many returning girls and even more retained, many schools no longer have sufficient space to meet demand. Recommendation: The MOE must place priority on the creation of more school spaces. Aguirre International Page 4 CHANGES Program Evaluation 5. Finding: Textbooks, library books, and other instructional materials are extremely rare in most classrooms, and it is even rarer to find students reading or writing original text. Recommendation: It is critical that a wide variety of printed materials in both Mother Tongue and English be available in every classroom. Children do not learn to read and write unless they read and write. This is particularly important in the CHANGES focus areas of School Health, HIV/AIDS, and Gender Roles. 6. Finding: Teachers, Head Teachers, or even Community Members who have been trained as counsellors are very important in confronting issues of HIVIAIDS and Gender Roles. Reconlmendation: One ofthe most valuable contributions of any future programme would be to have trained adult and peer counsellors available to assist young people with critical issues ofsexuality, HIV/AIDS, and gender roles. The two chapters ofthis report on HIVIAIDS and Youth and on Gender Equity provide numerous recommendations. 7. Finding: While the many curricular and community activities appear to be well accepted, there is not yet any data showing changes in sexual behaviour. International research has found that service-learning, school and community involvenlent, and mentoring have the greatest effect on adolescent sexual behaviour. Recommendation: Any future programme should seriously consider adding these components to any model being used to confront HIVIAIDS in schools and communities. FAWEZA is already doing these things well, but with a limited nurnber ofschools. Small Grants and NGOs 1. Finding: For a comparatively small amount offunding, communities were mobilized and capacity built to construct dormitories, latrines and bathing houses for girls, and to conduct training sessions on HIVIAIDS and gender equality and other programmes beneficial to schools and communities and to accomplishment of major CHANGES goals. Recommendation: Any follow-up programme of SHN and CSMC should also incorporate a small grant component tied to programme goals. 2. Finding: The mid-level grants to Zambian NGOs like FAWEZA for girls' bursaries and the Family Health Trust to train HIV/AIDS peer educators, contributed significantly to the implementation ofthe CHANGES Programme goals. Recommendation: Working through local NGOs and CBOs is particularly important, as it builds capacity and is a comparatively inexpensive manner in which to carry out programme goals. 3. Finding: The CARE small grant model effectively solicited, selected, monitored and accounted for 130 small grants in two provinces and built capacity in securing and managing small grant projects among community members. Recommendation: Any follow-up programme that includes a small grants component should adopt the CARE model of managing a small grant programme, while simultaneously building capacity in local NGOs and CBOs. Aguirre International Page 5 CHANGES Program Evaluation Ambassadors Girl's Scholarship Programme (AGSP) Finding: FAWEZA appears to have met and surpassed all its AGSP goals. It is a particularly effective programme, because it not only administers scholarships, but also carries on a wide array of activities involving young women and men in academics, HIV/AIDS prevention, and changing gender roles. The very real problems listed in the AGSP section remain (housing, safety and security, pregnancies and re-entry to school and transportation for monitoring), but are not insurmountable, and do not directly relate to the excellent job being done by FAWEZA in administering the programme. Recommendations: • FAWEZA, from all indications, is exceptionally well qualified to continue its important work under any follow-up programme or even as a direct grantee from USAID. It is already working in many provinces, so in a sense has been "scaled up," another important reason for keeping it on as the administrator ofthe AGSP. • FAWEZA's exceptional model of SAFE Clubs, HIV/AIDS work, service￾learning, community service, mentoring, counselling and other activities could serve as a model for any organization seeking to deal with the serious problems facing Zambian youth. Scaling Up the SHN and CSMC Finding: Scaling up the SHN will likely be considerably less costly, due to the more limited sensitisation and training periods, than is true ofthe current CSMC. In addition, with SCI paying for the cost ofmany ofthe drugs being administered, the cost ofwhich is covered for at least the next three years. However, ifthe current model is followed, CSMC is more expensive, with our estimates for the past two years of approximately $1956 per school. Of course, this amount was spent on all levels ofresearch, verification, community sensitisation, monitoring and evaluation at all levels, not just the school, so this could no doubt be cut to a reasonable level. Recommendations: • Activate or re-activate the national secretariat and committees, before expanding activities to other provinces, districts and zones. • Utilizing the experience of the SHN and CSMC, decide which components ofeach model are essential for a scale up, including research, sensitization and mobilization, training, and monitoring. II. HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, POLITICAL ISSlTES: EDUCATION Since gaining its independence in 1964, the Zambian education system has been going through several phases designed to improve quality. These changes have mainly been influenced by political, economic and cultural factors, including changes in educational policies in order to meet the Education for All goals, and to improve the quality ofthe teaching and learning process. Aguirre International Page 6 CHANGES Program Evaluation In 1977, a policy document, Education Reforms, emphasised that there should be a continuous provision of education from Grades 1 to 9 with the curriculum organised on the basis ofsix years ofprimary and three years ofsecondary education. According to the National Policy of Education's, Educating Our Future (1996, p. 9), these first nine years were referred to as 'Basic Education' and were to provide full-time education for all in basic subjects, skills training and productive work. The 1992 Focus on Learning stressed mobilisation ofresources for the development ofschool education. The third national policy on education, Educating Our Future, reflects the government's emphasis on the basic right of every Zambian to agood quality education, including access, equity and quality maintenance at all delivery points in the system. The Government ofZambia is implementing the present education plan through decentralisation ofresponsibility and liberalisation of goals. While aiming to provide education for all children, it places great emphasis on reforming the education.system, making it more relevant for social as well as for individual educational needs. Involvement ofteachers, parents, communities, educators, private and public sector and cooperating partners can lead to the attainment ofthe goals. These goals are in line with those set by the Dakar Forum (2000) Education for All, which stipulates that by 2015, all children, particularly girls in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete a free and compulsory primary education of good quality. Thus, on 22nd February 2002, Zambia declared the Free Education Policy for grades 1-7. However, cultural aspects, such as early marriages among girls, hamper some ofthe efforts made in education. Some communities prefer educating boys rather than girls. Girls are seen as a potential source offamily income through dowry, so instead ofsending them to school to educate them, they are married offbetween the ages of 13 and 18 years. In order to address this problem, the Ministry ofEducation has embarked on a community sensitisation campaign in order to advocate for girls' enrolment and retention in schools. In 2001 there were 1,783,213 children in grades 1-7; 861,200 were girls and 922,013 were boys. A total of 121,055 were enrolled in grades 10-12. Out ofthese, 69,804 were boys and 51,251 were girls. Zatnbia has been designated as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC). Therefore, in order to achieve its goals, it needs regional and international cooperation and financial assistance. However, communities and other in￾country organisations have served as the key partners for directing this assistance to targeted areas ofimprovement thus far. In line with the education policy, Educating Our Future, the Ministry of Education has developed a five-year Education Sector Strategic Plan (2003-2007) as a follow-up to the implementation ofthe Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Program (BESSIP). The Strategic Plan covers Basic Education, Secondary Education and Tertiary Education. Cross- cutting issues have been included in the plan, including School Health and Nutrition, Equity and Gender, HIV/AIDS, Special Education Needs and Adult Literacy. Since May 2001, School Health and Nutrition (SHN) and Equity and Gender have received a lot ofsupport from the CHANGES programme. Now these programmes will hopefully be institutionalised.in the Ministry through the Sector Plan, as a way of sustaining them. Aguirre International Page 7 CHANGES Program Evaluation III. HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES: HEALTH During the colonial period, the first hospitals in the country were established by copper mine owners to treat injuries and afflictions ofmine workers. In the late 1940s and 1950s, missions and government programs expanded the number of hospitals, including health centres around the countries' urban centres. These facilities, operating along railway lines, were entirely staffed by expatriate personnel, who emphasized curative care, while the need for training Africans was neglected. By the eve ofindependence in 1964, the medical system in the country was uneven and inequitably distributed in favour ofthe settler and urban populations. The rural areas, where the majority ofZambians lived, were almost completely ignored. After independence was achieved, the new government embarked on a radical programme to redress these imbalances by providing free medical care to the entire population through a rapid expansion ofrural health centres and district hospitals. However, between the 1970s and the late 1980s, rapid population growth of 3.2 percent, rural-urban migration and a collapsing economy led by the decline in copper prices on world markets, compromised the government's ability to maintain health care at a reasonable level. By the early 1990s the health care system was near collapse; the government could neither maintain nor replace the deteriorating infrastructure. Most health programmes such as Primary Health Care were perfornling poorly. Health centres and hospitals were left with chronic shortages of drugs and a significant number ofqualified medical personnel trained by the government migrated overseas or to neighbouring countries. At the same time, the epidemiological situation ofthe country was rapidly changing. The onset ofHIV/AIDS compounded an already'desperate situation (WHO, UNICEF, WB 2000). IV. THE CHANGES 'PROGRAMME USAID began its support ofthe MOE/Gender and Equity Component Activities through a 1999 grant to UNICEF to assist the PAGE programme. Through this intervention and through experiences in the Interactive Radio Instruction programme, a number oflessons were learned. While communities were often sensitised to girls' education issues and might be mobilised to help raise school fees or build structures, they were rarely asked to assess their own situation as a community. It was also found that the MOE needed strengthening in the monitoring and evaluation of programmes, as well as facing the challenges inherent in mobilising communities to support basic education, especially with the growing number of orphans. There was also evidence that school age children were burdened with chronic micro-nutrient deficiencies, protein-energy malnutrition, helminthes infection, and malaria, all ofwhich are associated with low academic achievement. With this background, the CHANGES programme was designed as a 3-year effort, with the possibility of extensions and scaling up to include two basic tasks, including a School Health and Nutrition (SHN) Programme concerned with the development of and implementation ofschool-based health and nutrition interventions. The second basic task Aguirre International Page 8 CHANGES Program Evaluation was that of community participation, which resulted in the Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation Campaign (CSMC). In addition, two cross-cutting themes, HIV/AIDS and gender equity were to be enhanced, along with the development of a small grants mechanism. The SHN indicators from the Inception Report, listed in the table below, gives an indication ofthe activities in this portion ofthe programme. ugus ,,','Ii" :',. '" ',." "•.'..'.".':i, ...~E I , "'.'•• '.':'••• ·"··"':':.'r"r,.,',·~Llt..I·"'."'·'·.i! "." .. ,i.·.'i."".'·"'••• '·;:':':.:."'···'··'" ,I Y' ...'W'Y'W'I , "'."',' """ "'III ..," '"," 1. Education Increase in cognitive assessment scores 2. Health Reduction in worm infection prevalence 3. Nutrition Increase in haemoglobin levels 4. Water % of schools with access to safe water on premises 5. Sanitation % increase of schools with latrines' available by gender 6. Community Action % increase of PTAs and communities supporting SHN Plans interventions with specific action plans 7. Community-PTA % of PTA groups meeting regularly/at least X times a year Meetings 8. Teacher Training in # of teachers trained in school-based health and nutrition SHN interventions 9. Teacher Training in # of teachers trained in HIV/AIDS life skills HIV/AIDS life skills 10. Children receiving # of children who have received the set number of health health education lessons education lessons 11. Children receiving # of children who have received the set number of HIV/AIDS life HIV/AIDS life skills skills lessons lessons Table 1: CHANGES Indicators from Inception Report A t 2001 The second task was that ofCommunity Participation, involving the development and implementation of a programme to sensitise and mobilise the community to improve the participation of girls and other vulnerable children in quality basic education. The priorities, categories, and performance indicators from the Inception Report shown in the table below give an indication ofthe goals and types of activities involved in this task. Table 2: CSMC Performance Indicators " '... ,!~L~I~ ee, ii"·'i ..: i",." :}jbi±Y~<"'. I.· ,.",,',. '".". ··"··""·""}}'.i " "ii .'."" ,rIIUI •••'W ..., ._-",,', .'W.IUIIIIClII\,t:: " ",.,.,,"',"" } ',.'.... .·"".,i} 1. Participation of girls and other vulnerable Increase enrolment and retention rate of girls and other children in basic vulnerable children in basic education. education 2. Sensitization and Number of schools, communities, local leaders, PTAs and pupils mobilization sensitized and mobilized concerning HIV/AIDS and girlslvulnerable children's education 3. Gender and equity Number of provincial/district officials sensitized and trained in gender and equity issues in education 4. Action Research Number of communities participating in action research 5. Participatory Training Number of national, provincial and district level officials (field at all levels workers) training in participatory methodologies Aguirre International Page 9 CHANGES Program Evaluation 6. Research and a. Number of community members present to verify research Verification b. Number of TED peiiormances for verification of research 7. Participatory a. Number of communities' activities monitored (as mentioned in Monitoring action plan) b. Number of communities monitoring their own progress 8. Life Skills Number of teachers (schools) using life skills modules in primary qrades At the completion ofthe initial three year contract in March, 2004, the Contractor, Creative Associates, International," Inc. (CAlI) was given a sixteen month extension to continue the tasks in School Health and Nutrition, Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation, Sub-Grants, and the Ambassadors Girls' Scholarship Programme (Bursaries). In addition, follow-up on an HIV/AIDS Impact Study and Fostering Crosscutting, Collaborative and Multi-Sectoral Approaches and Alliances for Selected Activities were included. Table 3: Deliverables by CHANGES in Extension Period March 1, 2004-July, 2005 Task 1: School Health and Nutrition 1. Improved Health of Children 2. National, District MOE and SHN staff trained 3. Provincial! district MOE staff and SHN stakeholders oriented 4. Two training manuals 5. SHN Module for teachers 6. Community and school-based organizations trained 7. Community-Based Action Plans roduced 8. Cost/benefits Study and Report produced More children benefiting from the SHN Programme District and school level staff in all of Eastern Province and in 3 districts of Southern Province and national SHN coordinators able to manage the implementation of the SHN programme at their levels Key personnel in at least five provinces able to describe the SHN programme and how it is to be mana ed SHN Management and Technical aspects of SHN One SHN module to train teachers on SHN through the MOE's SPRINT programme Community and school leaders develop capacity to apply for and manage small grants for communit actions to su ort SNN and Education Communities plan and implement actions to su ort SHN and Education A study to.assess costs!benefits of this activity, with finds and recommendations on resources, ersonnel, and olic re uirements 1. District CSMC Training Teams in all Southern Province Districts 2. Zonal Community Facilitators trained in all Southern Province Districts Aguirre International Teams formed and functioning Facilitators trained and functioning Page 10 CHANGES Program Evaluation 3. ZCF system for mobilizing and monitoring community action, System is use, including HIV/AIDS mitigation especially for girls 4. Community and school-based Community and school leaders with demonstrated organizations trained capacity to apply for and manage small grants 5. Community-based action plans Action plans implemented to support SHN and produced Education 6. Documentation with Document(s) produced and recommendations Recommendations and Findings of National Consultative Stakeholders acted upon 7. Cost/benefits study and report Findings and recommendations on resources, personnel and policy needed at close of produced CHANGES Task 3: Sub-Grants Mechanisms 1. MOE District Education teams trained 2. Small grant system that MOE and/or its partners could use to provide small grants to community-based or anizations 3. Documentation that CHANGES￾funded activities comply with US Government Environmental impact rules and re ulations 4. Guidelines for making grants for CHANGES related activities 5. Cost/benefits study Six MOE District (3 Eastern, 3 Southern) trained to teach community members proposal develo ment and financial m 1. of small rants Manual of procedures or gUidelines Monitoring and evaluation reports on latrines, boreholes, construction, agricultural inputs Document listing approved activities and regulations that apply. Checklists for monitoring and actions for failure to adhere to re ulations. Report produced with findings and recommendations on resources, personnel and olicies needed after close of CHANGES While the task ofthe team was to evaluate the three main CHANGES components of SHN, CSMC and Small Grants, we would compliment the programme on meeting a wide range of goals set out in the original Task Order, its Inception Report, and in the Extension Report. Working in two widely separated Provinces, concentrating on two very different programmes, is a managerial challenge, but from all indications, and despite the usual start-up difficulties, the programme has been well organized, structured and managed. This is not to say that all school children are now healthy in the Eastern and three districts ofthe Southern Province, or that all schools and communities have successfully confronted the issues of Gender Equity and HIV/AIDS, but it is fair to say that CHANGES has made a significant difference in the lives of hundreds ofteachers, administrators, schools, and literally tens ofthousands of children and community members in the two provinces. The program has developed very powerful models for school health, community sensitisation and mobilisation, and the administration ofsmall grants, and is thus worthy of careful expansion and scaling-up under future USAID supported progranlmes. Aguirre International Page 11 CHANGES Program Evaluation v. RESTRUCTURING THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CHANGES PROGRAMME Since 1991, the Zambian government has been engaged in a process of health reform, with the aim of providing equal access to quality health services, as close to the family as possible. By the time the reform effort began in earnest in 1991, the health care system was in shambles. In rural areas in particular, the:facilities were severely understaffed and/or in disrepair, the staffwas demoralized and drug shortages were endemic. The vision, objectives and targets ofthe reform were defined in the National Health Policies and Strategies (1992). The strategy for achieving better health for all Zambians was to introduce health sector reforms. A major objective ofthe reforms has been the development of district health systems to provide basic health services in all parts ofthe country. This requires decentralization of financial and administrative powers to district and provincial level hospitals and district health boards, and actively involving communities in the decision making process. The reform process involved a redefinition ofthe Ministry of Health as the health policy making body ofZambia; and the creation of a Central Board ofHealth as a technical unit responsible for the delivery ofservices and for t~e implementation ofthe health reforms. The CBoH was established in October, 1996. The cooperating partners have played a major and continuously important role in the Zambian Health Reforms. Their contribution has often been supportive of the need for change, and expressed itself in the form offinancial, human and physical resource grants and credit support. The Ministry's and cooperating partners' long term plan has been to support broad-based programmes by financing aspects ofthe national health Strategic Plan in general and activities in the respective Action Plans ofthe Ministry ofHealth and the Central Board ofHealth in particular. In this regard, one ofthe major achievements ofthe 1990s reform movement has been the pooling of government and donor funds to support the running costs ofthe districts and their hospital management boards (the district basket). A lot of effort went into putting into place systems, and insufficient attention was paid to service delivery. Subsequently, the need to focus on service delivery was recognized in the National Health Strategic Plans (1998-2000, 2001-2005), which have proven difficult to implement in a resource constrained environment, and with the impact of a demographic transition, most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Affordability, as a guiding principle ofthe reforms, has now become a central addition to the three guiding' principles namely leadership, accountability and partnership. In connection with the structural adjustment programs, the Zambian government first introduced user fees in 1987, only to be forced to discontinue thenl due to public protest. A watered down version of user fees was reinstated in 1988. Around 1992-3, the user fee/prepayment scheme was introduced. Under this plan, certain categories of persons and certain afflictions/diseases are exempted, and districts are generally tasked with negotiating a rate that is acceptable to their communities. . Aguirre International Page 12 CHANGES Program Evaluation A. An Historical Perspective on School Health and Nutrition In Zarrlbia, at the time ofIndependence in 1964, the Ministry of Health (MOH) provided comprehensive school health that included physical examinations, referrals and treatment of ailments, provision ofimmunizations, environmental health and food supplements. Moreover, the MOH had established the office ofthe School Health Specialist under Maternal Child Health (MCH). Every hospital and health centre was providing school health services in their respective catchment areas. In 1985, the Ministry ofEducation (MOE) adopted the Child-to-Child program, as a tool to provide health information to school and through them to the community. In addition, activities such as regular sanitation checks by teachers and children's personal hygiene were implemented. In the last decades, however, School Health and Nutrition (SHN) services have declined in terms of accessibility, availability and quality. School children are rarely examined, treated or referred. Food supplementation ceased in the early 1970s, due in part to an insufficient understanding and appreciation ofthe role that health and nutrition contributes to learning achievement. This decline has been worsened by a misconception that SHN is the prerogative ofthe MOH alone, rather than being regarded as a multi￾sectoral development issue. In general, the health and nutritional status ofschool children has continued to deteriorate. A child's ability to learn and obtain maximum benefit from a learning environment is compromised by parasitic infections including intestinal worms, bilharzias and nutritional deficiencies. Only rarely does infection have acute consequences for children. Instead, the infection is long-term and chronic, negatively affecting all aspects of a child's development: health, nutrition, cognitive development, learning and educational access, and achievement (WHO 2003). Parasites consume nutrients from the children they infect and bring about malnutrition and retard children's physical development. (CHANGES, 2004,7). Vitamin A and nutritional anaemia are common in Zambian children. A survey conducted (Luo et. aI., 1998) found that 66 percent ofthe 1,427 children surveyed were vitamin A deficient, 22 percent were anaemic (14.5 percent had severe anaemia) and 22.2 percent had malaria parasitaemia. Intestinal worm infestation and bilharzia were found to be serious problems in a baseline survey conducted in October, 200 I by the Partnership for Child Development (PCD) for the CHANGES programme in the Eastern province of Zambia. In a sample of 1,392 pupils in grades I to 7, bilharzia infestation was found to be over 45 percent in II out of 20 schools surveyed. Intestinal worm (mainly hookworm) prevalence was 55 percent, bilharzias 48 percent and anaemia 33 percent (CHANGES, 2004). In September, 2000, the Ministry ofEducation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry ofCommunity Development and Social Services authored a concept paper for a programme to improve learning through school-based health and nutritional interventions. The paper was written in the context ofthe Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Programme (BESSIP), which had eight key areas including school health and nutrition. A BESSIP-SHN Focal Point Person was identified who was to direct and manage all MOE activities related to SHN. As part of the SHN strategic plan, a SHN Cross-sectoral Steering Committee was organized to represent, facilitate and mobilise expertise, resources and synergy across key stakeholders, including government ministries, NGOs and international donor organizations. An SHN Implementation Committee, representing key government implementing agencies, was organized to Aguirre International Page 13 CHANGES Program Evaluation coordinate and facilitate the planning and execution of SHN activities through appropriate governmental programmes. VI. RESTRUCTURING OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE CHANGES PROGRAMME ':F!~'~t~qH!Vrirrg!9rqygat.·~9§m~q~!Mgo·cJJ~o~e~!:~Qf!i~t~o~fe,~~amgQgM~oi~YXig!SgH~~t{8~8ffjci~/~ fJQqr!~aH~.~r~,·Mqst••. q~(!,fJ~ ·••• B~8ple'··· fJ8(~~re,.\!rCJ/Q,~gr ••~~ i••·~8·~~!P.2!Qt .••·p~[~8Q~·/8~.:.~fJri8,~~ .•• fJc;{!\IJtie,~ ~Qg~rr~.~ ••.CFf~N(3F§iP.[89.~CJfI1fI1~CJH,~H!~eet.et~'!:.E!~~a!i~8!~~'.·'and.·new eo Ie•••• became Focal'.·Point Persons. Therefore h re••.':s.•• Qq~.fJ.iQ~~q{q,~e,7J'?~n;P.~PP'!~j :i"iRrovincial.Ministry.ofEducation The Ministry ofEducation has been restructured in line with the Government policy on the Public Service Reform Programme. The process ofrestructuring the Ministry of Education was expected to be implemented from 2000 to 2002. The aim ofrestructuring was to review the roles of units, sections and departments in the Ministry, in order to clarify, streatnline and strengthen their functions. By restructuring, powers have been decentralised to local levels and personnel have been redeployed at headquarters, provincial and district levels. Therefore, most ofthe routine management tasks are now expected to be dealt with at local levels. The restructuring system created five directorates: Planning and Information, Standarqs and Curriculum Development, Distance Education, Teacher Education and Specialised Services, and Human Resources and Administration. In view ofthe above, the Ministry headquarters is supposed to concentrate on policy formulation, strategic planning,budgetary and financial management and quality assurance. The Ministry has also to ensure that t~ere is an efficient communication system with the provinces and districts. In orderto have reliable and up-to-date data on schools, pupils and teachers, the EMIS department has been established in the Directorate of planning. Although the restructuring has brought about many positive changes that can improve the Ministry's systems, it has also had negative effects on the success ofthe CHANGES programme. The collaboration between CHANGES programme officials and Ministry of Education officials has been weak, at times, because there has been less chance to plan together than was the case during BESSIP, 19987"2003. During BESSIP, there were component managers for HIV/AIDS, SHN, Equity and Gender; managing these components was essentially their job. Since 2004, when BESSIP was phased out and the Ministry was re-structured, the programme fell under the Directorate ofPlanning and Information. The SHN-appointed focal point persons have their prescribed job descriptions and thus may consider SHN secondary to other duties that they do. This has had a negative impact on the programme at the n'ationallevel. However, it is good to note that at provincial, district and zonal levels, there is very strong collaboration between the three line ministries involved in the programme and CHANGES officials. Another effect ofrestructuring on the CHANGES programme is that new people were appointed to new positions. Some ofthese new officers have had no idea about the programme. The restructuring came after capacity-building had been done at all levels of Aguirre International Page 14 CHANGES Program Evaluation the ministry, and orienting the new officials to the program would require putting in additional resources. ThirdlY,restructuring came with the decentralisation ofresources. This means that District Education Boards have to budget according to what they see as priority activities in their districts. Ifthe CHANGES programme is to be sustained, it has to be institutionalised and therefore, be part ofthe activities budgeted for in the districts. However, if officials are not sensitised, then they may not see the activities in the CHANGES programme as a priority for inclusion in their annual work plans and budget. This was not a problem in the past, because work plans and budgets were centrally made. It is important to note that only certain aspects of managing the system, such as planning for activities·and procuring resources, have been decentralised. Other aspects such as deciding the number ofteachers to be employed and disciplining ofteachers are still made centrally. These are among the critical issues that need to be addressed ifthe CHANGES programme is to be strengthened at a national level and institutionalised at all levels ofthe Ministry. VII. SCHOOL HEALTH AND NUTRITION USAID provided the technical and financial support to MOE in order to develop the SHN component of BESSIP. Included in this support was the pilot activity in Eastern Province. CHANGES designed a multi-sectoral pilot School Health Program, which involved among other things, the development ofsystenls and capacity-building at all levels. The SHN program was first piloted in the Eastern Province and then expanded to the Southern Province. The goal was to achieve improved learning through School Health and Nutrition interventions as measured by education indicators, retention rates, increased enrolments and decreased absenteeism. Initial implementation ofthe program was in the Chadiza, Chama and Chipata districts with subsequent expansion into Mambwe, Lundazi and other districts in the province. Prior to the pilot activities in the Eastern Province, the CHANGES SHN advisor worked in the MOE to assist the ministry with the development ofthe Memoranda of Understanding between MOE and MOH and MCDSS, drafting the national SHN policy, writing the SHN strategy guidelines, contacting all relevant NGOs and stakeholders to determine their level ofinterest and current activities within SHN, and other activities related to the SHN programme start up. All these activities were necessary background work to ensure smooth and rapid implementation ofthe pilot. Since programme implementation, CHANGES has continued to work on the SHN policy, revise the MOUs and SHN strategy with the placement of a SHN regional advisor in Lusaka, and to develop the school health card, present the research proposal to the human ethics board (UNZA) for approval ofthe pilot research, test the tablet pole, and design the bilharzia prevalence questionnaire. The main activities of SHN included: • Conducting baseline-biomedical, anthropometric and cognitive surveys; • providing micro-nutrients to primary school pupils (Vitamin A and iron Aguirre International Page 15 CHANGES Program Evaluation supplements) and de-worming pills (Praziquantel and Albendazole) administered by trained teachers; • training teachers in school health and nutrition, and life skills; • community sensitization and mobilization through popular theatre, district field teams, and public gatherings; • strengthening linkages between health centres and schools; and • providing small grants to schools and communities to support SHN and HIV/AIDS interventions (CHANGES leaflet, 2003). In order to provide convincing evidence of SHN's effectiveness as an intervention, a biomedical research component was carefully designed using a selected sample of 80 schools and a phased intervention/control approach over a three year period. In this way, the pilot was able to show the impact of de-worming treatment as compared to those who had not received treatment. This has been done only in a few countries (CHANGES, 2005). The biomedical research included urine testing for schistosomiasis, blood testing to estimate serum levels of: retinol, transferritin/ferritin and haemoglobin and stool microscopy for intestinal nenlatodes. The results revealed low levels of vitamin A in children 9 years and below (below the 20mg/dl). In the Eastern Province, 33 percent of the pupils were anaemic, with haemoglobin below 120g/l, with 0.5 percent being severely anaemic (haemoglobin below 85g/1). 19 percent ofthe boys and 16.1 percent ofthe girls were severely iron deficient. Also in the Eastern Province, the prevalence of hookworm and urinary bilharzia infestation were 55 percent and 48 percent respectively. In the first year the biomedical survey involved the testing of 1,140 pupils. In addition to biomedical research, anthropometric data was also obtained: height for age (stunting levels were 36 percent), weight for age (22 percent were underweight), body mass index (21 percent ofthe children were thin) (CHANGES, 2002). In addition, cognitive testing was done, using a test developed by Yale University in collaboration with the University ofZambia and the Zambia Examination council. The test involved eight sub-tests, including pattern recognition, connect the dots, manipulation ofblocks, and maze activities, all of which were designed to gauge the pupil's understanding, pattern recognition and ability to follow directions. These tests were used to measure the change in a pupil's intelligence performance after de-worming. Aguirre International Page 16 CHANGES Program Evaluation Finding: Before going into specific findings and recommendations, it is helpful to view the SHN Process Model, which carefully lists the Inputs, Outputs, Short and Long-term Outcomes, in addition to the Antecedent and Mediating Variables. It is a very carefully thought out and successful model for School Health Interventions. While not all the outcomes can yet be demonstrated, the SHN team is to be commended for completion of all the outputs. The evaluation team found strong support among teachers, students, and comnlunity nlembers for the interventions, and much "word of nlouth" evidence that, at least in the short-term, the SHN interventions had positively affected not only the health, but the classroom participation, performance and cognitive abilities oftreated students. It is too soon to document long-term outcomes, particularly in light ofthe fact that the - GRZ/MOE has not yet fully taken over the programme without specific international technical assistance. Aguirre International Page 17 CHANGES Program Evaluation VIII. THE SCHOOL HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROGRAMME Table 4: SHN Process Model L()l"Ig~·!~~:m Outcomes -Training Module for -Numbers of -Immediate -Extent to which SHN student health teachers, health changes, if any, in higher attendance, intervehtion by teachers workers, principals incidence of better school and health officers. trained in Shisto/worms performance, and -CHANGES interventions administration of infection. cognitive ability to facilitate ongoing de-worming -Imd. changes, if continue after initial medicine and gains and funding collaboration between micro-nutrients. any, on attendance withdrawal. Zambia MOE and MOH. rates of medically -Training of popular -Number of health treated students. -Extent to which focal point teachers imd. lower levels of theatre troupes and trained. -Imd. changes, if Shisto worm scripts for nutrition and any, in cognitive incidence continue health dramas. -NUn1bers of ability of students after programme -CHANGES staff work to affected students medically treated interventions end. facilitate collaborative given de-worming with de-worming, relationships between medicine and nutritional -Extent to which MOE and MOH district supplements. interventions. girls are enrolled staff. -Development of -Imd. changes, if and/or retained at same or higher -Development of health charts for any, in the school rates after protocols for recording data. performance of programme ends. treated students, .measurement of Shisto -Number of including scores on -Extent to which and worm presence, students tested on classroom tests, HIV infection rates cognitive ability, and post-treatment verbal responses, change, if at all, in stunting levels. cognitive ability. and standard treated -Baseline testing of a -Number of popular achievement tests communities. sample of students for theatre AND opinions of -Extent of the Shisto/worms performances held teachers, admin. teacher/health prevalence, stunting, and to raise and parents. worker cognitive ability. consciousness -Imd. Changes, if collaboration. about HIV/AIDS. -Training and any, in numbers and -Extent to which development of health -Number of percentages of girls model and social focal leaders. HIV/AIDS info enrolled and mobilization can be -Small grants program stations set up. retained. effectively conceptualized and -Number of radio -Imd. changes, if replicated announced. programs on AIDS any, on the level of elsewhere in -USAID, MOE, MOH created and knowledge about, Zambia. broadcast. and attitudes bUdgets committed to toward, HIV/AIDS -Extent to which the SHN activity in EP. -Number of parents and infection routes. MOE continues -Contributions of other or community funding and donors. groups sensitized. -Imd. changes in the operation of -Number of small attitudes of parents programme grants made. and community interventions in groups on effects of project interventions, communities. including grants. Aguirre International Page 18 CHANGES Program Evaluation Income level of target communities. Literacy and education levels of project communities. Respective infection rates of Shisto, worms and HIV/AIDS in project communities. Respective knowledge levels of HIV/AIDS and its prevention among community members in project areas. Cultural traditional beliefs that either impede or support health interventions. Policies of MOE, MOH or USAID that have unintended consequences on effectiveness of health and social awareness interventions. A. Goals and Rationale As part ofthe MOEs strategic plan for a national school health and nutrition program, the CHANGES programme has been focusing on the basic nutrition and health status of primary school-aged children, to improve their school performance. It emphasises multi￾sectoral, school-based, cost-effective, health interventions that address three ofthe main health issues in Zambia: parasitic infections, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. The overall objective ofthe SHN component is to improve learning and equity among children attending basic education through integrated health and nutrition interventions in collaboration with community and inter-sectoral partners. The specific objectives ofthe intervention are: a. promote a healthy environment conducive to learning, supported by a SHN policy; b. provide health and nutrition services for school children to improve their holistic development; c. provide health and nutrition education, including psycho-social life skills, guidance and counselling to affect behaviour change and modification; d. improve water, sanitation and hygiene practices ofschool children; e. strengthen community-based health and nutrition activities by linking schools to other government ministries and organisations like PTAs, health neighbourhood committees and others; f. integrate HIV/AIDS strategies into SHN interventions; g. develop a SHN school-based information system to be integrated in the main education information system; and h. develop an information, education and communication strategy to create social awareness for SHN issues (CHANGES leaflet, 2004). B. Design of SHN. The design ofthe Joint SHN intervention is based on four research-supported theories: Teachers, school administrators and health workers trained together to treat students is an effective and economical way to improve the health ofthe student population; Aguirre International Page 19 CHANGES Program Evaluation • Teachers, school administrators and health workers trained to treat students should lead to measurable improvements in student's health; Teachers, school administrators and health workers trained to treat students should lead to measurable improvements in pupil attendance and performance; and Providing health interventions through schools will promote and encourage healthy behaviours. The teaching oflife skills within the curriculum is particularly relevant in combating the transmission ofHIV/AIDS. Initially, 80 schools in two EP districts were selected to participate in the SHN component. Eastern Province was the pilot province because both health and education indicators were poor. Participating schools performed biomedical and cognitive testing and additional interventions over a period offour years. As the component progressed, additional schools were added. As part ofthe SHN component design, schools that initially acted as control schools became intervention schools the following year. This design facilitated the partial achievement of government's long-term goal of eventually having all schools in a school health and nutrition programme. The signing ofMemoranda ofUnderstanding between the Ministry ofEducation and the Ministry ofHealth and the "understanding" with the Ministry ofCommunity Development and Social Services respectively made it possible for the three line ministries to work together in this intervention. This has been a rare undertaking. The SHN intervention also put in place systems which ensured the efficient inlplenlentation of various activities. A drug delivery system involved the ordering ofde-worming medicine by the MOE and their shipment to Zambia. Thereafter, the MOE had the drugs cleared, custom duties paid, quality checked by Medical Stores and transferred to district health board pharmacies, which in tum ensured delivery to rural and urban health centres located within the school catchment area. At the district level, inter-sectoral monitoring teams make use ofmonitoring forms designed by the program intervention to look into the process ofimplementation at the zonal level. 1. Impact Regarding the Resources, Personnel and Policy Requirements for the Ministry of Education to Continue the SHN Interventions SHN has made available to the pilot schools medication for worms and micro-nutrient supplementation over and above what would routinely be stocked by the MOH district health pharmacies. This is evidenced by the fact that, in non SHN schools, not all children found to be infested with bilharzia or worms were able to receive treatment due to inadequate stocks of anti-worm drugs at the health centre. This strongly suggests that the CHANGES/SHN intervention far exceeds the performance of health centres in the programme areas with respect to ensuring adequate de-worming drugs and micro￾nutrients. Similarly, the health care system provides adequately for under-5 children as far as vitamin A supplementation is concerned, but, again, extra stocks for school-going children would have to be sourced ifthe health sector were to perform this function. Clearly the SHN pilot program has been able to provide the appropriate drugs for de￾worming and micro-nutrient supplementation. Aguirre International Page 20 CHANGES Program Evaluation The manuals that were designed by CHANGES and the MOE were made available to all who had passed through the SHN training. Teachers and health workers were trained together and district and provincial staffin the three line ministries received instruction on the program. The manuals were said by several teachers to be a valuable tool as a reference text and also for the purpose of orienting colleagues who had not been part of the training. The manuals have been officially adopted by the MOE and will be used by the zonal training centres established by the MOE to train an average of 4-5 schools in their catchment areas. SCI has an abbreviated version ofthe SHN training manual which incorporates much ofthe CHANGES manual and this too will be used by Zonal Training Centres. The SHN data derives from forms already used in schools as well as forms initiated by the SHN programme. The SHN forms adopted by the MOE include the school health card and drug request form. A treatment record and bilharzia prevalence questionnaires are being used in SHN schools and will be adopted by the MOE for use in all SHN schools in the expansion phase (CHANGES, 2005). Monitoring tools such as the SHN monitoring form, TCA Performance Evaluation form and the SHN Continuous Evaluation questionnaire are other materials that have been developed by CHANGES to be used by any scale-up intervention. Flip charts have been used by teachers as a good trigger for health talks in the classroom. In partnership with a nationally renowned musician, the CHANGES programme produced an audio tape with ten songs that promote SHN activities. Ofthese, four focus on HIV/AIDS prevention messages. A total of300 copies of the tapes have been produced for distribution to SHN schools, in both Eastern and Southern Provinces. Thus far, 208 copies ofthe tapes have been distributed. The songs are both in English and a widely spoken colloquial language, Chinyanja. Recommendations • The provision of de-worming medications and micro-nutrient supplementation should be scaled up to other schools. • The manuals used for training should be part of every teacher's collection of aids. 2. Personnel The teachers in the SHN districts received training on the skills required to use the instruments and tools. The training included review of diseases, overview of SHN issues, drugs, use ofthe bilharzia questionnaire, the dosage tablet pole, record keeping, monitoring forms, malaria, HIV/AIDS, health promoting schools, and co-ordination and action plan development. The Head Teachers, teachers and personnel from the MoH and MCDSS, who were trained in SHN intervention activities, generally felt that the training was informative and useful. Teachers were glad to be able to have insight into their pupils' health problems and to be able t9 do something about them. Also, Head Teachers and teachers who had received the four and day training in SI-ThJ activities conducted orientation'sessions for the rest ofthe staffin their respective schools and made the SHN manuals available to them. The methodology used in the pilots for training Head Teachers and one other teacher, with a view that the rest ofthe staff would be oriented, is thus a good one. The Aguirre International Page 21 CHANGES Program Evaluation "non-trained" teachers at the schools which were visited exhibited full participation in SHN activities and were able to accurately describe these activities. During training, the teachers and health workers were encouraged to conduct activities such as sponsoring drama groups, SHN and anti-AIDS clubs. They were also encouraged to host community meetings about SHN; an open day for parents to visit the school to see for themselves the various SHN activities; to ask parents to give their children breakfast before sending them offto school; to ask parents to provide a mid-day snack; to establish SHN committees whose members comprise persons from the community, school and health centre; and to work with PTAs and initiate other activities that will engage parents in the SHN component. The MOE has service structures on the ground at three levels: Zonal Education Support Teams (ZESTs) are responsible for in-service education at the zonal level, District Resource Centre Co-ordinators (DRCCs) at the.district level and Provincial Resource Centre Coordinators (PRCCs) at the provincial level. The CHANGES SHN programme undertook the training of all provincial and district resource centre coordinators who were also trained as SHN trainers oftrainers. At the time ofthe evaluation, the training of zonal coordinators was underway. CHANGES has supported the provincial HIV/AIDS strategy, including the sensitisation ofteachers and patrons of anti-AIDS clubs and the development oflocally designed materials (readers and teachers guides) for pupils and teachers. Also the programme encourages the SHN focal point teacher to establish anti-AIDS clubs and student drama groups to perform in the school and surrounding communities to increase awareness about HIVIAIDS and prevention strategies. At the time ofthis evaluation, the pilot intervention in the Eastern Province had trained 1,082 people in SHN activities: 640 males and 442 females. The programme had targeted the training of950 teachers by 2005: 510 and 440 males and females respectively. Also, 113 community members have received instruction in SHN and information dissemination techniques (61 male and 52 female). Among the pupils, 236 have been trained in HIV peer education: ofthese, 119 were male and 117 female. At the community level, health workers (a community-based worker trained by the MOH and its partners to promote healthy behaviours and deliver preventive and curative care) and community development assistants (community-based officials ofthe MCDSS who have received formal training in community mobilisation and sensitisation) were also trained. . Recommendations • Any scale-up program should employ the same methodology oftraining Head Teachers together with one other teacher, so as to disseminate SHN knowledge and skills to all members ofthe school staff. Trained staff would be given a time frame in which to do this with close monitoring by the district SHN inter-sectoral team. • The training of provincial and district resource coordinators should be part of any scale- up, with the provincial training teams playing critical supervisory and supportive roles alongside their national counterparts. Aguirre International Page 22 CHANGES Program Evaluation 3. Policy Requirements for MOE to Continue Implementing SHN The pilot SHN progranlme has allowed the MOE to learn lessons and derive thoughts on a nationwide scale-up ofthe program. As the program has been implemented, non-SHN schools and communities, District Education Offices, Provincial Education Offices, and their counterparts in other line ministries have learned lessons concerning the initiation, implementation and monitoring of SHN activities. The district team which comprises the three line ministries, for instance, has seen the value of close monitoring of SHN activities; the Community Development Assistants (from the Ministry ofCommunity Development and Social Services) have strengthened their role as community mobilisers within the context ofthe SHN intervention; and health centre workers have observed the need to liaise with schools to confirm drug administration dates, and to then remind the district health office to promptly deliver the drugs. Teachers founq the iron regimen difficult to adhere to because the iron tablet was to be given once a week for 10 weeks; teachers ran into difficulty when pupils were absent during the 10 week period or ifthe drug administration began near the end ofthe school term. They did, however, manage to give all the children the iron tablets and to document all 10 doses. With the bulk ofthe worms in children surveyed in the baseline study being attributed to hookworm, and nutritional anaemia being the common cause of anaemia in Zambia (Luo et. aI., 1998) and in pubertal girls,body iron loss during menstruation being a reality, there is a case for continuing the supplementation ofiron in school children. Moreover, in Zanzibari school children, Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm infestations were associated with worse iron status; the association with hookworms was the strongest by far. Multivariate analyses indicated that hookworms were responsible for 75 percent of the children's severe anaemia (Stoltzfus, R.J. et aI, 1997). Future SHN policies can thus be derived from the experience ofthe pilot programme. Examples ofsuch policy requirements might entail: • Redefining the roles of health workers at health centres in view ofsevere staff shortages in some areas by excludingsuch activities as their presence at the school during drug administration,. unless the drug administration day coincides with the health centre school health outreach activities (an activity which is in the annual health centre plan and which therefore has a lunch allowance attached to it for out￾of-station work); • Iron supplenlentation; and • Ensuring inter-ministerial monitoring. Recommendation • The supplementation ofiron would be done under the supervision of parents/guardians after appropriate levels of consensus have been reached, as in the pilot programme. The decision for this intervention would be reached after further dialogue/consultation on the matter. 4. Opportunities for Future Support The pilot programme has presented opportunities for future support at every level. At MOE headquarters, the restructuring process has brought about a shifting of personnel Aguirre International Page 23 CHANGES Program Evaluation and the SHN National Focal Point Person now has others duties. The persons to whom SHN has been assigned must also perfoml SHN activities in addition to their core business. The Ministry has submitted to the Cabinet office the need to establish an officer whose core functions would be SHN duties. This process may be protracted. The finalisation ofthe SHN policy, which is still in draft form, is another opportunity for support at national leveL Generally, the government procedure for adapting policies is lengthy and the longer the SHN policy is in draft form, the longer the adaptation process will be delayed. At provincial and district levels, support for training and monitoring ofintervention implementation is necessary. Also, further strengthening ofsystems will be imperative, especially since the drug provision will be administered primarily through another programme- the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI). A shorter training has been proposed (1-2 days) as opposed to the 3-day CHANGES training. CHANGES, together with the SCI, will be testing a method oftraining trainers for Zonal Resource Centre Coordinators, who in tum will train the teachers in their respective catchment areas. Recomnlel1dations • In the interim, as the re-structuring process is evolving and the cabinet office still has to sanction a senior person for the supervision ofthe SHN program (Principle Education Officer), a partner will be needed to give support to the MOE in this officer's function. . • At provincial and district levels, monitoring support will be vitaL The frequency of the monitoring visits need not be as often as in the pilot programme, but there certainly has to be logistical and financial support for the inter-ministerial monitoring team, especially since the MCDSS is severely constrained by a lack of logistical and financial resources. • At the school level, ensuring the following in the scale-up will be critical for success: · Community sensitisation and mobilisation; · Training ofstaff at non-SHN schools and refresher training ofstaff at SHN Schools; · Ensuring drug availability; and · Strengthening the nutrition, water and sanitation components ofSHN. 5. SHN's Cross-cutting Collaborative and Multi-sectoral Approach The CHANGES program provides an opportunity for nlulti-sectoral collaboration between the Ministry ofEducation, Ministry ofHealth and Ministry ofCommunity Development and Social Services. This collaboration is at its strongest at community and district levels. Although the Ministry ofEducation has made great strides in establishing and maintaining this collaboration at the national·level, further strengthening ofties is needed. There is also a need for MOE advocacy at national level for further involvement ofthe MOH in the SHN program. Already, CHANGES has supported the MOE in re￾establishing the SHN Intersectoral National Steering Committee. This committee would work together with relevant ministries, NGOs, and appropriate officials in the MOE for HIV/gender issues, to discuss SHN activities including school feeding. This would ensure that SHN does not fragment, especially as new components such as malaria are added to the programme. Aguirre International Page 24 CHANGES Program Evaluation Lower level officials in the health care delivery system feel reluctant to make certain decisions in the area ofschool health, because of a lack of d~finite national policy guidance. A good example ofthis is the issue ofpre-payment schemes for school children: Head Teachers at basic schools have been willing to pay a lump sum to health centres in their catchment area, in order to facilitate pupils' referral to these facilities. They have entered into negotiations with the health centre regarding these charges, and have reached a consensus about the amount ofmoney to be paid out from their sector funding allocation. Even though health centre staffhave recognized the need for such a prepayment arrangement, they have not been altogether comfortable with it because neither the MOH policies, nor the Memorandum ofUnderstanding with MOE, give them the authority to do so. The tripartite relationship between schools, communities and health centres can be illustrated by what occurs when a teacher recognises symptoms ofillness in a child. The following diagram exemplifies this relationship. Child taken to health centre for treatment Child receives treatment; health worker writes child's problem and treatment given on health card which goes back to the SHN FP/class teacher Child taken to parents or parent called to school Teacher refers pupil to SHN FP/class teacher who obtains pupil's health card Teacher identifies symptoms ofillness in a pupil In some districts, there has been an incessantly low turnout at quarterly district, inter￾sectoral SHN meetings by representatives ofline ministries. It was observed that meetings, which are called by the District Commissioner (the overall government supervisor ofthe district), are usually well attended. This is possibly because these meetings have a sitting allowance attached to them. Potentially, therefore, there is no reason for poor attendance of SHN meetings since the inter-sectoral District Development CoordinatingCommittee which is chaired by the District Commissioner is usually well attended. The CHANGES SHN programme is a member orihe NGO forum and networks with several NGOs, programmes and governmental systems. Among these are the PHASE project-hygiene education, Tooth Savers International (for basic oral hygiene), Family Health Trust Anti-AIDS clubs, Care International sub-grants, World Food Programme and Medical Stores Limited. A sub-forum ofthe NGO forum addresses HIV/AIDS prevention/control. Recomntendations • The fact that the MOH is in another phase ofthe Zambian Health Refonns means that the MOE will have to use forums in which child health issues are tackled to gamer further participation by MOR at the national level. Such forums are: Aguirre International Page 25 CHANGES Program Evaluation • The Child Health Coordinating Committee chaired by the Minister of Health; • The cooperating partners in the child health subcommittee; and • The child health meeting chaired by the Child Health Specialist of CBOHIMOH. • There is need to collaborate with the Ministry ofHealth at a national level concerning which drug will be used for de-worming school children, because ofthe implications this has in the long term for integration ofthe de-worming program into the public health sector, as far as drug provision is concerned. SCI will purchase drugs for the MOE and will cover four provinces by the end of 2007. There are initial plans for a three-year phased implementation of a de-worming programme, which will entail the treatment of 2,500,000 persons, using an implementation model similar to the CHANGES SHN programme. The total cost will be US$2 million. The SHN programme for MOE will continue concurrently and will reach the additional provinces during planned expansion. • The District Commissioner (DC) may be requested to call meetings for district committees. Giving the DC minutes ofmeetings might spur members to attend. This has its own difficulties as the DCs office is often very busy. 6. Cost Data of Classroom-based Components The following table is an excerpt ofthe estimates ofdrug quantities for national school health and nutrition drug requirements for 2005 as tabulated by CHANGES: 2,013,336 4,872,351* 2,436,176* 2,436,176* Table 6: SHN District Packa e Estimated Costs schools 169,038 409,063* 204,536* 204,536* De-worming*/Micro-nutrients*(Vit Allron) Trainin teachers/health workers IEC/media/materials/HE/health cards, etc. Water/sanitation/h iene activities Production units/school feedin Aguirre International $.65/pupil; For communities: $.40 Total dru cost = $200,000 500x1.2MK=600m 100x1MK=100m 4MK 6MK 6MK 4MK Page 26 CHANGES Program Evaluation Monitoring/shared costs/MOE/MOH/MCDSS 2MK ( Total $225,000 Total all districts $16,200,000 * This assumes only once per year treatment as a minimum ** This includes all pupils and out of school/communities-- communities only receive bilharzia treatment depending on the prevalence in school. If the prevalence is 40% or above, surrounding communities in the school catchment are treated. Total of 72 Zambian districts; average population per district= 200,000 7. Integration at All Levels Including MOE Directorates At the MOE level, the SHN intervention falls under the Directorate of Standards and Curriculum. The directorate is responsible for the formulation ofthe SHN policy and for the direction ofSHN activities as well as collaboration with other directorates within the ministry, line ministries and cooperating partners. The Directorate also monitors and evaluates SHN activities at provincial and district levels. Under "Special Issues," SHN has been included in the MOE national strategy, action plan and has a budget line. Last year, at a planning workshop to mainstream Special Issues, SHN was designated as a national priority. The national level has also accepted the use ofthe materials developed by CHANGES to train persons who will be involved in the scale-up component ofSHN. At the provincial level, in the area ofteacher training, it was not clearly apparent that SHN had been included in the pre-serVice training. The college principal had received instruction in SHN intervention and teacher trainers were all trained on SHN, an activity which was envisaged by the concept paper of 2000, as a way of building sustainability into the program. What remains is for the speeding up ofthe process to include SHN in the teacher training curriculum at the national level. Further, at provincial level, even though the provinces were tasked by theMOU to translate policy into implementation, the concept ofthe School-based Health Policy (one ofthe four cornerstones ofthe FRESH Start approach - Focusing Resources on Effective School Health) was not well known. The same applies to some districts as well. This may be due to recent transfers and promotions ofstaff, in line with the restructuring process, which subsequently has led to the placement ofpersons not previously trained in the SHN intervention. At the district level, integration of SHN activities is more apparent than at higher levels, with the monthly monitoring visits to SHN schools providing a powerful catalyst for this process. At the community level, integration is even stronger with community groups being involved with all three components ofthe program. SHN has provided for the creation of closer links between the health centre and the teachers in the following ways: • Through the Memorandunl ofUnderstanding, which spells out roles and responsibilities ofteachers and health workers; • Collective training; • The school health card which serves as a referral/feedback tool; • Encouraging teachers to sit on Neighbourhood Health Committees (committees whose membership derives from the community and who have representation on the Health Centre Committee - a component which plans and monitors the activities ofthe health centre). In addition, community sensitisation initially took place through four popular theatre groups which were contracted by CHANGES to work for 10-day periods in each ofthe Aguirre International Page 27 CHANGES Program Evaluation 20 pilot intervention school catchment areas, collecting information and holding theatre performances on SHN, based on the data they had collected. The major theme ofthe drama was the importance ofSHN, the teachers' new role in providing de-worming drugs and the relationship between health and learning. Later, community members, teachers and school children performed the dran1a as part ofthe Theatre for Community Action approach, and carried on the sensitisation, an aspect which allowed the programme to save resources and avoid the logistical problems that had been part ofthe first arrangement. Community involvement was evidenced by participation in SHN committees; members were able to elaborate the various SHN related activities that were taking place. Parents were found at the school either holding meetings, or cooking food to serve to the children. Several children had chiwaya (roasted maize) to eat as mid-morning snack, indicating parent compliance to teachers' requests for them to supply a snack. Drama performances by community members and school children on the importance of SHN were informative and entertaining. Recommendations • It will be important to ensure that pre-service training for teachers will include SHN activities. • Orientation of new provincial and district staff on SHN will be imperative in order to maintain gains in SHN. 8. Capacity-building to Support Sustainable Positive Change Workshops were conducted for provincial, district administrative and managerial level staff. Whereas the training covered several broad subjects (including roles of various levels, letters of understanding between MOE and line ministries, what should happen at the school level among other topics) the subject area most talked about by provincial and district administrators was that ofmonitoring the SHN intervention. At community levels, teachers have been given the capacity to administer de-worming drugs and micro￾nutrients, and also to recognize common childhood ailments. Health centre workers have learned how to ensure smooth delivery of drugs mid to strengthen relationships between the health facility and the school. Additionally, they have recognized the importance of being present at the school during drug administration days. Local partner organizations, linked with the SHN program, were conversant with the particular SHN component in which the program was collaborating. Community leaders were knowledgeable on the SHN activities that should take place at the school level. Recommendations • In order to support sustainable positive change at national and provincial levels, the MOE could utilize forums in the other line ministries for" an orientation on the MOD and the pertinent aspects ofthe program. At provincial and district levels, orientation of new or transferred staffwill be important to provide much needed continuity. • At provincial and district levels, orientation of new/transferred staffwill be important to provide the much needed continuity. • Community sensitization and mobilization must be sustained through the Community Development Assistants. Aguirre International Page 28 CHANGES Program Evaluation • In any scale up, training ofteachers and health workers must be conducted close to the time of SHN activities' implementation in schools in order to avoid situations where trained persons must wait before drug administration is actually implemented. 9. Strategies to Maintain Capacity After the Close of CHANGES Local SHN staff have built capacities to initiate, implement and closely monitor school interventions. These activities have required coordination with national, provincial and district management/administrative personnel in the line ministries and a good rapport with schools and the communities in their catchments. Local staff have been able to generate significant numbers of activity reports on at various levels, including community sensitisation, training, selection of pilot sites, process monitoring and documentation of achievements, best practices and lessons learned. Recomnlendatiol1s • At the national level, an SHN Technical Assistant would be valuable in aiding MOE officials to whom SHN is assigned as an additional function. • At provincial and district levels, local SHN staff would be valuable in assisting the MOE with the training component ofthe intervention and also with the critical monitoring aspect ofthe programme. This assistance would come in the form of a three to four person team, which would also strengthen the coordination aspect ofthe intervention and ensure that important paperwork is generated. 10. Assessing Effects of SHN on Educational Access and Achievement The SHN intervention's effects on children's learning ability are manifested in both individual cognitive capacity and in aggregate changes on common measures ofthe education system. Both are needed to give a complete picture ofthe SHN intervention's value as an educational innovation. In terms of cognitive effects, the pilot-phase experimental testing ofthe main CHANGES SHN programme (i.e. administration of anti-bilharzia and de-worming drugs plus micro￾Aguirre International Page 29 CHANGES Program Evaluation nutrients) by an independent research organization demonstrated significantly improved cognitive ability among student recipients, in comparison to non-recipient control-group students (CHANGES report, 2004, p. xi and 23). This was measured through a pilot pre￾test of cognitive ability, followed by an experimental comparison ofschools receiving treatment at different stages with schools that were untreated (during the pilot phase). The primary measurement tool consisted of a specially designed cognitive instrument known as Z-CAI, along with assessments of vocabulary, and school-related math, English and a Zambian language for older students (Successful Intelligence, no date, p. 5). In terms of effects on the larger education process, this evaluation found that the CHANGES SHN intervention has been accompanied by higher - often substantially higher - enrolments and attendance ofstudents in the treated schools. This outcome, and its attribution to the drug/micro-nutrient intervention, was supported by a large majority of educators from schools, district education offices, the Eastern Province principal education office staff and the MOE headquarters. Because SHN is a package of interventions undertaken in close succession, the effect ofthe drug and micro-nutrient administration itselfwas difficult to disentangle from that ofthe other intervention activities, including community sensitization on general health and nutrition themes, school gardens or feeding programs, and school'facilities improvements (e.g. toilets and dorms for girl students). However, educators and health officers at district and school/community levels unanimously agreed that the removal of disease symptoms from treated children was immediate and visible and that the parental attraction to the free medical treatment oftheir children's worms and Bilharzia infestation was strong. This suggests that the drug intervention, along with its targeted sensitization, was at least partially, and probably significantly, responsible for these enrolment and attendance increases. To a far less documented extent, drug and micro-nutrient treatment was also accompanied by slightly better retention rate in treated primary schools. Effects relating to retention must, for the time being, remain tentative, due to the complex interplay of economic, cultural, personal, as well as health factors on school retention decisions. Beyond these, retention can depend on whether there is available space or teachers for expanded numbers of upper-primary students. But, a majority of educators from SHN-treated schools did partly credit improved student health for enhanced retention among their students. Drug/micro-nutrient administration and sensitization ofstudents' parents on health issues, in both the immediate school community and the surrounding catchment area, have been accompanied by a modest re-entry ofschool drop-outs. Included among the drop-outs are female children who had earlier been required to drop out due to pregnancy, but later wanted to continue their schooling. Attribution ofthese phenomena to the SHN drug intervention and sensitization is confounded by several competing influences. One possible contributor is the school infrastructure improvements that have been made possible by CARE-funded small grant projects in some SHN schools. New or renovated facilities, such as dorms, latrines, and bathing houses reserved for girls, were reported by staff ofseveral schools to have nlotivated many out-of-school girls to enrol in or re-enter primary school (see later section on small grant component). Periodic-but, usually, very occasional--school feeding, also account for som,e ofthese re-entries. But, in the opinions of a majority of educators at the school, zonal, district and provincial levels, the SHN drug intervention has been at least partially responsible for attracting these out-of-school children-often girls-back to school. Aguirre International Page 30 CHANGES Program Evaluation The educational effects ofthe SHN drug/micro-nutrient treatment were less identifiable and less measurable within the classroom. A majority of administrators and teachers in the visited SHN schools did report nl0re alertness and energy among their students. As is pointed out elsewhere in this report, Zambian government schools have been adversely affected by the central government's freeze on new hiring of government civil·servants, which, with the added effect ofretirements and AIDS-related deaths, has left most schools severely under-staffed. Therefore, any significantly higher exam scores in a particular school might well reflect nothing more than the fortunate presence of an experienced grade 7 teacher, rather than an untrained, or no, teacher, as is often the case. The CHANGES/SHN activity has been accompanied by an apparent increase in demand for higher levels of basic education. Several ofthe visited schools have added grades 8 and 9 instruction to accommodate students who passed the grade 7 exam and wanted to continue their schooling. This was done even with space at a premium and, often, an insufficient numbers ofteachers. The study could not determine precisely which factors have created this demand, other than to say that it could reflect slightly higher pass rates into grade 8, a higher overall value attached to education by students and their parents, and/or improved health (with regard to worms and Bilharzia) and the attraction of (occasional) food provided by the school. The impact of interventions on children's infestations with parasitic worms was marked: amongst children who had received de-worming for one year (2002) or two years (2001 and 2002), the prevalence ofinfection (number of children infected) with parasitic worms was approximately one quarter ofthe baseline rate and was much lower than that of children in the control group (p<0.001). Treatnlent also resulted in large reductions in intensity ofinfection (numbers of worms in a child - p P:: 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% -t-------.----------,-----------, Aguirre International 2 Year 3 Page 31 CHANGES Program Evaluation Recommendations 1. USAID/Zambia should provide resources for the training and ongoing support of trainers who will train and monitor school and community focal point persons in health education and drug administration at the zonal level. 2. Despite wider awareness ofthe SHN drug/micro-nutrient benefits, the MOE and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), which are planning to undertake a wide scale administration of anti-Bilharzia and de-worming drugs, should continue a modest pre￾treatment sensitization oftargeted parent and community populations to optimize inclusion of out-of-school children, who might otherwise not enrol in or re-enter school and thus receive treatment. This may: be particularly necessary as the treatment penetrates into more remote and scattered communities and to those with community schools rather than government basic schools. 3. The MOE's EMIS unit should disaggregate grade 7 exam results according to exposure to SHN drug/micro-nutrient intervention in order to allow wider comparison oftreated and non-treated students and schools over several years. 11. Water and Sanitation Water and sanitation improvement, together with the improvement ofthe hygiene practices ofschool children; was another objective ofthe CHANGES/SHN pilot intervention. In every SHN school, there was evidence ofpit latrines, hand washing facilities and safe drinking water. There is a general need to increase the number of Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (VIP) on school premises in most basic schools, particularly since enrolments have increased in such an unprecedented manner. The MOE'srecommended pit latrine ratios of 1 latrine to every 20 girls and 1 latrine to every 25 boys may need to be reviewed, since some premises are not large enough to accommodate the necessary number of buildings to fulfil this requirement. Moreover, recommended distances oflatrines from water points must be adhered to. The VIPs that were inspected, for the most part, did not meet the national standard, in that odours and flies were present. There was no gauze on top ofthe ventilation pipes, and most latrine holes were uncovered. Schools had protected wells or bore holes for their water requirements, and in some schools, drinking water was placed in a bucket and chlorinated using locally available chlorine solution. In some schools, hand washing facilities were complete with soap and an adequate supply ofwater, whilst in others, soap was missing and water ran out quickly with no one paying heed to its replenishment. Recommendations 1. Schools should adhere strictly to instructions for the construction of VIPs. The Environmental Health Technicians and Technologists at the health centre can be consulted in this regard. 2. Drinking water must be chlorinated or boiled in order to make it safe to drink. 3. There is a need to emphasize the necessity of a continuous supply ofwater for hand￾washing. Aguirre International Page 32 CHANGES Program Evaluation 12. Nutrition Most, if not all, CHANGES schools have begun, expanded or improved school gardens (i.e., "school production units"), thereby supplying cash from sales of crop yields to fund school needs, and/or contributing to the food availability ofstudents through school feedings. Crops that are grown include maize, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, vegetables, cassava and fruits such as bananas, paw paws and oranges (cassava cuttings and fruit trees were provided by the MOE and officers from the Ministry of Agriculture provided technical assistance on how to handle certain crops). This study could not determine the reason that some schools had extensive "school production units" and school gardens, while others had made little progress. Both the CHANGES/SHN programme and the GRZ/SHN Initiative contained messages encouraging supplementation ofstudent diets through school production units, but we were unable to ascertain the effects of either programme on successful or unsuccessful implementation of production units or gardens. In some schools, women's groups are actually coming into the school to provide a hot meal for selected grades. Students perform the bulk ofthe labour in many school production units, with community members participating in others. Reliance on student labour may develop potentially valuable agricultural knowledge and skills for rural children, as well as giving the students a stake in producing the food they will later consume. Conversely, students' labour may also assume negative connotations, should the output ofthe production units be used primarily or exclusively to raise cash for the school, in which case students may not perceive the benefits oftheir labour. Given the very infrequent school-sponsored feedings given to students in almost all schools, there is sufficient reason to doubt that student labour on the school production units are either supplementing their diets or instilling in them a healthy respect for agriculture and the work required for its yields. It is no doubt true that many schools use the proceeds ofthe school gardens and farms to purchase supplies, such as chalk, pencils, and notepads that benefit students. However, these are supplies that should be provided by the MOE. Given the appearance that students might be working on the school farm for the benefit ofthe teachers or a school manager, it would probably be in the interest of schools to move away from the concept of using production units solely as a fund-raising venture. With prevailing high levels of poverty and pupils attending schools hungry and malnourished, maize raised on the school production unit could be ground into meal and used for porridge to feed them. In schools where groundnuts, soy beans, pigeon peas and sunflowers are grown, the addition ofthese foods would supply the required protein and caloric requirements to the porridge for improved nutrition. "T~e objective is to move towards SHN gardens, so that schools can r~n towards sustainable dingprogrammes.So,!,e crops are not recommended in producti()n units, (schools) should sweet otatoes roundnuts and even soya beans - those (crops that have a·direct benefit to children. " - District Education Officer Recommendation • The MOE should consider discouraging the impression that production units produce crops for commercial exploitation or school cash resources only. Aguirre International Page 33 CHANGES Program Evaluation • The MOE should strengthen links with the nutrition staff at a national level in the MOH/CBOH, seeing the National Nutrition Strategy (2004-5) has school feeding as one ofits concerns. Moreover, the strategy advocates for the involvement of communities in developing and refining "region specific" options for nutrition improvement to be promoted (National Nutrition strategy, 2004-5, p. 6,14) Aguirre International Page 34 CHANGES Program Evaluation IX: COMMlTNITY SENSITISATION AND MOBILISATION CAMPAIGN A. Rationale and Goals The Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation Campaign (CSMC) is the second major component ofthe CHANGES programme. It was piloted in the Southern province and can now be found in all its Districts. It focused on five major campaign goals, which were to ensure that: • Parents, community members, teachers and children understand the importance of education for girls and other vulnerable children, as well as for boys; • Communities and schools actively advocate and implement activities to support the enrolment and retention of girls in primary school; • More girls and other vulnerable children attend school and complete a primary cycle • Community members, teachers and school children aware ofthe causes and transmission ofHIVIAIDS; and • Community members, teachers and children engaged in activities to halt the proliferation ofHIVIAIDS. The CHANGES programme planned to invest in a vigorous publicity campaign that targeted communities and schools in the Southern province in order to create a conducive atmosphere for the education of girls and vulnerable children and for the prevention ofthe spread of HIVIAIDS and care of patients. This was aimed at empowering the underprivileged communities: women, elderly, youth, religious and cultural minorities, to identify their needs and make decisions. Therefore, a suitable strategy was to be used that would help communities reflect on cultural practices that hinder girls from attending school, health issues and the need for interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS and care for affected people,. This strategy was called the Community Sensitisation and Mobilisation Campaign model. The model was also to be used to stimulate demand for access to programme funds that would assist in achieving the campaign goals ofthe CSMC. According to the World Declaration on Education/or All and Framework/or Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs (p. 9 1990), partnerships at community, intermediate and national levels should be encouraged; they can help to harmonise activities, utilise resources more effectively, and mobilise additional financial and human resources where necessary. The CHANGES programme identified an active participatory process, involving groups, schools and the community to address basic learning needs. A wide range of partners were involved in implementing the programme. Families, teachers, communities and NGOs were all involved in activities aimed at improving access to education for girls, removing obstacles that hamper their active participation, and fighting HIV by removing the factors that promote its proliferation. Aguirre International Page 35 CHANGES Program Evaluation B. Design of the Model A four-step model was designed for the Southern Province pilot phase. We have included it in the Annex to provide the reader with a visual concept ofthe process. The first step was to conduct research and to verify the findings. Five schools were to be sampled in each ofthe eleven districts. Research was also to be conducted in six communities in the catchment area of each ofthe fifty-five schools. This meant a total offifty-five schools and 330 villages were targeted. Participatory Research Teams then went into communities and stayed there for 10 days. During this period, they studied the behaviour ofthe local people and picked up on key themes. Then, through drama and dance they made people to react and confirm, reject or modify the behavioural patterns shown, that related to the spread ofRIV/AIDS, constraints on girls' education and health issues. The second step was the training ofZonal-level Community Facilitators. The ZCF teams are three-person teams, comprised of one person each from the MOE (a teacher), MaR (an Environmental Health Technician), and MCDSS (a Community Development Assistant). Government employees from the three line ministries (MOE, MaR, MCDSS) were trained in mobilisation -and sensitisation ofschools and communities. The participants were from the zonal level ofthe three line ministries; provincial and district officers also joined in this training. In the third step ofimplementation, the Zonal-level Community Facilitators conducted Community and School-based Sensitisation and Mobilisation. The head teacher, two classroom teachers and four community members were trained to be Focal Point Persons to guide their schools and comnlunities as they deliberated and developed actions. This was done by holding community wide meetingsand school staffmeetings. The community meetings were normally held at the zonal centre schools. The fourth step in the model was the Community and School-based Interventions. Communities and schools were to implement activities based on their action plans. The activities were very diverse and depended on the needs ofindividual schools and communities. Most ofthese activities were to be community and small grant supported. The model was meant to be cyclical, so that once activities were planned, communities and schools would meet again to review successes and challenges and draw fresh action plans. This model was to achieve preset campaign goals ofimproving the enrolment and retention of girls and addressing the fight against RIV/AIDS. c. Outputs The CSMC was intended to pass through developmental stages, beginning with research and verification. There was to be training of zonal level community facilitators, community and school-based sensitisation and mobilisation, community and school based Aguirre International Page 36 CHANGES Program Evaluation interventions, and outreach and impact. It was expected that at least 9 ofthe 11 districts in the Southern province would be actively involved in the CSMC. Training was a component of CSMC, as a way of creating awareness, capacity and action. Different strategies and methods were to be used in the training in order to acquire knowledge and skills and change in behaviour ofthe people. The training was planned to be in the fonn of workshops, mentoring, coaching, meetings and focus groups. Training was to be conducted at all levels and cater to officials in the three line ministries, MOE, MOH and MCDSS. 110 district officials from MOE, MOH and MCDSS (10 per district) were to be trained in community participation methodologies and mobilisation strategies. It was planned that the Creative Associates' staff at the CSMC office would train the provincial, district and the zonal level staff (zonal level community facilitators -ZCFs) in a joint six day workshop, called the zonal level community facilitators workshop. Eleven workshops were held. The ZCFs were to train one head teacher, two teachers, and four community members at the zonal centres (SFPPs and CFPPs). The school focal point persons and the community focal point persons, with the zonal level community facilitators then developed action plans on how to promote girl child education and fight HIV/AIDS. Community and school-based sensitisation and mobilisation targeted parents, guardians, teachers, local leaders and all members ofthe community. In the first phase ofthe CSMC the target was five schools per zone in each ofthe nine programme districts (2 districts were excluded from CSMC). Since there are 82 zones in the nine districts, 410 schools were targeted in the first phase and there were six communities involved in each school catchment area. Therefore, there were 2460 communities for all school catchment areas. This was to ensure that there was commitment and support from everyone in the community. After the extension, all basic schools, plus 67 community schools were brought on board. Since there were different experiences that influenced girls' education and contributed to the spread ofHIVIAIDS, each community was supposed to conduct its own interventions, based on their experiences. This would be expressed by such actions as sending girls to school instead ofselling food, and assisting in construction of pit latrines and girls' donnitory at school. This would also be achieved by strong links between the PTAs and schools. According to the plans, 90 (10 per district) district level plans of actions would be developed as a framework for community sensitisation and mobilisation. CSMC was meant to have a positive impact on the girls' education and vulnerable children, to learn about HIVIAIDS and take measures to stop it. CSMC was planned to reach out to all children, and in the process, include both schools and communities. Increased girls' enrolment and a reduction in drop out rates, an increase in retention rates, and improvement in perfonnance would measure the result. It was expected that a total of 728 primary school catchment areas would produce plans of action and snlall programme based plans (proposals). D. Outcomes Phase One ofthe model, research and verification, was successfully conducted as planned and in each district resulted in the production of 5 school profiles and 30 community (village) profiles, which were translated into one comprehensive district profile and were used for advocacy. However, sending researchers to live in communities for 10 days proved to be expensive, in addition to the training that they had received. The ZCFs Aguirre International Page 37 CHANGES Program Evaluation trained one head teacher and two teachers from each school and four community members from each catchment area. 728 schools were involved, with 5096 people trained. The evaluation team found evidence of community wide meetings and community and development ofschool based action plans. Committees had been formed consisting of I head teacher, 2 teachers and 4 community members. In most ofthe schools, there was evidence that community and school-based. interventions had been conducted. At the school level, teachers sensitised other teachers, while community members sensitised members oftheir communities. School action plans were visible in the head teachers' offices that included community activities. At the community level, no action plans were evident beyond the development ofsmall grants proposals. There were many grant-supported activities in both EP and SP. The CHANGES/CSMC component has successfully implemented a complex array of community education and development activities that require in-depth understanding of local cultures and economies, conceptualization of potentially amorphous content into readily accessible and actionable messages, inter-generational and cross-class communication techniques, regular and effective monitoring, and concrete involvement and support from representatives and officials at various levels ofthe MOE, MOH, and MCDSS in the Southern Province. E. Activities of the CSMC The CHANGES programme has successfully mobilised and sensitised schools and communities, zones and officials at district and provincial levels. The sensitisation has focused on Equity and Gender and HIV/AIDS. This has been achieved by conducting the following activities: • Initial research in five schools and six communities surrounding each ofthe five schools in each district, in order to establish the lifestyle ofthe people. This was followed by dramatisation, song and dance that carried themes on the identified needs; • Holding training workshops for school focal point persons, zonal focal point persons and officials at district and provincial levels; These persons in turn trained others in their institutions and communities; • Sensitising college lecturers and training ZATEC students in Primary Teacher Training Colleges, Chipata TTC and DALICE; • Producing and distributing materials and posters in English to all schools, communities, districts and provinces that carry information on gender and HIVIAIDS • Strengthening leadership and collaboration among three ministries (MOE, MOH, MCDSS), schools and communities; • PTAs working hand in hand with schools to.draw Action Plans for mobilising and sensitising members ofthe community; • As a result ofCSMC, schools and communities are producing infrastructures such as bathrooms and dormitories for girls, introducing school feeding programmes, administering drugs for children and changing attitudes and behaviour ofpeople on children's education and HIV/AIDS; and • Conducting advocacy workshops with opinion leaders and influential people (such as traditional leaders, religious leaders, elected community representatives and local Aguirre International Page 38 CHANGES Program Evaluation authorities etc.) in all eleven districts to sensitise them about CSMC, apd to challenge them to contribute to CSMC objectives in their constituencies ofinfluence. Producing activity resolutions. The above have led to increased enrolment in schools, especially for girls, improved health ofthe children, and reduction in cases ofHIV/AIDS. Communities have realised that learning becomes effective when a child is fed at least something at home and at school. As a result, both schools and communities have embarked on food production in their gardens and animal farming. F. General Perspectives on CSMC The outcomes, as distinguished from the outputs, ofthe research-verification in the first stage CSMC are notoriously resistant to quantification and categorization, due to the unpredictable and one-off nature ofschool/community initiatives. For example, a community that is concerned about improving gender equity may seek to stop early marriages of girls by keeping them in school, while another community that is impoverished may be more interested in introducing life skills and/or vocational skill training to give youth another means of earning a living. Despite the lack of easy categories for outcomes, the depth of consciousness gained by communities through an intensive approach may be likelier to produce community actions on more substantive and complicated issues, than are possible with targeted sensitisation campaigns. The community sensitization and mobilization appears to be particularly well-suited to the challenges of addressing intractable problems such as high-risk sexual behaviour and barriers to fuller realization of gender equity in schools and society, which have their roots in long-held and deeply embedded cultural norms and practices, such as lobola (bride payment), polygamous marriage, rites ofpassage ceremonies, sexual cleansing, and marriage to the spouse ofthe deceased. CSMC has, for example, contributed to the advancement of gender equity in the form ofhigher initial enrolnlent of age-appropriate girls in school, re-entries of girls formerly removed for pregnancy, and improved retention of girls in school, including, in some cases, progression to grade 10. Where there has been strong collaboration between schools and communities and the local leadership had been sensitised, it was reported that cultural practices that had impinged on girls' education and put people at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS had been reduced. The CSMC has pioneered a means ofmotivating de-centralized MOEstaffto conduct sensitisation, training and monitoring activities in the field, by providing meals or lodging allowances for travel to other locations. Zonal community facilitators and school focal point persons, in particular, have shown a willingness to be involved in these activities. CHANGES has "pooled" the funds for small allowances to provincial and district MOE offices, where they are disbursed through the district MOE's financial systems. Statements by CSMC staff, however, indicate that some teachers have noticed these allowances and began to express a desire to receive them before doing any CHANGES work. According to many respondents, HIV infection rates are much lower in rural areas than in urban areas. But the traditional attitudes, norms and practices to which youth are acculturated-such as early marriage for girls and submissive female behaviour towards men - in rural areas predispose them to sexual behaviours and HIV risk factors if, and when, they visit or migrate to urban areas. Likewise, urban dwellers infected with HIV also can, and do, spread the virus locally to students and other rural youth. Aguirre International Page 39 CHANGES Program Evaluation Despite their differences, the SHN and CSMC sensitization and mobilization "packages" have used many ofthe same techniques and nl0dalities, such as training offacilitators, involvement oftraditional leaders, and diffusion of consciousness-raising content through community meetings, popular theatre, music, dance, and poetry performed by troupes or community groups, in addition to posters and radio broadcasts. These techniques were even more effective in locations where the school and the community formed a joint drama club, thus bridging generations and education levels. While professional troupes were effective for SHN, they are more expensive and generally do not know the communities as well as local residents, which makes a difference in sensitising on more conlplex issues. General Recommendations • USAID should continue to build upon the intensive sensitisation and mobilisation process, or elements ofit, with a modest expansion into carefully selected districts, along with continuation offollow-on activities in S P to establish communities' ability to progress further in HIV/AIDS prevention/amelioration and/or gender equity. • USAID should, in any follow-up programme, attempt to obtain MOE, MOH and MCDSS, buy-in for any further sensitisation and mobilisation initiative. • Tpe follow-up programme should investigate ways to deal with "expectations creep" among teachers and other line ministry staffto receive allowances as "compensation" for their participation in sensitisation and mobilisation activities, unless their contributions involve a planned activity that requires travel to another site. • Restructuring has resulted in a lot ofmovement and position changes. It was noted that many officers in the Ministry of Education were new as focal point persons for the CHANGES programme (SHN, HIV/AIDS, Equity and Gender, CSMC). There is a need to train or retrain officials at the district, provincial and national levels. The training should include all Standards Officers at these levels, which will ensure that teaching and learning processes link up well with all these cross-cutting issues. • Any follow-up programme should seek ways to continue the collaborative use of sensitisation and mobilisation techniques, especially at local levels. The use ofschool clubs and improvised drama troupes to sensitise their peers and communities and vice versa, the use of communities to sensitise their fellow members and pupils should be strengthened in the expansion ofthe programme. • The training offocal point persons for CSMC was an impetus for the success that the CHANGES programme had scored in orderto reach the schools and the community and ensure sustainability ofthe activities. However, at schools where there are many teachers, focal point persons should not be the same person for HIVIAIDS, for SHN . (in the 3 Southern Districts), for CSMC and for Equity and Gender. In schools where a teacher had many roles to playas a focal point person, activities were not very effective, because the teacher had to move from one workshop to another. Future training should ensure that valious people from the same school are being trained in all activities ofthe CHANGES or a follow-up programme. • The training ofFPPs should focus on strengthening the link between PTAs and schools, and the need to ensure that information reaches the people and that both male and female merrlbers ofthe community are involved in decision making process. Aguirre International Page 40 CHANGES Program Evaluation • There were some schools where the CHANGES programme was very successful, but the classroom work was very poor. For example, Musokotwane Basic School in Livingstone had constructed a girls' dormitory and skills training centre and the school had been electrified. But when one entered the classrooms and looked at both pupils' and teachers' work, there was very little evidence ofteaching and learning. There must be a link between acaden1ic performance and the cross-cutting issues, in order to ensure that teachers do not spend more time at the skills centre at the expense ofteaching. 1. MOE Resources and Requirements to Continue CSMC While the CSMC is characterized by its inter-ministerial nature, it is understandable that many personnel continue to see the programme as primarily that ofthe MOE. The CHANGES models have shown that capacity can be built in personnel at the school, zonal, district, provincial and national levels, but not without cost in time and finances. CHANGES has trained thousands offocal point personnel and formed CSMC committees at all levels ofthe educational system to be full participants in health (Eastern Province and beginning in Southern Province) and community development (Southern Province). There is near unanimous agreement, however, that the programmes should continue to receive outside support and not be abandoned in their infancy. The CSMC sensitisation and mobilisation models developed by CHANGES are without cost in time and resources. With careful planning, short workshops can be expanded to other provinces at comparatively small cost, as can interventions such as hand washing, disposal ofrefuse, 'and school cleanliness. Bore holes and the building of latrines, however, do involve extensive expense, and are critically important to the long term health of children. The CSMC model involves a high commitment oftime to penetrate each community, in order ,to ascertain local problems and achieve "buy-in." It also involves extensive costs oftime, personnel and funding to train personnel and monitor their action plans. Recommendations • Utilize the fall of 2005 to prepare for scaling up ofthe programme to all Provinces, with training for provincial teams to begin in January, 2006, followed by District teams in April, 2006, fol~owed by Zonal training during the next school break period. • Expand the CSMC model to other provinces utilizing "shortened" versions ofthe intensive sensitization, and only in carefully selected districts where, for reasons of language and culture, among others, it is thought that unique components might necessitate adaptations ofthe SP model. • It is important that future activities are in line with those ofthe MOE, in order to continue with CSMC, which has worked very effectively in the pilot phase in SP, implemented by the CHANGES programme. This should be done by linking up the activities on HIV/AIDS, as outlined in the HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2001-2005, and the activities in Sector Plan under the Directorate of Planning and Information on SHN and Gender and Equity. The following are some ofthese activities: develop a participatory monitoring tool and conduct monitoring ofHIVIAIDS and Equity and Gender activities, and continuous training and upgrading offocal point persons to spear-head planning and implementation of HIVIAIDS and Gender and Equity work at the provincial and district level. Although these FPPs seem to be in place, during the evaluation, it was found that most ofthem changed places and positions during restructuring and those who were trained are playing new roles. Aguirre International Page 41 CHANGES Program Evaluation • In order to strengthen collaboration and to effectively build activities, there is need to have an Implementation Committee within the Ministry ofEducation. The Implementation Committee should be comprised·ofmembers from the key Directorates: Standards and Curriculum, Teacher Education and Specialised Services and Planning and Infonnation. The committee should be served by the secretariat from the new programme. The committee should plan and implement the activities supported by the new programme and those ofthe MOE, so that they can ensure that there is integration at all levels. This committee should also incorporate members from MOH and MCDSS. • A leadership office of any follow-up programme should be located within the Ministry ofEducation, to assure close coordination with the various Directorates, although the size ofthe programme will make it likely that there will need to be separate offices for staff of any new programme. • There should be a national Zambian project manager, employed by the programme and possibly an international Technical Adviser housed within the MOE, to serve as secretariat and plan the implementation to facilitate support in line with MOE activities. These two would then be sitting at most ofthe MOE meetings and plan and implement programme expansion. • Training manuals have been developed for FPPs by the CHANGES programme. However, there was little evidence of classroom participatory methodologies for teaching HIV/AIDS and Gender Equity. There is a need to look at the classroom based interactive methodologies and develop teachers' guides to assist teachers on what to do in the classrooms. This is an important area that will require support. • HIVIAIDS comers in schools, where pupils could share infonnation with peer educators, exist in almost all the schools visited. However, there is a need for guidelines for teachers on the definition ofthese comers and how they should be used. The roles ofteachers and peer educators should be clearly explained through counselling training. Many schools visited were asking for funds to construct offices for peer educators. Yet the activity can take place in an existing classroom ifthere are no other people present, or even under a tree. • A lot ofinfonnation on HIVIAIDS, Gender and Equity has reached the schools and the communities in the EP and SP. The infonnation is meant to sensitise both pupils and communities on health issues, girls' access to education, HIVIAIDS prevention, and caring for the sick. However, most ofthis infonnation is written in the English language. In line with MOE policy that initial literacy should be in local languages, and in order to encourage adult literacy and allow more people to glean messages from posters, leaflets and local radio programmes, some ofthe infonnation should be translated into the 7 local languages used in schools for teaching. Given funds for workshops, this is where the Directorate of Standards and Curriculum could come in and use the language specialists to translate appropriately for Grade 1 and even up to grade 7, and for most members ofthe community. This will provide many chances for parents and children to share infonnation. • Training ofin-service teachers and pre-service students in MOE activities is done by the Directorate ofTeacher Education and Specialised Services through the teacher training colleges. The directorates have established structures and a system has been put in place by the use ofthe Teachers Resource Centres and Provincial, District and Zone Education Support Teams. These groups are nonnally brought on board at the Aguirre International Page 42 CHANGES Program Evaluation beginning of any programme; however, during this evaluation, it was discovered that some ofthese teams were not involved in the CHANGES programme. At the zonal level, the ZEST (Zone Education Support Team) is comprised ofthe Head Teacher, the Zone Resource Centre Co-ordinator and the Subject In-service Provider. The role ofthis team is to train teachers and head teachers in MOE activities and to monitor the progress ofthese activities. These are the appropriate people to train the FPPs at school and in communities. The use ofthese teams has proved to work very well, was used by the Primary Reading Programme and has produced very good trainers. It is very effective, especially when rolling out a programme countrywide. The new programme should explore ways of using these teams. There is need for a team of national trainers who could train the FPPs in districts and also train the School and Community FPPs in their districts. It would take 6 days to train 70 National Trainers and 18 days to train 360 District trainers (FPPs) who would train 12,000 Zonal FPPs in their districts. The pool of national trainers should be comprised of Senior Standards Officers, Curriculum Specialists, Officers from Planning and Information, Teacher Education Department (In-service training), College lecturers and teachers from the pilot schools in EP and SP who have done well in CSMC. 2. CSMC's Crosscutting, Collaborative Nature 'and Sustainability The Memoranda of Understanding and informal understandings between the three Ministries (MOE, MOH, and MCDSS) appear to be functioning well and having an impact at the zonal level, with varying levels of commitment and understanding at the district, provincial and national levels. The MOE and MOH resources (personnel, budget, transportation etc.) are significantly greater than that ofthe MCDSS. Since the SNH and CSMC are primarily efforts ofthe MOE, it is not surprising that the level of effort and commitment are greater there than in the other three ministries. Provincial, District and Zonal Committees are in place, but the regularity oftheir meetings, attendance of members, and commitment to CSMC goals appears to differ by setting. The MCDSS zonal community development workers appear to know their communities well and collaborate with the MOE in providing information for bursaries for girls and OVCs. Community health centres do not appearto be deeply involved in the drug administration, but the MOH does assist in the storage and distribution of drugs to the schools. If MCDSS is to become a full partner in a fully functioning multi-sectoral CSMC, it will need strengthening. Recommendations The zonal community development officers (MCDSS) are generally without any forms oftransportation, and thus seldom are able to visit all villages in their zone. Bicycles or motorcycles would assist them in their efforts. Any follow-up to CHANGES by USAID should involve all three Ministries on a regular basis at alllevels, and the programme leaders should be regular participants in those meetings at the national, provincial and district levels. Integrate community, zonal, district, and provincial development officers into all training, monitoring and on-going committees. Strengthen the implementation ofteacher trainings for life-skills at grades 1-9. Aguirre International Page 43 CHANGES Program Evaluation Educational Standards Officers from the MOE need to monitor all activities, including health, nutrition, care of OVCs, and other factors, in addition to the teaching and learning process. Quarterly reports ofthe new programme need to be circulated to all MOE directorates and to appropriate officials in the MOH and MCDSS. Most ofthe information on HIV/AIDS and SHN can be integrated into support material for literacy, which has already been successfully implemented nation-wide from grades 1 to 7. It could be included as reading materials for class libraries, or as part ofre-training ofteachers in Read On literacy courses from grades 3 to 7, where literacy has not made a big impact. After sensitisation and training on the CHANGES programme, schools and communities became aware ofthe need for girls' education, the impact and prevention of HIV/AIDS, and how to promote SHN. However, there is need for follow up with all stakeholders who had conducted sensitisation and training, to check on what people have done and how behaviours have changed. One example is David Livingstone College of Education, where lecturers were involved in the extension phase and look forward to seeing progress made in the field by being involved in monitoring. The initial stage ofthe programme: sending researchers to 55 schools and 330 - communities for 10 days to identify and verify problems, has worked very well and has led to the writing ofschool profiles. However, in the nationwide scale-up ofthe programme, this is not a viable exercise, since it would be very expensive to send researchers into every community. Zonal FPPs could be trained in this aspect of research so the problems identified by these Zonal FPPs could be compiled at the district level for planning purposes. Or, sampling research in some ofthe communities in each province could be done. In order to improve on the MOE's EMIS system, there is need to train head teachers through ZEST on how to maintain data on enrolment rates and progression rates, so that correct records are kept in schools and correct figures are given to districts for compilation by Planning Officers. It was observed during this visit thatmany head teachers lacked skills for maintaining such records. 3. Gender Equity The CSMC conducted participatory research in each ofthe 11 districts ofthe Southern Province to document the reality lived, experienced and described by the local people. It then published District Profiles on its findings, which were meant to lead to action on the part ofthe local population. The Zambian Government produced a document entitled "Education Our Future," (1996) which details the role of education in personal and national developn1ent. This document states that "Where access, participation, and achievement in education are impeded by gender.....the government will seek to eliminate the sources of educational disadvantage in order to enhance equity." To this end, the PAGE programme, conducted by UNICEF with USAID support, and the current CHANGES programme have sought to assist the GRZ in bringing about greater gender equity through schools. The results ofthe CHANGES/CSMC study, Gender andEquity in Basic Education in Zambia: BeyondAdvocacy to Action (2005), found that in the Southern Province, for both the under 7 and at age 7 categories, girls outnumber boys in grade one, but that at each Aguirre International Page 44 CHANGES Program Evaluation level above that, boys outnu1l1ber girls. However, the total nU1l1ber of girls, of any age, is still greater in grade one than that of boys (25,762 to 25,484). This is an indication that the longer girls delay initial enrolment in school, the greater the disparity. The same study found that at every grade above grade one, boys outnumber girls,·with the total enrolments of 160,794 boys to 153,112 girls in grades 1-7. It also found that female dropouts, for all reasons, numbered 4,833, as opposed to 3,459 for the boys, with marriage and pregnancy counting for the largest disparities in gender enrolment. While girls repeated grade one at a slightly higher level, in every succeeding grade, male repeaters outnu1l1bered females, so that by grade seven, 57 percent ofthe repeaters were boys. These figures point to the importance of cultural factors in the female drop-out rate, and suggest that if girls stay in school, they are likely to do better than the boys. International research has made similar findings on girls' academic achievement in a curriculum involving literacy, something that is important in the Zambian system, where children learn both Mother Tongue and English. CSMC reports the following basic factors leading to gender disparities in Southern Province. Socio~CUlti.tral•• Factors: ~'F:~mjlyDySfuric;UOn ~·.• :,~r~~~I~~J,§,~xua 1..·.Custdrrls··.·and School Factors: S;!.$,Qq981::ln!r~strUQt9r.~an ~.~',~i9D • 'School Furniture·and,Educational.Malerials •••••!;·.rv1i.str~~Jm~;bt~bd .. ~~R;!§ilafic>nofPupii~ •."Relevance ofEducation ~")ln'siimiionaj'Managemenl Family Dysfunction In general, the CSMC findings report that family dysfunction is closely related to poverty, hunger, parental mortality, orphanhood, socialisation of boys and girls, household chores; all affect enrolment and attendance. • The study emphasises the importance ofstrategies to alleviate poverty and hunger, although this would appear to be a long-term strategy, along with family planning for smaller families, reducing parental mortality through HIV/AIDS prevention programnles, assistance to orphans, and encouraging parents to reduce the burden of household chores, particularly for girls on school days. Sexual Customs and Mores Among the sexual customs and mores that affect school involvement and attendance are: peer love relationships, teacher-student sexual liaisons, social gatherings held by churches or traditional ceremonies, concert parties, children sleeping in their own huts, peer pressure for sexual activity, traditional initiation rites for girls (Nkolola) which includes the seclusion ofgirls, content ofinitiation lessons, and the ceremony day in which girls are advertised as virgins, are all seen as affecting enrolment and attendance ofgirls. Recontmendation Aguirre International Page 45 CHANGES Program Evaluation • Sex by pupils should be discouraged through education on sexual and reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS; guidance and counselling services in schools; clarity of regulations and professional ethics ofteachers with enforcement of penalties; and changes in the traditional practices of girls' initiation rites (Nkolola). School Factors Among the school factors that affect enrolnlent and attendance by girls are: dilapidated buildings and furniture; class size; lack of desks; lack ofstaffrooms; lack of teachers' houses; lack ofteachers or multi-grade teaching; lack oftoilets (particularly for girls); lack ofprivacy; lack ofbathing facilities; school uniforms; distance to walk to school; corporal punishment; teachers' negative behaviours and attitudes; child labour in school and production units; lack oftextbooks; safety in walking to school; irrelevant curriculum; lack ofpositive female or other role models; shortage ofmiddle and upper basic schools; utility and fairness of examination system; lack ofsupervision; teacher absenteeism; non-teaching duties; lack ofteacher commitment; teaching "extra" lessons for pay; teacher alcoholism; high staffturnover; untrained teachers; conflicts and power struggles among and between teachers and head teachers; and lack ofpower in the PTA. Recommendations Improved infrastructure; schools located within five kilometres; preventive maintenance; teachers' offices and homes; appropriate ratio oftoilets; progranlme for sanitation and hygiene; equity in the number of desks and textbooks; teacher .training on classroom management and teaching; controls on child labour in school and production units; provision of uniforms forOVCs; discipline guidelines; curriculum on children's rights; clarity on government policy on the non-requirement ofschool uniforms; construction and staffing ofmiddle and upper basic schools; greater fairness in national examinations system; improved inspection system; control of extra duties for teachers so they can concentrate on teaching; better remuneration of teachers; controls to reduce teacher absenteeism, alcoholism, and conflicts; replace untrained with trained teachers; clarification ofroles and responsibilities ofPTAs to empower them; and training in school management. Guidelines on Gender Equity While the findings and recommendations ofthe CSMC on gender equity are research based, and we are in strong agreement with each ofthem, gender equity goes much deeper into what it means culturally to be female or male. We offer the following recommendations for consideration. Recommendations Equitable access to schooling is not enough, ifthe education offered is limited by cultural definitions ofwhat it means to be female and male in the society. • Both boys and girls must be targeted in any policies and practice, to assure that all Zambian children are prepared for an equitable society, including work, civic involvement and domestic life. Schools should be places in which both girls and boys feel safe, are safe, and where they are respected and valued. • Schools should acknowledge their active role in the construction ofgender, and their responsibility to ensure that all organisational and management practices reflect Aguirre International Page 46 CHANGES Program Evaluation commitment to gender equity. This includes, but is not limited to, female and male role models in all school positions, gender equity in textbooks and all instructional materials, equal treatment ofgirls and boys in class, seating arrangements, types of classroom questioning and many other factors that help to "construct" gender roles in the schools. • Understanding of gender construction should include knowledge about the relationship of gender to other factors, including socio-economic status, cultural background, rural/urban location, disability and sexuality. These factors need to be brought to the forefront in each school setting, ifZambia is to reach beyond surface gender equity. • Acceptance of changing gender roles is a long and difficult task, but understanding and accepting that there are many ways ofbeing masculine and feminine will assist all students to reach their full potential. The narrow boxes into which boys and girls throughout the world are confined prevent both genders from fulfilling their potential. • Strengthening and empowering PTAs, ensuring survival and vocational skills through schooling, and regular involvement with the broader community are all critical to the improvement and change in educational outcomes for girls and boys. • Any interventions should be targeted towards increasing options, levels of participation and outcomes ofschooling for girls and boys. While the issues facing girls are, without question, a high priority, it will do little good ifthere are not simultaneously interventions which target gender construction in boys. • Anti-discrimination and other relevant legislation at the national, provincial, district and even zonal levels should inform all educational programmes and services. • Many countries which have attempted to achieve greater gender equity forget that the process needs continuous monitoring of educational outcomes and programme review to prevent a return to old cultural patterns and norms in the home, school and broader society. 4. Girls' Enrolment and Progression Rates, and Community Sensitization It is not possible to attribute, with any exactitude, the percentage of girls' enrolment that can be attributed to community sensitization, but all school, zonal, and provincial officials, as well as parent and community informants, point to greater enrolment of girls in recent years. This is particularly true in the early primary grades and less so in grades 5-9, particularly upon girls reaching puberty. The rise in girls' enrolment has been attributed to CHANGES interventions, the PAGE programme (a predecessor of CHANGES), MOE emphasis on gender and equity, free primary education, and school feeding programmes, among others. Many informants attribute the return of young mothers to school to the sensitization ofthe CHANGES programme. The CSMC is given strong credit for achieving the support ofChiefs and Village Leaders in changing or modifying traditional cultural practices such as initiation ceremonies, early marriage and pregnancy, and protective measures for the girl child in the home. Recommendations • Continued support to the MOE's gender and equity offices and campaigns. • The expansion of gender and equity to a much larger and significant concept including issues such as masculinity and femininity, gender based violence, Aguirre International Page 47 CHANGES Program Evaluation • • • • • • • • • • curriculum, adult gender roles, teachers' attitudes and behaviours, parental and community education, popular culture and gender roles and many other topics dealt with in more detail in the Evaluation Report section on gender roles. Expansion ofthe CSMC model to provinces and districts throughout the country, particularly with in-depth research and verification in new cultural and linguistic settings, different than those found in the Eastern and Southern Provinces. Continued training and support for NGOs, such as FAWEZA and other programmes, to provide bursaries for girls and other vulnerable children to complete their schooling up through grade nine. Procedures on identification by MCDSS and names taken to the DEBS Office for bursaries, must be carefully followed to prevent nepotism and fraud. Continued support for building latrines, bathhouses and dormitories for girls. Build on the successes ofPAGE that are currently in the Office of Gender Equity in the MOE. Continuation ofthe Family Pack Programme and other quality materials on gender equity. Monitoring ofgirls' enrolment from the school to the national level, with numerical goals on equity at each level. Study the reasons for success and failure of boys, and deal with issues of gender￾based violence, respect for girls and women, and develop materials to assist boys in growing into productive citizens. Continued support in working with publishers to assure gender sensitive textbooks and instructional materials. Promotion ofmore women in rural areas to strengthen positive role models for girls. PTAs need women in positions ofleadership, not just men, and gender balance in discussions and actions should be sought. 5. Cost Data for CSMC Classroom-based Components The Original Contract and Extension Period for CHANGES contract included the sum of $1,424,222 for the delivery ofCSMC activities. This was the total for trainings, workshops, small grants, information education and communication, pre- and in-service training ofteachers, sensitization and mobilization for SHN and CSMC, advocacy, and the development of action plans. While it is not mentioned in the CSMC performance indicators, monitoring was mentioned as being a "high cost" part ofthe process, but monitoring by CHANGES stafflikely comes under the salaries, benefits and others costs associated with the programme. It is difficult to extrapolate costs per classroom, as figures from CSMC appear to be a nlixture of "total costs" from the whole period ofthe programme, and only costs expended during the Extension period. Recommendations • Based on the assumption that the $1,424,222 CHANGES expenditures (2001-2005) on activities covered 728 school catchment areas, the per-school costs would appear to be approximately $1956 per school. Ifthe national total of6,786 Basic Schools, Aguirre International Page 48 CHANGES Program Evaluation minus the 728 already "sensitized," were to be covered, then the total cost for scaling up to cover all ofthem would be approximately $11,849,448. • This figure covers all levels oftraining and other activities, not just for individual schools, but can give one an approximation of costs ifthe programme were to be expanded nationwide, utilizing the same model used in the Southern Province. It does not, however, cover headquarters, salaries, benefits, and other administrative costs of the programme. • It is unlikely that such a sum offunds will become available, and thus it is recommended that CSMC could be carefully targeted at certain districts, which have cultural factors that affect school attendance, girls' enrolment, HIV/AIDS, gender roles and other issues of concern. Neighbouring districts could then learn from the sensitised districts and hopefully put many ofthe "best practices" into their on-going in-service training programmes. 6. Integration of CSMC The restructuring ofthe MOE appears to have slowed the process ofintegrating the CSMC in some districts, as many key personnel have been moved to new positions and locations in the past two years. Despite one or more persons being charged with being . the focal point person(s) at each level (school, zone, district and province), with the move towards having Standards Officers in charge ofseveral areas ofresponsibility, there was evidence that activities on girls' education and HIVIAIDS were not always the highest priority of many ofthe officers so designated, due to multiple roles and work plans. There also appeared to be much variability between districts and zones. The support of the DEBS is a critical factor, along with the district focal point persons, having been . through the various training components. Recomnlendations • The reader is referred to many ofthe CSMC recommendations in #1 above, where resources, personnel and policy requirements are given in detail. • Persons who are trained as focal point persons at the school level should continue training other teachers in the school through the SPRINT system. Any future programme should ensure that committees on HIV/AIDS and Gender Equity are strengthened and supported. • Work plans should capture HIVIAIDS and Gender Issues at the provincial and district levels, with provisions made for monitoring both ofthese. A continuous process for reviewing work plans should be put in place. 7. Line Ministries and Zambian Partner Organizations' Capacity-building Findings and Conclusions: Capacity-building has been a major component ofthe CSMC program. Extensive training has been held for literally hundreds ofindividuals, and reports on the quality ofthe workshops has generally been positive. The following totals ofindividuals trained at each level, as ofDecember 31, 2004, with significant female Aguirre International Page 49 CHANGES Program Evaluation participation of approximately 1/3 of all officials and focal point persons. Provincial Officials-15, District Officials-125, Zonal Officials (ZCFs)-327, School-Based Focal Point Persons (SFPPs)-2184, Community-Based Focal Point Persons (CFPPs)-2912. In addition, a provincial multi-sectoral team has been formed, 11 district multi-sectoral teams, and 103 zonal level multi-sectoral teams. Five NGOs have been given capacity￾building assistance. Small grant proposals were received from 288 communities and 529 schools, with over half ofthe 728 communities and schools being expected to submit proposals, based on community or school-based action plans. Some 950 pre-service teachers have been trained in HIVIAIDS, life skills, and gender equity issues, along with 76 TTC staff, and 158 head teachers and teachers. 445 teachers and head teachers have been oriented on the use ofthe manuals on the topics above, along with 2 Teacher Resource Centres (TRCs). 360 HIVIAIDS and life-skills modules have been implemented, along with 130 gender modules. Recommendations • While capacity-building workshops are important, it should be ensured in the future that the on-going schooling of children not suffer from the trainings, which are held by the many programmes ofthe MOE. • Capacity-building in grant writing is important for communities seeking external funds to improve their schools, but mechanisms must be found to educate schools and communities on the limited nature of grant funds, in order not to discourage or even anger communities not receiving assistance. Monitoring and follow-up ofAction Plans resulting from the capacity-building is an expensive and time-consuming task. Without them, it is likely that any future programme will be but another ofthe many programmes which have been carried out, with little long term impact. • School health, gender equity, and HIV/AIDS have been handled by the Planning and Information Office ofthe MOE, so officers in Standards, Curriculum, Teacher Education and Specialized Services have been generally left out. They are key players in the monitoring and training and must be included, especially at the national level. • MOH has signed the MOD and MCDSS has an informal understanding on CHANGES, but neither have played an important role in the planning and implementation ofservices. Representatives ofthese two ministries must serve on any future Implementation Committee and their staffincluded at the provincial and district levels in all trainings. 8. Effect of CHANGES on Girls' Enrolment It is difficult to factor out the effects ofCHANGES on girls' enrolment, as the programme followed on the heels ofthe well accepted and positive PAGE programme, in addition to coinciding with the policy offree primary education and feeding programmes Aguirre International Page 50 CHANGES Program Evaluation by the World Food Programme. Testinlonials by focal point persons at each level and by community members, however, give credit to the CSMC for strongly promoting girls' education, receiving the support of many Chiefs and Village Heads, bringing numbers of young women back to school following the birth oftheir children, changing the timing of initiation rites to vacation periods, improving latrine and bathing facilities for pubescent girls, and providing greater protection for girls on their way to and fronl school or through building girls' dormitories. In the 20 schools in the Siavonga and Sinazongwe Districts of Southern Province, the percentages of boys is only slightly higher than that of girls (5.4 percent more boys than girls in Siavonga and 3 percent more boys than girls in Sinazongwe), but in the drought ridden, poorer district of Gwembe, the difference is 22.2 percent more boys than girls enrolled. Informants from Gwembe indicate that enrolments rise and fall with feeding at school or sufficient food at home, and that the balance of genders is generally better in the larger villages in the District. As might be expected, the percentage of girls enrolled tends to fall, the higher the grade in school, despite growing evidence that girls are achieving as well or better than the boys in many subject areas. This would indicate that traditional gender roles, early marriage, chores at home, initiation ceremonies, and other "traditional" factors continue to make it more difficult for the girl child to remain in school, despite CHANGES and other GRZ initiatives. Recommendations • Targeted assistance should continue in the Southern Province to particularly poor districts and those with significant numbers ofOVCs. Districts with continuing significant differences between boys and girls' enrolment, attendance and graduation rates should be targeted. • Working with the World Food Progranlme, NGOs and others, school feeding programmes should continue to be targeted at drought ridden and particularly poor areas, as these factors appear to affect girls' enrolment figures. • Continued sensitisation of community members on the importance ofgirls' education is of great importance. • Small grants should be continued to construct VIPs, bathing facilities and dormitories for girls. • Teachers need training in counselling and guidance for both girls and boys on HIV/AIDS and gender issues. 9. HIV/AIDS Another major cross-cutting issue ofthe CHANGES Programme is that of HIV/AIDS. Although the SlAPAC study was basically a stand-alone activity ofthe CHANGES programme rather than being directly tied to either SHN or CSMC, the impact of HIV/AIDS on the educational environment warrants closer examination. Therefore, this study seeks to detail the nature ofthe epidemic among young people and what appear to be the most powerful change agents of adolescent sexual behaviour: namely service learning (Community Service) and mentoring. Before going into greater detail on the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and youth throughout Africa and the world, and promising approaches to confronting the issues, we Aguirre International Page 51 CHANGES Program Evaluation will review the findings ofthe SIAPAC study, financed and supported by CHANGES, published in January, 2004. • Zambia is among the world's most affectedcountries by HIV/AIDS, with a prevalence rate at 16 percent. The rates for women are even higher, estimated at 18 percent versus 13 percent for men. In addition, women are being infected and dying at a younger age than men. Urban rates are estimated at 2.5 times that ofthe rural rate, and HIV rates appear higher for the employed, as compared to those who stay at home or who work as farmers. The report also estimates that the risk of a 15 year old dying from AIDS at some point in his/her life is one in two. • In 2001, 60 percent of all orphans in Zambia were AIDS orphans, and for the 7-14 year old age group, 27-33 percent ofthe children will have lost one or both parents to the disease, while for 0-6 year olds the estimate was between 17-21 percent. By 2003, there were an estimated 800,000 children who had lost one or both parents, and is projected to increase to 1.2 million by 2010. • Zambia has responded more substantively to the epidemic than most other countries, with a range ofpolicy initiatives across the various sectors. According to SIAPAC, however, a key gap in the response has been insufficient attention to the role of attitudinal and behavioural change, particularly the role ofwomen in sexual decision￾making. Along with this, there has been a shortage of voluntary counselling and testing services, a lack of behavioural change communication approaches to learning and action, inconsistent access to and use of condoms, and extremely limited provision of anti-retroviral drugs. Some ofthese issues are dealt with in the extensive section which follows on successful interventions in other countries, utilizing service￾learning and community involvement to promote attitudinal and behavioural change. • The study predicts a weakening of demand for education as fewer children are born, and families are unable to keep their children in school. Educational shortfalls have undermined the provision offree education; HIV has already affected attendance and is undermining the quality of education received by children. • The number of educators who are HIV positive is estinlated at one-in-four, higher than for the population at large. The study suggests that at least half ofthe deaths in the system are from AIDS. It predicts that a sufficient number ofteachers will be trained until 2010, after which there will need to be an increase in production of teachers. A more imnlediate impact is that ofteacher absenteeism due to illness, both short and long-term. • Educational quality is suffering greatly, partially due to HIV/AIDS, but also due to a wide range of other factors. In addition to absenteeism, there are numerous doubled￾up classes, untended classes, and many schools that offer a shortened school day. The results are born out by low scores on national assessment tests. • AIDS could cost the MOE as much as US$375 million between 2003-2015, with some costs offset by ARVs. Recommendations • The government has already planned to increase the supply of ARVs for teachers and their families, with a predicted 700 being offered in 2005 to 5,000 by 2015. Community-based initiatives are recommended, again something the government has already responded to, with the large number of community schools now in existence. Aguirre International Page 52 CHANGES Program Evaluation The study recomnlends a "mainstream" approach to HIVIAIDS, rather than special programmes. While CHANGES is a "special" programme, its CSMC approach is a holistic one that involves not just schools, but whole communities in the process. The danger of mainstreaming HIVIAIDS responses is that it is quite likely that when everyone is responsible, no one is-responsible. The CHANGES/CSMC approach oflearning from, scaling up and providing support for local interventions is already being acted upon. Regrettably, the repertoire of interventions is still limited, both in the community and in the school. The following section attempts to provide insight into what has worked in other countries. The study calls for greater resources for the MOE to deal with HIV/AIDS, and also for working with NGOs and private service providers to assist at the school and district levels. Some ofthis is already being done by CHANGES/CSMC through small grants for training and materials. The Workplace Programme must be broadened to affect mainstreaming and the development of diagnostic skills, and response development among MOE personnel. These personnel need to focus on how HIVIAIDS is affecting their work, their pupils, their schools and their communities. Among the many specific recommendations made by the study are the following: Being aware that not all teachers are well informed or good role models; Reaching out to pupils through non-testable curricula, special programmes, booklets and brochures; · Schools need to be protective environments, not part ofthe problem; Children need to know how to protect themselves; Detailed information on the effect ofHIV/AIDS on personnel in the sector; An MOE directive on mainstreaming, and a high profile by the MOE on the issue; Combat stigmatisation, secrecy and denial; Inter-sectoral approaches and alternative funding sources sought; Consider expanding free education to higher grades; Clarity ofpolicies on OVCs, with programmatic responses; · Expand pre-service and in-service training on HIV/AIDS; · Move beyond knowledge into attitudinal and behavioural change; · Greater use ofradio and distance education; Enforce zero tolerance for sexual misconduct by MOE personnel; Improve security at hostels and dormitories; Make condoms available to those who choose to be sexually active; Develop circles ofsupport; Incentive schemes for communities to respond to AIDS; Respond to the full range of orphans' needs; Special attention to schools in "high risk" environments; and · Concentrate more on local initiatives, rather than centrally mandated solutions. Many ofthese are already being done in schools and communities, particularly those tied to CHANGES/CSMC. Many others are also found in the detailed literature on youth and HIVIAIDS found in Annex 6 and in the following section. Aguirre International Page 53 CHANGES Program Evaluation 10. Special Vulnerability of Youth The demographic reality ofmost developing nations, but particularly those of Sub￾Saharan African including Zambia, in which a majority ofthe population is under the age of 18, makes prevention much more problematic and important. The Population Information Centre (2004) summarizes well the particular vulnerability of youth. "Physical, psychological and social attributes of adolescence make young people particularly vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Adolescents often are not·able to comprehend fully the extent oftheir exposure to risk. Societies often compound young people's risk by making it difficult for them to learn about HIVIAIDS and reproductive health. Moreover, many youth are socially inexperienced and dependent on others. Peer pressures easily influence them - often in ways that can increase their risk." Most HIVIAIDS experts point to a number offactors which make children and adolescents particularly vulnerable. Findings: 1. While educational campaigns are underway throughout the world, a large percentage of young people (as high as 90 percent in some countries) are still unaware of how to protect themselves or have misconceptions about the disease (Population Reference Bureau, 2000). 2. Information and education has proven to be insufficient. Risk avoidance skills, delay ofsexual debut, negotiation with sex partners, and early education, long before children become sexually active are all needed. 3. Many young people living with HIV/AIDS do not know they are infected, and sexually active young people, regardless of country, do not perceive themselves as being at risk (UNAIDS, 2001). 4. Youth tend not to have a strong political voice and thus are not given a high priority for funding or action. 5. HIV/AIDS tends to infect the most vulnerable of children and youth, those living in the poorest countries and regions ofthe world, and those who suffer fronl lack of education, economic opportunity and health services available in the wealthier nations (Henry J. Kaiser Foundation Fact Sheet, May, 2002). 6. Condoms are not readily accessible or available to Zambian youth. 7. Young people, particularly young women for physiological reasons, are at greater risk for STDs and HIV/AIDS than are adults. 8. Few services are currently "youth friendly," offering insufficient counselling and health care, or referral. 9. Many cultural norms and practices place young people, particularly women, at greater risk. 10. Too few programmes involve youth in planning and running prevention activities, and more effective rrieans are needed to reach parents, teachers and other adults who can interact with and influence youth (Population Information Programme, 2004). Aguirre International Page 54 CHANGES Program Evaluation 11. Strategies to Maintain and Capitalize on the Capacity of the CSMC Staff after the Close of CHANGES The CSMC had a positive effect at the Provincial, District and Zonal levels; officials have expressed their strong belief ofthe need for continued assistance in order to sustain the gains that have been made to date. In the Eastern Province, the Sensitisation and Mobilisation was primarily focused on the development of SHN activities and put into work plans. Recommendations: • A "skeleton" staff ofthe CSMC should be maintained in Chipata to assure sustainability ofthe efforts in Southern Provinces. • Other staff could take leadership roles in support ofthe MOE's expansion ofthe CSMC programme to other Provinces and Districts around the country, once again concentrating on those that are most needy as evidenced by lower girls' enrolment and higher HIV/AIDS rates. • The CHANGES staff could be linked up to the National Implementation Committee at the national level, in order to plan, train, implement and monitor the expansion to other provinces, in alliance with the National Coordinator. • The CSMC staff could be assigned to the head office of Pre-Service in Teacher Education, to work with all TTCs in the country. x. SMALL GRANT MECHANISM A. Rationale and Goals of the Small Grant Mechanism The third major component ofthe CHANGES Programme is the Small Grants Mechanism or component. Its three goals have remained unchanged over the last three years: (1) increase the participation of girls and other vulnerable children in basic education; (2) integrate messages about HIV/AIDS, life skills and appropriate behaviours into ongoing school-community and district-level education activities; and (3) improve learning, health, and nutrition of primary school students through innovative SHN activities (CARE, CHANGES Impact Summary, Jan. 2005, p. 3). Thus, small grants were intended to advance CHANGES' overall goals for gender equity, HIV/AIDS prevention, and primary school health and nutrition improvement, rather than serve as stand-alone economic development programmes. From the outset ofthe CHANGES programme, a small grants component was viewed as a necessary counterweight to the economic basis of gender inequity in formal education. As documented by studies in many countries, the economic benefits of not enrolling Aguirre International Page 55 CHANGES Program Evaluation daughters in, or withdrawing them from, school-either for the purpose of adding labour to the family or generating wealth as young brides-have interrupted or foreclosed completion offormal education for millions ofpoor Zambian girls. Likewise, the lack of any financial support for and/or the high cost of educating other vulnerable children such as AIDS orphans and children with special needs have largely resulted in the exclusion of these groups from formal schooling. The enormity ofthis population in Zambia-an estimated 800,000 children including non-enrolled girls-has presented an additional challenge to educational institutions that are ill-prepared for such- needs. Zambia has made progress in closing the gender gap in primary school enrolment. USAID/Zambia has already been active in this area with its support ofthe MOE's Programme for the Advancement ofGirls' Education (PAGE), the MOE's Basic Education Subsector Investment Programme (BESSIP), and its pilot testing ofradio instruction for vulnerable children. But school retention figures from USAID's Demographic Education Survey (Zambia DHS, p. 90) still showed a greater likelihood of rural girls dropping out before completing grade one than rural boys (44 percent vs. 37 percent). And, girls were significantly less likely to regularly attend school (DHS, p. 54) compared to boys, as attested by the strong male bias in the rural gender parity index (0.83). Scholarships for girls and other vulnerable children from poor circumstances would directly reduce or remove this economic cause ofschool withdrawal. And, sn1all grants could also fund innovative alternatives to educating other vulnerable children within formal schools. While youth sexual behaviour has often been considered impervious to change, sensitisation approaches that engage children in an interactive process have shown promise. HIVIAIDS-prevention campaigns, like many initiatives that go beyond core government functions, have often consisted ofmodest add-ons that do not interrupt essential curricular goals or divert programmed funds. The Zambia MOE has, for example, limited its HIV/AIDS campaign to distribution ofa life skills training manual without any specific training or curriculum changes. Small grants projects could conceivably buttress the MOE's efforts to counter widespread misinformation about HIVIAIDS and reduce high-risk sexual behaviour (Impact Summary for CHANGES, CARE, Jan. 2005, p. 6; CHANGES Proposal~ Creative Associates, SOW Appendix A, Sctn. 3.3). There is also the possibility that small grant projects could mitigate the isolation and neglect experienced by individuals living with AIDS-related complications. These two applications were expected, of course, to require outside inputs for materials, training and adult guidance that exceeded the resources oflocal communities or their local government entities. The health and nutritional deficiencies ofrural, school-aged children offered a third area of opportunity to complement a CHANGES programme goal. Although the CHANGES interventions directly addressed the causes ofworm and Schistosomiasis infestation, improvement of other aspects of children's health beyond the SHN vitamin and iron supplementation would require a more varied and higher quality diet than might be available to most children locally. CHANGES regarded the small grant mechanism as an appropriate vehicle for supporting school/community projects in health education or in school production units and feeding programmes. Finally, the process of conceiving, preparing and executing a programme supported by outside financial resources was assumed to produce a sense of empowerment and a skill￾set that could be applied to other community needs. Small grant projects might even be planned so as to nurture such effects in future community endeavours. As the Statement Aguirre International Page 56 CHANGES Program Evaluation ofWork for Creative Associates November, 2000 Proposal stated, "Capacity will be built within local leaders, community members and community groups as problems are tackled and responsive projects implemented. This will, in tum, build confidence, empowerment and forward nlomentum as other related, and perhaps more complex problems are confronted" (Proposal for a SHN Project, Appendix A, SOW, Section 3.1.2). In addition to these goals, the CHANGES small grant component directly addressed the financial barriers to girls' enrolment and retention in school through a scholarship (or bursary) programme directed to girls and vulnerable children. While GRZ's establishment offree basic education resulted in increased enrolment ofmany poor children, the costs of school uniforms (or decent general clothing), supplies, and exam fees have discouraged many children from attending school. Bursaries seek to overcome the reluctance ofthe families of girls, AIDS orphans, and other vulnerable children to enrol them in school, provided that they all agree to remain in school until completion. B. Design of the Grant Mechanism This component differed from the other two components in that responsibility rested with Creative Associates' partner, CARE International. The small grant program was funded at about $1.3 million, more than was spent on all the SHN interventions, and thus can be viewed as a crucial element to the overall programme and in assisting communities to consolidate, sustain and expand upon any accomplishments made by the other two components. It was anticipated that small grant activity might lag behind progress in the other two components due to the need to concentrate first on these more complex activities. Grants were to fall into either oftwo categories: (1) relatively snlall "rapid-response" grants below $10,000 in total cost, and (2) larger "mid-level" grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 (Inception Report, Aug. 2000, p. 30). The original CHANGES Proposal envisioned approximately 10-20 ofsmaller and 2-3 ofmid-level grants being made per year (SOW, Section 3.3). The March, 2004 Programme Extension Proposal called for continuation ofthe same funding regime, but with greater involvement ofthe MOE in proposal preparation and programme selection (pp. 20-23). The latter addition was seen as a means ofbuilding the Ministry's skills in eventually "integrating the management of a small grants mechanism into the overall MOE programme" (Inception Report, p. 22). The range of permissible grant activity was made purposely wide to accommodate both the multiple programme components and the particular community needs, human and physical resources, and level at which community organizations felt they could operate most effectively. This allowed everything from training, rehabilitation of buildings, materials development, and vocational skill training, to infrastructure development. C. Outputs of the Small Grant Component It is important to note that no official monitoring indicators and targets were established for this component. This was because ofthe desire, first, to fund only well-conceived programmes-however long that took to establish-and, second, due to the sometimes unpredictable outcomes of a community sensitisation and mobilisation process itself. CARE/Zambia did, however, document its output milestones in detail, so it is possible to track small grant activity in both provinces at various.stages of evolution. Aguirre International Page 57 CHANGES Program Evaluation After a June, 2001 national launch ofthe programme followed by training ofprospective applicants in proposal-writing and preparation of hand-out documents for the grants programme, the CARE team began to receive and review proposals fronl communities. Only 20 grants, however, had been funded and begun by the end of2002. From this modest initial output, the pace of grant awards quickly accelerated, and, by mid-2003, awareness ofthe programme had grown to the extent that 211 proposals had been submitted. More than half ofthem communities in which a CHANGES activity occurred had submitted a small grant proposal--more proposals, in fact, than could be funded with the available budget. Although estimates vary, one CARE staffmember said that the final number of grants funded would be about 130 nationwide. Only 4 programmes in the EP could not be completed, with a similarly small number in the SP. Table 7: Small Grants Outputs Proposals Submitted Small Grants Funded Cumulative No. Funded Over 1,000 49 112 ? 130 *According to the Oct.-Dec. 2004 Quarterly Report The following description of a local CBO, Let's Build Together, provides insight to one ofthe powerful ways that CHANGES has built capacity and had a powerful effect at the community level. Aguirre International Page 58 CHANGES Program Evaluation D. Outcomes in Relation to Goals Data collected in the visited schools and communities suggest that small grant projects have, indeed, helped advance the SHN and CSMC programmes rather than serve only as stand-alone projects. CARE's own documentation ofthe funded projects also reveals consistent congruence with major programme goals. Despite some concern early in the CHANGES programme that the small grant programme had been "hampered by a lack of genuine synergy with the other dimensions" (Quarterly Report Oct.-Dec. 2002, p.5), the evaluation found no instances offunded grants being unrelated to, or unsupportive of, gender equity, HIV/AIDS prevention, or improved health and nutrition ofschool children. These programmes have improved the quality ofrecipient schools or community life with a very modest cash investment. A few examples illustrate the close connection that was observed between funded grants and CHANGES programme goals. Many schools in the Eastern Province applied for funds to construct additional ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, dormitory blocks or bathing shelters reserved for female students. Lack ofsuch facilities has kept many families from enrolling or retaining their daughters in school. Similarly, programmes such as training of peer educators, psycho-social counselling, creation of girls' clubs in schools, and gardening skills training were no less relevant to HIV/AIDS, gender equity, and school health and nutrition, despite being less tangible. Some programmes were innovative in design or strategic in their purpose. One particularly inventive activity is a conlbined poultry and fish farm, which uses droppings from the growing chickens as feed for the fish. Another project type that reportedly has a desirable payoff is construction of a teachers' house. According to Lusaka CARE staff, the shortage ofteacher housing is frequently a reason why young teachers leave rural communities after their first year, and for female teachers not accepting posts there in the first place-thus, losing a crucial element for "girl friendly" schools. In most cases, the evaluation found that small grant projects were not just congruent with CHANGES goals but were essential to their success in individual communities. As told in the LBT story above, one community-based organization in the Southern Province district, for example, had sought to provide assistance to "AIDS orphans" but had no means of delivering food, clothing and other items to the distant villages in which they lived. A CHANGES small grant provided money to purchase 20 bicycles for members to reach 22 children regularly as well as help the organization to sensitize approximately 4,000 individuals on HIVIAIDS. One other effect ofthe rapid-response small grant projects deserves mention. Projects that involve construction, infrastructure improvement, vocational skill training, or farm production all result in local purchase of materials, equipment and sale of commodities. Even grant-supported trainings may boost local food or beverage sales. These commercial transactions stimulate the rural and adjoining town economies and foster a realization that rural dwellers can also create added value (e.g. by raising and selling a pig). With regard to mid-level grants, limited evaluative data indicate that the NGOs receiving mid-level grants--for example, (1) the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) that administers to girls' scholarships (bursaries), starts SAFE clubs, and trains peer leaders and (2) Family Health Trust in Monze that trains HIVIAIDS peer educators-have also contributed significantly to the implementation ofthe CHANGES Programme goals. Family Health Trust, for example, which has been operating in the AIDS field since 1987, has trained many young peer educators. These are among the few Aguirre International Page 59 CHANGES Program Evaluation individuals who are well educated, trained in HIV/AIDS issues, live at zonal level communities and, unlike teachers and clergymen, can connect with young people at a deeply personal level on uncomfortable topics like HIV and sexual behaviour. As for "Safe Clubs," none were actually observed during the site visits, due in part to the fact that the programme's launching in later 2004 has probably limited its scale to a relatively snlall number of clubs to date. Yet, the concept ofthe clubs merits a much closer examination both by USAID and the MOE. Their potential value as an alternative way to engage youth on HIV/AIDS is particularly noteworthy. While the anti-AIDS clubs that are promoted by the MOE play on fear ofthe retro-virus as the motivating tool-a tactic with questionable effectiveness - SAFE clubs draw on a message of nlutual respect, human rights and friendship as motivators for forswearing aggressive and unwanted sexual advances on girls. 1. Scholarships (Bursaries) to Girls and Vulnerable Children FAWEZA staffreported that most ofthe AGSPrecipients in Zambia are repeatedly supported to maximize the likelihood ofschool completion. Unlike the rest ofthe small grants mechanisms, the AGSP bursaries target girls and vulnerable children in six of nine provinces (Eastern, Southern, Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt, and Northwestern). Thus, this programme has already been "scaled up," at least in having a broader geographic presence. This programme is dealt with in more detail in the next section ofthe evaluation report. 2. Resources, Personnel, Policy and Future Support Few resources exist locally for funding the kind ofsnlall grant programme implemented by CHANGES through CARE. Interviews with MOE headquarters officials indicate that the current debt-reduction strictures on ministry,expenditures allow no funding for activities considered outside ofits core mission. Likewise, MOE personnel at every level of government have little incentive to assume additional roles of coordinating a small grant programme, although many officials and s~aff at the provincial and district levels, to their credit, volunteer to serve on the steering committee and other review bodies for selecting grant recipients. The small grant model, developed in large part by the CHANGES staff and passed on to CARE/Zambia staff, appears to meet, if not exceed, recommended practices in the management ofsmall grant programmes. For example, money is, correctly, awarded in the form of grants rather than loans, since their required purpose is community betterment rather than individual profit. Only community groups can receive funds, not individuals, thereby creating peer expectations and pressure for full financial accountability. Community consensus on each proposed project and a thorough, multi-step vetting process are required to ensure the need, feasibility and sustainability ofthe project. Training in proposal writing, project management and financial accounting prepares community grantees for their responsibilities. Although not originating with CARE, USG requirements for an environmental assessment of proposed projects affords protection against the possibility of harm to the environment, in the absence of a well-developed Zambia government regulatory system. Once funded, small grant recipients must make monthly written reports on the status oftheir projects. Policy implications came more from the USAID and the USG side than from the Zambian government side. CARE headquarters staff reported that different federal guidelines for small grants, depending on the funding source (i.e., PEPFAR or AEI), had the effect of delaying grant disbursements in the early stage ofthe activity. GRZ regulations pertaining Aguirre International Page 60 CHANGES Program Evaluation to small grant programmes appear not to have had any hindering effect on creation or distribution ofsmall grant funds from an external source. The most salient constraint for small grant programmes is the lack offinanchil resources from inside Zambia and the absence of highly effective home grown models (see next sub-section). Other donor sources ofsmall developmental funds, such as the u.s. African Developn1ent Foundation, UNICEF, and some European international assistance agencies do, of course, exist. But, from the infonnation available to this evaluation, none ofthese grant funds operate with the same shared and hannonized goals as CHANGES' sensitization on gender equity, HIV/AIDS, and its SHN drug delivery mechanism. CARE staff does often refer grant applicants to other donors where the funding priorities might be a better fit. Indeed, the fallout from insufficient funds to meet all qualified small grant proposals was clearly evident as an unintended consequence in both provinces. Perhaps three ofthe schools that were visited had submitted proposals for a grant and had, fairly or unfairly, expected it to be funded. Disappointment ran high in these, and numerous other communities, upon being infonned that funds were insufficient to award grants to them. Despite having been infonned ofthe rigorous application process, the inexperience of many rural residents with competitive proposal selection, no doubt, raised expectations in unforeseen ways. Recommendations • Given the improvements made possible by small grant projects, their congruence with major country and agency goals, the integrity with which this activity has been managed, and the absence of comparable funding from other sources, USAID/Zambia should continue its financial support of a small grants programme in the country, using much or all ofthe model developed and employed by CHANGES and CARE International. • Ideally, a small grant programme would be deployed in conjunction with any future sensitisation and mobilisation effort on gender equity, HIV/AIDS, school health and nutrition or some other compelling national priority. • USAID/Zambia should continue its participation in the Ambassador Girls Scholarship Programme, regardless of whether any connection to a CHANGES-type follow-up activity exists in the future. E. Capacity Built at the Provincial, District, and Zonal Levels, the National MOE, MOH, and MCDSS, Zambian Partner Organizations, and Comrnunity Leaders The study made no direct assessment ofthe capacity of district, provincial, and national level MOE staffto administer a similar small grants programme. However, data gathered in relation to the government's role in implementing the SHN and CSMC components strongly suggest that officers and staff ofline ministries such as the MOE, MOH and MCDSS would have little or no available time, resources--or, for that matter, desire - to operate a small grants programme without external support. The MOH's small grant programme, the Community Health Innovation Fund (or CHIF), illustrates GRZ's difficulty in deploying such programmes. CHIF provides small grants for health-related projects in rural areas. Monitoring ofsuch projects is not a core function ofMOH staff, and most workers see no advantage in taking on additional responsibilities for which their perfonnance will not be assessed. The experience ofthe Aguirre International Page 61 CHANGES Program Evaluation MOH is instructive in predicting how MOE staffmight react to an imposition ofsimilar responsibilities on them-with or without training. Nonetheless, CARE's inclusion of provincial and district ministry staff in the review and vetting of proposals does, perhaps, signify one way to create a stake, if not a niche" for government officials in a small grants operation. The active role ofthe provincial Ministry of Community Development and Social Service (MCDSS) in the small grant programme ofthe Southern Province is noteworthy in that MCDSS is well-suited by its mission to assist a community-based project scheme. MCDSS staff participation was confined to review of project proposals. But, this ministry would make a very useful partner iftheir staffs chronic lack oftransportation could ever be solved. In contrast to the line ministries, several Zambian NGOs did acquire (or already possessed) experience in managing relatively large ($10,000 to $100,000) grants from CHANGES and/or other donors. As the sub-grantee for the AGSP, FAWEZA, in particular, might well possess the kind and level of organizational skills suitable for administering a provincial and, perhaps, a countrywide small grant fund, in partnership with an international NGO. FAWEZA's considerable national-level capacity, however, might not be matched by a sufficient field staff to monitor a geographically dispersed set of grant projects. There is another area that is easily ignored in establishing a small grant programme: community inexperience in writing proposals, purchasing materials incost-effective ways, and properly accounting for funds. Many community members, rural or urban, have never undertaken a project that affects more than their family units, and there may only be one individual on the project committee who is literate and can keep records. CARE staff have done remarkably well in improving the capacity of communities to fulfil these responsibilities through its training before and during the grant period. There were numerous examples ofsmall grant recipients who were planning new projects and already writing proposals, even while completing their CARE-funded projects. Indeed, some had secured funding for new projects from other donors. As was noted in the outputs section, a small percentage ofsmall project committees were quite slow in reconciling their expenditures, and a few grants had to be suspended due to accounting problems. The evaluation viewed the small nunlber offailures as a favourable commentary on CARE's model, but any failures are still a reminder ofthe scarcity of organizational skills in some rural communities and the need to nurture project development and management skills to assure successful project completion. Recommendations • Any follow-up programme should continue and expand active involvement ofline ministry staffin those functions ofthe small grant operation-including, but not limited to, screening and selection ofqualified proposals-to which they are willing to devote time. . • Any follow-up programme should explore ways to "loan" particularly competent managers to other communities that are experiencing difficulty in organizing and managing a small grant activity. Aguirre International Page 62 CHANGES Program Evaluation F. Maintain and Capitalize on Capacity Built Among CARE/Zambia Staff The CHANGES Small Grant component has built significant capacity within CARE/Zambia and among other CHANGES provincial staff, who have interfaced with CARE for their sensitization work. CARE coordinators are, in fact, the staff who regularly travel to the widely dispersed sites to monitor the progress offunded projects. Both CARE coordinators in their respective two provinces were very knowledgeable about all aspects oftheir operation, provided written documentation ofthe grant activity and could discuss the details ofgrantees and the status oftheir grants. CARE staff, both at the provincial and national level, represent highly experienced individuals who could manage a small grant scheme in any future follow-up programme. Recommendation • Any future continuation of a small grant mechanism should strongly consider continued partnership with CARE International administration or a new entity/contractor involving small grant stafffrom CARE/Zambia, possibly, linked with NGOs that have effectively managed mid-level grants. XI. AMBASSADOR GIRLS' SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Through the CHANGES grants mechanism, USAID has supported the U.S. Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Programme (AGSP) in partnership with the Forum for African Women Educationists in Zambia (FAWEZA). This programme has provided the following assistance: • The provision offinancial aid for girls who need financial support for education at the upper basic and secondary levels; • Monitoring and reporting data on indicators for AGSP; and • The provision oftechnical assistance to FAWEZA to ensure the organization has in place the necessary institutional capacity to receive and manage direct grants from USAID/Zambia, should USAID decide to do so. The CHANGES programme decided to fold the cross-cutting HIV/AIDS issue into FAWEZA's mission, believing that the organization's close contact with scholarship recipients would give it a receptive audience for facilitating discussion on this topic. And with its extensive experience in Zambia and elsewhere in Africa assisting girls and women in education and workplace settings, FAWEZA was considered well suited for the role of advocating for girls education as well as reviewing applicants and selecting and monitoring qualified recipients for bursaries. In 2003, FAWEZA also instituted a new programme ofso-called Student Alliance for Female Education or "SAFE clubs," using funds from USAID's PEPFAR and African Education Initiative (AEI) mechanisms. The purpose of "Safe Clubs" is to instil a sense ofrespect, privacy, and right to safety and health for girls and young women, both among male and female students. FAWEZA trains qualified students as peer educators who can lead these clubs, assisted in mentoring by a designated teacher. The organization's hope is that these clubs can counter the kind ofmale aggressiveness and lack offemale assertiveness that often result in the sexual predation of girls and women. Aguirre International Page 63 CHANGES Program Evaluation During 2003, USAID support for girls' scholarships was provided to FAWEZA through a mid-level grant from CARE International, which is managing CHANGES' small grants mechanism. During the Extension Period ofthe CHANGES Programme, support has been continued through the direct transfer offunds from CHANGES to FAWEZA. In 2003, FAWEZA, through CARE International, supported 341 girls initially, with the total grant expected to assist 538 girls in total. Funds during the Extension Period ofthe CHANGES Programmes were not received until June, so the programme of orienting the School Selection Committees distribution of cheques was done in July.. Each school formed a Selection Committee to select girls and to validate that they fulfilled the OVC criteria. The committees were also tasked with monitoring procurement ofpersonal effects and ensuring that all pupils had uniforms. Some ofthe issues pointed out in the CHANGES Programme Quarterly Report #14, (July-September, 2004) were the following. Due to the lateness ofthe cheques, some children had to take up work in order to pay for the first term. This left some children unable to enrol and led to the selection of alternate OVCs who were already in school. A majority ofthe recipients complained of poor housing, as girls living far from home or guardians had to rent lodgings in shanty compounds, paying rent and taking up additional work to pay expenses. This led to real concerns for the safety and security ofthe girls. • Several girls were removed from the bursary programme due to pregnancies and most schools had not made arrangements to readmit them. SAFE clubs are important for both bursary-funded and other girls to provide adolescent reproductive health information and to sensitise communities on, government re-entry policies, and to track pregnant girls so that they re-enter school. • The lack of administrative support in the schools, particularly as it related to facilitating transport into town to purchase uniforms or seek medical assistance, was pointed to as a problem for those schools located away from town centres. • Monitoring also was mentioned as an issue in 2004, due to the distance ofthe National Secretariat, and the necessity that Provincial Focal Point Persons be employed to supervise the timely submission ofreports. • Finally, in 2004, FAWEZA had only one reliable vehicle to use in effectively monitoring and coordinating the programme. On visits to ASGP schools, the team was pleased to learn that all cheques had been received at the beginning ofthe 2005 school year, so that the schools could fund their programmes and the girls could receive their small allowances immediately. In the final report of 2004, the latest available, FAWEZA had awarded a total of 772 scholarships, well past its target population of635. An additional 332 girls had already been selected for 2005, for a total nurnber ofscholarships awarded being 967. There is not yet any available information on the exact number who have actually enrolled in 2005. It was reported that all or almost all the girls receiving scholarships remained enrolled, with the AGSP being listed as the probable reason for their remaining enrolled. Finally, 229 scholarship girls graduated from grade 12 in 2004, some 50 more than the target of 179. With 255 lih graders in 2005, it is likely that the programme will continue to show continued growth in numbers. . Aguirre International Page 64 CHANGES Program Evaluation A. The Selection Process On visits to several schools which had the AGSP, administered by FAWEZA, the teanl was impressed with the selection process, which in every case involved a Selection Committee made up ofthe Head or Deputy Head, guidance counsellor, one or two teachers, a PTA and/or a community member, often the Head Girl, and where other scholarship programs such as the Christian Children's Fund were present, there was often a representative from a Faith Based Organization (FBO). Students were generally referred to the Selection Committee by teachers or occasionally by a social worker. After the social worker or other staff member checked on the genuine need ofthe child, they were put forward for a FAWEZA or other scholarship program. The criteria consisted of vulnerability, due to the death of one or both parents, extreme poverty or disability. In one school with an attached school for deaf and blind children, 17 of 231 disabled students were on scholarship, but only 2 of 1700 girls in the regular school. The regular school had an estimated 100 double orphans and over 600 single orphans, many or most of whom would likely have been eligible for a scholarship. Given the limited nature ofthe funds, some schools also attempted to provide scholarships to those students with better academic records and greater likelihood to complete High School and move on to tertiary education. Among the continuing difficulties faced by the girls, as mentioned by Heads, teachers, counsellors and some ofthe young people themselves were: having to rent rooms alone or with friends and having little or no funds to pay rent; no food to eat (particularly true for double orphans living alone and raising brothers and sisters); transportation costs to get to school and the problem of "sugar daddies" preying on the girls; no food for grade 12 students who are in school from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day; only Kl,500,000 or $312 to buy food for 213 disabled secondary students per month, - an impossible amount to feed them all; a small number of known pregnancies in the general student population - none among AGSP recipients were mentioned; students who are active sexually, but do not have easy access to prevention; and the poverty of a majority ofthose with parents, due to their being laid off from factories, no rain for crops, or other causes. B. General Findings FAWEZA appears to have met and surpassed almost all its goals as far as the AGSP programme is concerned. We believe that this is due to a variety of factors: FAWEZA does not just administer scholarships, but provides additional assistance to the girls through its Reading Circles Programme, Remedial-Learning programme, regional Teachers' Science, Mathematics and Technology Expositions, the Girls' SMT Camp for 99 Grade 8 and 10 girls, Writing Tents for children aged 10-15, and a Public Speaking contest to mark the Day ofthe African Child. These activities, when supplemented with the girls' empowerment through SAFE, provide a chance for peer support and peer mentoring. With Youth Media, FAWEZA has worked on four television shows. Its staff is involved in TOT (Training ofTrainers) in Adolescent Reproductive Health. FAWEZA is also involved in influencing policy reforms and the replication ofsuccessful interventions and in a range of advocacy activities. In other words, FAWEZA is a well . administered, multi-service NGO that sees girls' education not only as a priority, but as a "calling." Recommendations Aguirre International Page 65 CHANGES Program Evaluation • FAWEZA, from all indications is exceptionally well qualified to continue its important work under any follow-on programme or even as a direct grantee from USAID. We strongly recommend its being scaled up by the United States and other donors. While 972 girls on scholarship is a wonderful accomplishment, and while FBOs, NGOs, the MOE and other donors also provide scholarships, only a small percentage ofthe needy girls are being served. It is important for FAWEZA to move towards greater equity between schools. Some schools had as many as forty or more scholarships for a smaller student body, while one Lusaka school, as mentioned above, had only two scholarships for more than 1700 girls. • The frequency ofmonitoring ofthe girls and the grants appears to differ from school to school. One school mentioned only a visit when the funds were distributed, while another, some 40 kilometres from Lusaka said that FAWEZA staff visited as often as 3 times a term. • In one school, there were two boys on AGSP scholarships. It is not clear to the committee whether it is permissible for them to be on scholarships, although we are in strong agreement that boys need to be involved in SAFE clubs and other FAWEZA activities. FAWEZA's many approaches to working with young people is perhaps the most effective HIV/AIDS prevention we have observed in the country. As mentioned in the CSMCsection, Service-Learning, Community Service and Mentorships have the greatest impact in changing adolescent sexual behaviour and FAWEZA is, to our knowledge, the only programme in the country which utilizes these. All schools and progranlmes would do well to follow their lead. • Given the tremendous need for girls to be safe and secure, we believe FAWEZA could be tasked to provide dormitories or "rescue homes," as one Head put it, so that girls don't have to rent rooms in dangerous sections or towns, live with abusive relatives, or suffer sexual abuse at the hands ofsugar daddies or others. Aguirre International Page 66 CHANGES Program Evaluation XII. SCALING UP Throughout this evaluation, we have consistently pointed out the many exceptional components ofthe SHN and CSMC. They have developed excellent models for improving the health ofZambian children and sensitizing and mobilizing communities to take action on issues ofHIVIAIDS and gender equity. Our offering a range of recommendations to improve each ofthem is an affirmation that both are worthy of being scaled up by the Government ofZambia. As was pointed out in the Executive Summary, they have provided an example of what can be accomplished when two or more Ministries work together on an issue. Through their Memoranda ofUnderstanding and informal agreements, they have inlproved the lives ofstudents, community members, and government personnel. The challenges facing both health and education in Zambia are daunting, but the CHANGES Programme has shown the way for the country to make significant progress in the coming years. The two following sections provide a guide for the scaling-up of activities to other provinces and eventually the whole nation. A. School Health and Nutrition (SHN) The MOEs ultimate goal for SHN is that every school has a SHN school action plan, deliver de-worming, and engages in other SHN activities using MOE records. The MOE began expanding SHN even during the pilot to schools in the Central and Lusaka provinces and plans to reach all provinces by early 2005. Parallel activities under SCI will reinforce the MOE's efforts by providing sufficient drugs and training ofteachers and health workers in a shortened one-day course (CHANGES, 2005). The CHANGES program has generated interest in SHN from several donors, among whom are UNICEF, WHO, JICA and World Vision; any scale-up might include these partners. Also, the programme suggests that many ofits components do not require large financial resources and thus, stresses the importance of not streamlining the model to compromise vital components ofthe intervention. B. Model for Scale-up Using a Phased Approach There is increasing evidence ofintegration ofthe SHN programme with National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) activities. The NFNC is committed to reducing micro-nutrient deficiencies among school going children~ Also, the Roll Back Malaria programme of the MOH is to be part of SHN interventions. The institutionalisation of SHN within MOHIMOE will occur only ifthe focus on strengthening systems, building capacity and supporting existing organizational structures at provincial and district levels, as started by the CHANGES program, will continue. It is also important to finalise national SHN policy guidelines, as they will provide the necessary support for continuing a strong SHN programme. Aguirre International Page 67 CHANGES Program Evaluation Table 8: Model for Scale-u Usin' a Phased A roach Aguirre International • Develop more effective ways of incorporating SHN into teachers training (team to be derived from Principles of Chipata TT and David Livingstone TT, teachers from good SHN schools in pilot project, Standard officers MOE, COD, CHANGES program staff to work on this aspect) • Conduct TOTs for selected lecturers at the TTs • Orientation of remaining lecturers on SHN at TTs to be done within college context by principles and lecturers trained • Inclusion of the SHN programme in the curriculum for teacher trainin • Revitalise national steering committee for SHN implementation comprising MOE/MOH/MCSS/SCI to meet quarterly • Orientation meetings for line ministries at national, provincial, district levels • Advocacy with MOH Child Health Coordinating Committee, Cooperating Partners health committee, Child health inter￾sectoral committee at EP secretariat • Advocacy for inclusion of SHN in MOH/CBOH plans • Develop phased scale up plan with SCI to include MOE interest Le. poor indicators for education and health • Reduce teacher training to 2 days with appropriate adaptation of manual. Integrate teacher training into zonal resource centres • Scale to remaining schools in EP and SP (ensure that school action plans include SHN) • Thereafter select the next province(s) with poor education and health indicators and begin implementation with schools which meet certain criteria e.g. minimum of 4 permanent members of staff, accessibility from district office, presence of CDA, presence of zonal resource centre, distance of school from health centre - within 15 to 20 km. Using best practices and lessons learned roll out to next lot of schools in the province. MOE to work in close collaboration with SCI • Coordination with WFP scale up programme for school feeding and simultaneously ,strengthening use of local foods and building on gains from CHANGES SHN programme and MOE • Utilising CHANGES SHN model for community sensitization using Theatre for Community Action and other methods, e.g. meetin s • Maintain drug flow system, SCI drugs to follow same system as was used in pilot • Micro-nutrients to come from UNICEF/MOH • Monitoring system: Reduce number of visits from monthly to quarterly. Support required for MDCSS, Ministry of Agric. Ensure monitoring is planned and budgeted for especially at district and provincial level. Ensure prioritization on monitoring SHN in district health plans • Collect information i'n pilot schools on SHN for input into EMIS also discuss with MOH on inclusion of SHN data into Health Mana ement Information S stem HMIS Page 68 CHANGES Program Evaluation Table 9: Communit Sensitization and Mobilization Cam Date Activity New office established, officers appointed: • Linking up activities with MOE work plan • Orientation of MOE officials to CSMC • Identifying the zone centres in 3 other provinces • Verification meetings with Chiefs or village head men, CDAs, opinion leaders • Verification meetings with members of the community • Training materials reviewed • Formation of TOTs • Training of District trainers in CSMC • Training of teachers, head teachers, 1 community member, 1 health worker and 1 MCDSS by district trainers • CSMC implemented • Monitoring and evaluation • CSMC to all communities • Monitoring and evaluation Level of 1m lementation MOE HQ: Planning , Standards and Curriculum and TESS. DEBS office: DESO,DRCC, lecturer, CDA, health worker in presence of PESO, PRCC and New programme, MOE: zone, district, provincial, college officials Communities around every school in the three provinces New programme, MOE: zone, district, provincial, college officials Aguirre International Page 69 CHANGES Program Evaluation BIBLIOGRAPHY Agneta, L. (1990) Mobilising Women for Literacy. Geneva. International Bureau of Education. BEPS (2001). Development and Implementation of a School Health and Nutrition Program and a Community Participation Program with Cross-Cutting Activitiesfor the Mitigation of HIV/AIDS. Washington DC: Creative Associates International, Inc. BEPS (2004) Making a World of Difference: BEPS Achievements, 2000-2004. Washington DC: Creative Associates. BEPS (2004) Proposal for the Extension of the CHANGES Programme in Zambia. Lusaka: CHANGES. BEPS (2004). A Healthy Child in a Healthy School Environment. Washington DC: Creative Associates International, Inc. 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WorId Conference on Education for All (1990) World Declaration on Education for All and Frameworkfor Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs, Jomtien, Thailand: World Conference. World Vision (2005) Home Based Care Givers Training Workshop for Mumuni and Lets Build Together Volunteers. Kalomo: World Vision Zambia-Kalomo ADP. Aguirre International Page 74 Annex 1: Persons Interviewed CHANGES Program Evaluation Appendices LUSAKA PROVINCE " .",.. ..,.>" .. /....;.. .·:i:)j).:·:·,;:,\.····;'.::'.:....·•.·•.•..·;,··'·'···:··,··;,,···.··i,·..·.·,';) }j ."...... ;.)[);.)./), NO. ,..·DATE .,.,..•'.;. " ;,,;- ·········,·,·\t·" ,..,.l),.,NAME:';::,,,.,,;. /,,,,/"t"U~IIIUN) .•.••. ORGANIZATION 1. 28/01/05 Dr. Edward Graybill Chief Party, Creative CHANGES Programme Associates, Lusaka 2. 31/01/05 Dr. Rick Henning S06 USAID, Lusaka 3. 31/01/05 Ms. Winnie Chilala S05 USAID, Lusaka 4. 31/01/05 Dr. Cornelius Chipoma S06 USAID, Lusaka Focal Point Person: Ministry of Education 5. 31/01/05 Sr. Audrey Mwansa Equity and Gender Headquarters, Lusaka 6. 31/01/05 Mrs. Daphne Chimuka National Co-ordinator FAWEZA, Lusaka 7. 31/01/05 Mrs. Dorothy Kasanda Programmes Officer FAWEZA, Lusaka Focal Point Person: Ministry of Education 8. 01/02/05 Ms. Irene Malambo HIV/AIOS Headquarters, Lusaka 9. 01/02/05 Dr. James Mwansa SHN/SCI University Teaching Hospital , Lusaka 10. 01/02/05 Dr. Faith Nchito SHN / SCI University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka Ministry of Education 11. 01/02/05 Mr. Drake Warrick EMIS Headquarters, Lusaka 12. 02/02/05 Ms. Rose Chibbonta Small Grants CARE, Lusaka 13. 02/02/05 Ms. Catherine Munene Small Grants CARE, Lusaka 14. 02/02/05 Mr. Mark Vander Vort Small Grants CARE, Lusaka 15. 03/02/05 Mrs. Catherine Phiri CSO (Former SHN) Standards, MOEHQ, Lusaka 16. 03/02/05 Dr. Paul J. Freund SHN Regional Advisor CHANGES, Lusaka 17. 03/02/05 Mr. Delphin Kinkese SHN technical officer CHANGES, Lusaka 18. 04/02/05 Ms. Tezah Sinyinza National Assessment Examinations Council of Zambia, Lusaka 19. 04/02/05 Mr. Joe Kanyika National Assessment Examinations Council of Zambia, Lusaka Grade 4 Competency Examinations Council 20. 04/02/05 Mr. William Kapambwe Testing and Continuous of Zambia, Lusaka Assessment Aguirre International Page 75 CHANGES Program Evaluation EASTERN PROVINCE ili~II~~iliiiil!ilI:::::i~\~~f:~iiil~lli:I!:II!liilt ITi ·.ttti.i·iii·.·:.l:·tt ··O~%ii~i~:'4.TION 21. 07/02/05 Mr. Josias Enos Zulu Provincial CHANGES Co-ordinator program, Chipata 07/02/05 SESO (NS): SHN Provincial 22. Mrs. Catherine Chirwa Education Office, Focal Point Person Chipata 23. CHANGES 07/02/05 Mrs. Margaret Chabinga SHN Training Officer program, Provincial Lungu Education Office, Chipata CHANGES 24. 07/02/05 Mr. Benidicto Phiri SHN Training Officer program, Provincial Education Office, Chipata CHANGES 25. 07/02/05 Ms. Gertrude Zulu Technical Officer program, Provincial Education Office, Chipata CHANGES 26. 07/02/05 Ms. Rodah Sinda Clerical Officer program, Provincial Education Office, Chipata CHANGES program Provincial 27. 07/02/05 Mr. Colin Zulu Sub-grant Education Office, Co-ordinator Chipata Provincial Education Provincial 28. 07/02/05 Mr. Selesial Chanda Officer Education Office, Chipata Principal Education Provincial 29. 07/02/05 Mrs. P. Jere Education Office, Standards Officer Chipata District Education 30. 07/02/05 Mr. Mathew Chirwa District Education Board Secretary's Standards Officer Office (DEBS), Chipata District Education 31. 07/02/05 Mr. Alec Jere Statistician Board Secretary's Office (DEBS), Chipata Provincial Resource Provincial 32. 07/02/05 Mr. Alex Mutale Centre Co-ordinator Resource Centre, (Basic Schools) Chipata 33. 07/02/05 Mrs. Mdglene Zimba District Resource District Resource Centre Co-ordinator Centre, Chipata 34. 07/02/05· Mr. Simon B. Mpundu Principal Chipata Teachers' Training College District Health 35. 07/02/05 Mr. Patrick Mbewe Director Management Team, Chipata Provincial Health 36. 07/02/05 Dr. Kabulubulu Director Management Team, Chipata SHN Focal Point Provincial Health 37. 07/02/05 Mrs. Josephine Mwale Person Management Team, Chipata Aguirre International Page 76 CHANGES Program Evaluation 38. 08/02/05 Mr. Adamson Sakala Head Teacher Dzoole Middle Basic School 39. 08/02/05 Mr. Kennedy Mbambara D/ Head Teacher Dzoole Middle Basic School 40. 08/02/05 Mr. Moses Sakala Assistant Teacher Dzoole Middle Basic School 41. 08/02/05 Mr. Emmanuel Vuttah Teacher - Sports Dzoole Middle Basic School 42. 08/02/05 Ms. Kwanji Phiri Teacher: SHN Focal Dzoole Middle Point Person Basic School 43. 08/02/05 Mr. Salatiel Banda PTA Chairperson Dzoole Middle Basic School 44. 08/02/05 Mr. Ostern Tembo Works Committee Dzoole Middle Member Basic School 45. 08/02/05 Ms. Lebetina Mbewe SHN Committee Dzoole Middle Member Basic School 46. 08/02/05 Ms. Bester Mcheta SHN Committee Dzoole Middle Member Basic School 47. 08/02/05 Mr. Hunock Banda Induna: Chindimbe Dzoole Middle Villaqe Basic School 48. 08/02/05 Mr. Maxwell Banda Headman: Chindimbe Dzoole Middle Villaqe Basic School 49. 08/02/05 Mr. Chrispin Ngulube Head Teacher Kasonjela Middle Basic School 50. 08/02/05 Mr. Moffat Phiri D/Head Teacher Kasonjela Middle Basic School 51. 08/02/05 Mr. Mulala Mwape Health Centre Kasonjela Middle Basic School 52. 08/02/05 Mr. Joseph Mbewe PTA Vice Kasonjela Middle Chairperson Basic School 53. 08/02/05 Mr. Macmillan Kwenda PTA Treasurer Kasonjela Middle Basic School 54. 08/02/05 Ms. Una Phiri Nduna: Chiefs Kasonjela Middle representative Basic School 55. 08/02/05 Mr. Nelson Mwale Headman: Kasonjela Middle Mqamptuula villaqe Basic School 56. 08/02/05 Mrs. Dorothy Phiri Head Teacher Magwero Standard School (Dutch) 57. 08/02/05 Mr. Shadrick Zulu D/Head Teacher Magwero Standard School (Dutch) 58. 08/02/05 Mr. Reselian Sinazongwe Teacher: SHN Focal Magwero Standard Point Person School (Dutch) 59. 08/02/05 Mrs. Susan Shawa PTA Vice Magwero Standard Chairperson School (Dutch) 60. 08/02/05 Mr. Isaac Soko Representing Magwero Standard Community School (Dutch) 61. 09/02/05 Mrs. Ruth M.N. Moyo Education Standards' DEBS: Lundazi Officer 62. 09/02/05 Mr. Munyumbwe Hawala Planning and DEBS: Lundazi Information Officer 63. 09/02/05 Mr. Clement Chilembo District Resource DEBS: Lundazi Centre Co-ordinator 64. 09/02/05 Ms. Hellen Zulu School In-service Emusa Middle Provider Basic School 65. 09/02/05 Ms. Febby Msimuko Nutritionist Kanyanga Zone Aguirre International Page 77 CHANGES Program Evaluation 66. 09/02/05 Mr. John S. Nguni Zone Resource Phikamalaza Basic Centre Co-ordinator School 67. 09/02/05 Mr. Gidson Zimba Zone Resource Emusa Middle '. Centre Co-ordinator Basic School 68. 09/02/05 Mrs Caleb Miti Ophthalmic Nurse Lundazi District Hospital 69. 09/02/05 Mr. Evaristo Zulu Head Teacher Phikamalaza Basic School 70. 09/02/05 Mr. Paul Nkhoma Head Teacher Amusa Middle Basic School 71. 09/02/05 Mr. Julius Banda Physiotherapist Lundazi District Hospital 72. 09/02/05 Mrs. Mwerwa M.B. Phiri Clinical Officer In- LundaziUrban chan::Je Health Clinic 73. 09/02/05 Ms. Mary Tembo Head Teacher Lundazi Middle Basic School 74. 09/02/05 Mrs. Eunice Daka Teacher: School In- Lundazi Middle service Provider Basic School 75. 09/02/05 Mr. Alexander Kapikanya Teacher: INSPRO Kanyanga Basic trainer School 76. 09/02/05 Sr. Euphrasia Banda Teacher: Special Lundazi Middle Education trainer Basic School 77. 09/02/05 Mrs. Jennipher L. Chanda Teacher: Special Lundazi Middle Education trainer Basic School 78. 09/02/05 Mr. Innocent Ziba Teacher: INSPRO Thunkhu Middle trainer Basic School 79. 09/02/05 Ms. Luwina Tembo Midwife In-charge Phikamalaza Basic School 80. 09/02/050 Mr. Winfrred Phiri Teacher: INSPRO Lundazi Middle 9/02/05 trainer Basic School 81. 09/02/05 Mr. Mbewe D/Head Teacher Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 82. 09/02/05 Mr. Prince B. Thole PTA Chairperson Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 83. 09/02/05 Mr. Foreman Mtonga PTA Treasurer Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 84. 09/02/05 Mr. J.B. Ziba Headman Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 85. 09/02/05 Ms. F.A. Lusala PTA Vice Phikamalaza Basic Chairperson School, Lundazi 86. 09/02/05 Mrs. R. Mchizi Community Member Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 87. 09/02/05 Mrs. J. Nyirongo Community Member Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 88. 09/02/05 Mr. K. Mtonga Community Member Phikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 89. 09/02/05 Mr. A. Phiri Community Member Ptlikamalaza Basic School, Lundazi 90. 09/02/05 Mr. Save Nyasilu Senior Community Phikamalaza Basic Health Worker School, Lundazi 91. 09/02/05 Mr. Mukuka Shokela C.E.O: Phikamalaza Phikamalaza Basic . Aariculture Camp School, Lundazi 92. 10/02/05 Mr. Westone Siwale District Education Katete District Board Secretary Education Office 93. 10/02/05 Mr. L. M. Mwanachingwal District Education Katete District Standards Officer Education Office 94. 10/02/05 Mrs. T.J.V. Ngoma Education Standards Katete District Officer Education Office Aguirre International , Page 78 CHANGES Program Evaluation .95. 10/02/05 Mr. Patrick Phiri Community Katete District Development Officer Education Office 96. 10/02/05 Mr. Philimon Phiri Head Teacher Kafumbwe Basic School, Katete 97. 10/02/05 Mrs. Mary Bwalya Banda Deputy Head Kafurnbwe Basic Teacher School, Katete 98. 10/02/05 Mrs. Mada Mshanga Teacher: SHN focal Kafumbwe Basic point person School, Katete 99. 10/02/05 Mr. Felix Tembo PTA Chairperson Kafumbwe Basic School, Katete 100. 10/02/05 Mr. Lawrence M. Banda PTA Vice Kafumbwe Basic Chairperson School, Katete 101. 10/02/05 Mr. Tenford A. Zulu Head man: Mgulula Kafumbwe Basic Villaae School, Katete 102. 10/02/05 Mrs. Albertina Phiri CBO Kafumbwe Basic School, Katete 103. 10/02/05 Mrs. Eness Banda CBO Kafumbwe Basic School, Katete 104. 10/02/05 Mr. Chrempino Banda PTA Treasurer Kafurnbwe Basic School, Katete 105. 10/02/05 Mrs. Olida Phiri PTA Vice Treasurer Kafumbwe Basic School, Katete 106. 10/02/05 Mr. James L. Lungu Senior Teacher: SHN Kafurnbwe Basic treasurer School, Katete 107. 10/02/05 Mr. Pius UU. Zulu Teacher: SHN Kafumbwe Basic Secretary School, Katete 108. 10/02/05 Mrs. Bwalya M. Banda Deputy Head Kafumbwe Basic 10/02/05 School, Katete 109. Mr. Kapandila Phiri Head Teacher Kagoro Basic School, Katete 110. 10/02/05 Mr. Shawa San Teacher: SHN Focal Kagoro Basic point person School, Katete 111. 10/02/05 Mrs. Gloria Phiri Community Dev. MCDSS, Katete Assistant 112. 10/02/05 Mrs. Florence Lungu PTA Chairperson Kagoro Basic School 113. 10/02/05 Mr. Wilson Phiri PTA Vice Kagoro Basic Chairperson School, Katete 114. 10/02/05 Mr. Zembeni Phiri Village Head Man: Kagoro Basic Chimbuna villaae School, Katete 115. 10/02/05 Mr. B.A. Kawengele District Education District Education Board SecretarY Office, Nvimba 116. 10/02/05 Mr. Fuli Tembo District Education District Education Standards Officer Office, Nvimba 117. 10/02/05 Mr. Lamano J. Phiri Community Dev. MCDSS, Nyimba Assistant 118. 10/02/05 Mrs. Ruth Phiri Deputy Head Mfumbizi Middle Teacher Basic School 119. 10/02/05 Mr. Dennis Mkonda Head Teacher Mchimazi Middle Basic School 120. 10/02/05 Mr. George Kaoma Deputy Head Mchimazi Middle Teacher Basic School 121. 10/02/05 Ms. Elidah Phiri Teacher: SHN Focal Mchimazi Middle Point Person Basic School 122. 10/02/05 Mr. Elias Banda Teacher: HIV/AIDS Mchimazi Middle Focal point person Basic School Aguirre International Page 79 CHANGES Program Evaluation SOUTHERN PROVINCE •••• !'~O., .• ; 1:!{iFDA·f~ii'}i·!: I;!i!;ili.i··ril:i:!,r!i\'ii!:;.i; I, "i>'""IAllll~,,. i",' t"U~IIIUN i""",..",:,:,.~,,;'~·"·r,i!.:.!i;i.i iii:·.:'··!·::a·~'~~ M17~TIO~'·"!·!iii·!i CHANGES CHANGES 123. 14/02/05 Mr. Sitwala Mungunda Programme Co- Livingstone ordinator Field Co-ordinator: CHANGES 124. 14/02/05 Mr. Muyunda Lindunda Monitoring and Livingstone Evaluation 125. 14/02/05 Mr. Mweelwa Muleya Advocacy Field CHANGES Co-ordinator Livingstone 126. 14/02/05 Mr. Rodewell Mbewe Program Assistant: CHANGES Documentation Livingstone 127. 14/02/05 Mr. Obed Phiri Program Assistant: CHANGES Data livingstone 128. 14/02/05 Ms. Saboi Simasiku Grants Co-ordinator CHANGES Livingstone Head Teacher: Musokotwane 129. 15/02/05 Mrs. Delphine Mweemba CSMC FPP Basic School, Livingstone Deputy Head Musokotwane 130. 15/02/05 Mr. Peter Mwalunyunje Teacher: SFPP Basic School, . Livingstone Musokotwane 131. 15/02/05 Mr. Noel Katanekwa Teacher: SFPP Basic School, Livingstone Musokotwane 132. 15/02/05 Ms. Immaculate Sigande Teacher Basic School, Livingstone Teacher: Guidance Musokotwane 133. 15/02/05 Mr. Clement Sikulova and Counselling Basic School, Livingstone Teacher: Guidance Musokotwane 134. 15/02/05 Mr. Greywell Chizyuka and Counselling Basic School, Livingstone Teacher Guidance Musokotwane 135. 15/02/05 Mr. Fine Halwiindi and Counselling Basic School, Livingstone Provincial Education Provincial 136. 15/02/05 Mrs. Isabel Nanja Officer Education Office, LivinQstone SHN Focal Point Provincial 137. 15/02/05 Mrs. Rosey Chulu Person Education Office, Livingstone Senior Planning Provincial 138. 15/02/05 Mr. Muchele Education Office, Officer Livingstone HIV/AIDS Focal Point Provincial 139. 15/02/05 Mr. Bornwell MUbanga Person Education Office, Livingstone 140. 15/02/05 Mr. Mwape E. C.Walimba Provincial Social MCDSS, Welfare Officer Livingstone 141. 15/02/05 Mr. Fanwell Muyunda Provincial Community MCDSS, Development Officer Livingstone Aguirre International Page 80 CHANGES Program Evaluation Ministry Of Health, 142. 15/02/05 Mr. Kennedy Siame Office Administrator Provincial Office, Livinqstone Head Teacher Mukuni Basic 143. 16/02/05 Mr. P. MlJlenga School, Livingstone Vice Chairperson: Mukuni Basic 144. 16/02/05 Mrs. Rose Siloka PTA School, Livinqstone MOH: Zonal Health Mukuni Basic 145. 16/02/05 Mr. Halubona Simweeba Worker School, Livingstone MCDSS: Zonal Mukuni Basic 146. 16/02/05 Mrs. Karen Shamusemuna Community Focal School, Livingstone Point Person Teacher: Zonal Mukuni Basic 147. 16/02/05 Mrs. Melvin Muhau Education Focal School, Livingstone Point Person Head Teacher Nalituwe Basic 148. 16/02/05 Mr. Y. Hakayobe School, Livinastone Deputy Head Nalituwe Basic 149. 16/02/05 Mrs. P. Daka Teacher School, Livinqstone Teacher: Home Nalituwe Basic 150. 16/02/05 Mrs. Malambo Economics School, Livinqstone Community Focal Nalituwe Basic 151. 16/02/05 Mr. Jeremiah Chuulu Point Person School, Livinqstone Teacher: SHN Focal Nalituwe Basic 152. 16/02/05 Mrs. Molly H. Sibajene Point Person School, Livinqstone PTA Treasurer Nalituwe Basic 153. 16/02/05 Mr. D. L. Kelo School, Livinqstone Teacher: Committee Nalituwe Basic 154. 16/02/05 Mr. S. Bwainga Member School, Livinqstone Community Focal Nalituwe Basic 155. 16/02/05 Mr. W. Siampisani Point Person School, Livinastone PTA Chairperson Nalituwe Basic 156. 16/02/05 Mr. E. Matele School, Livinqstone David Livingstone 157. 16/02/05 Rev. Howard J. Sikwela Principal College of Education Head of Section: David Livingstone 158. 16/02/05 Mr. Alfred B. Sikazwe Mathematics and College of Science Education David Livingstone 159. 16/02/05 Mr. Mike R. Kanini Senior Lecturer College of Education District Education District Education 160. 17/02/05 Mr. Darius Kaluba Board Secretary Office, Kalomo District Resource District Education 161. 17/02/05 Mr. Sebastian Hambokoma Centre Co-ordinator Office, Kalomo (DRCC) Planning Officer District Education 162. 17/02/05 Ms. Febby Michelo Office, Kalomo Education Standards District Education 163. 17/02/05 Mr. John Sitali Officer (ESO) Office, Kalomo District Education District Education 164. 17/02/05 Mr. Steven K. Hamilemba Standards Officer Office, Kalomo (DESO) Manager District Health 165. 17/02/05 Ms. Margret M. Hazemba Administration Office, Kalomo Mr. Kingsley Ngalande District Community 166. 17/02/05 MCDSS,Kalomo Development Officer Aguirre International Page 8] CHANGES Program E.valuation Lets Build 167. 17/02/05 Ms. Mwiiga C. Malumo Chairperson Together, Choonqa, Kalomo Lets Build 168. 17/02/05 Mrs. Dimba Vice Chairperson Together, Choonga, Kalomo Lets Build 169. 17/02/05 Mr. Alex Lilanda Secretary Together, Choonga, Kalomo Lets Build 170. 17/02/05 Mr. Elnot Sikatumba Vice Secretary Together, Choonga, Kalomo Lets Build 171. 17/02/05 Ms. Choombe Mutinta Treasurer Together, Choonqa, Kalomo 17/02/05 Lets Build 172. Mr. Charles Mweernba Committee member Together, Choonga, Kalomo Lets Build 173. 17/02/05 Mrs. Walenda Committee member Together, Choonga, Kalomo Lets Build 174. 17/02/05 Mrs. Namukanda Committee member Together, Choonqa, Kalomo Lets Build 175. 17/02/05 Mr. Evans'Simulele Committee member Together, ChoonQa, Kalomo Lets Build 176. 17/02/05 Ms. Bertha Nosiku Committee member Together, Choonga, Kalomo 177. 17/02/05 Mrs. Mary H. Bukowa Gwembe Basic District Education School Office, Gwembe 178. 17/02/05 Mr. Venter Ngandu District Resource District Education Centre Co-ordinator Office, Gwembe 179. 17/02/05 Mr. Charcks Nzala Planning Officer District Education Office, Gwembe 180. 17/02/05 Ms. Joyce Musambila District Education District Education Board Secretary Office, Gwembe 181. 17/02/05 Mrs. Beatrice Kapikwa MCH Co-ordinator District Health Office, Gwembe 182. 17/02/05 Mr. Joseph Maninga Education Standards District Education Officer Office, Gwembe 183. 17/02/05 Mrs. Florence C. Mongazi Head Teacher District Education Office, Gwembe 184. 17/02/05 Mr. J. Moomba Community MCDSS, Gwernbe Development Officer 185. 18/02/05 Mr. Borniface Mafwela Family Health Officer Family Health Trust, Monze 186. 18/02/05 Mrs. M.M. Sikasanga District Education District Education Standards Officer Office, Monze 187. 18/02/05 Mrs...l.N. Mweetwa Acting Assistant District Education Statistics Officer Office, Monze 188. 18/02/05 Mr. L.K. Siampazanga Planning Officer District Education Office, Monze Aguirre International Page 82 CHANGES Program Evaluation 189. 18/02/05 Mrs. B.B. B. Murray Deputy Head teacher District Education Monze Basic School Office, Monze 190. 18/02/05 Mr. Z. Munthali Acting Accountant· District Education Office, Monze 191. 01/03/05 Mr. R.S. Chenda Head Teacher Kafue Day High School, Kafue 192. 01/03/05 Mrs. M.S. Mulendema Teacher: Guidance Kafue Day High and Counselling School, Kafue 193. 01/03/05 Mrs. G.M.C. Simutowe Teacher Kafue Day High School, Kafue 194. 01/03/05 Mr. C.L. Chikanta AI Head Teacher Naboye High School, Kafue 195. 01/03/05 Mrs. E.M. Chilekwa Teacher: Guidance Naboye High and Counselling School, Kafue 196. 01/03/05 Debora Mutune Pupil Naboye High School, Kafue 197. 01/03/05 Vincent Kalenga Pupil Naboye High School, Kafue 198. 01/03/05 Sarah Chipoya Pupil Naboye High School, Kafue 199. 01/03/05 Mrs. Agnes M. Imonda Head Teacher Munali Girls' High School, Lusaka. 200. 01/03/05 Mr. E. Silwimba Bursar Munali Girls' High School, Lusaka. 201. 01/03/05 Mrs. Agnes T. Chanda Teacher: Guidance Munali Girls' High and Counselling School, Lusaka. Aguirre International Page 83 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex Two: School Health and Nutrition Competition Assessment Tool Eastern Province 1. School Health and Allot 2 points ifthere is a School 2 Nutrition Health and Nutrition Promoting Promoting Team? Team (SHNPT) with at least membership from local health centre, agricultural department, PTA, NHC, Community Develo ment etc. 2. Is the School Allot 2 points if evidence of 2 Health and meeting in the last two months. Promoting Team active? 3. Are resolutions Allot 2 points if evidence of 2 from SHNPT implementing any ofthe resolution meetings made in the last two months. im lemented? 4. Is there a School Allot 2 points ifthe school health 2 Health Polic ? olic is available and dis la ed. 5. Are pupils and Randomly select two pupils and one 4 teachers aware of teacher. Allot a point for each pupil the school health if aware ofthe policy and another 2 policy? points ifthe teacher is'aware ofthe olic . 6. Is there a school Allot 1 point ifthe school has a 2 garden or field? garden or production unit and allot another 1 if evident that produce are used for the benefit of u ils. 7. Are pupils fed on Allot 4 points if pupils are 4 produce from the periodically fed on food from the arden or field? school ardens and field. 8. Is there a school Allot 4 point ifthe orchard had 4 orchard? more than 30 tree and/or suckers. 9. Are there waste Allot 2 points if all classrooms and 2 paper baskets or offices have waste paper baskets or boxes in each any approved provision for classroom and throwing litter. office? 10. Are there pit Allot 2 points for present of girls, 2 latrines/toilets for boys and staff latrines or closets. teachers and u ils? 11. Maintenance ofthe Allot 3 marks if evidence of repairs 3 school. of broken glass panes, desks, chairs, aintin of classes etc. 12. Are the toilets One latrine or close for every 25 2 ade uate? u ils. Aguirre International Page 84 CHANGES Program Evaluation 13. Maintenance of All 5 points if all toilets are clean 5 latrines. and well maintained. 14. Is there a provision Allow 2 points for evidence of 2 for washing hands provision of hand washing facility by use ofrunning by use ofrunning water. water after use of toilet? 15. Local resource Allot 5 points for evidence oflocal 5 mobilization. resource mobilisation to support SHN Activities. 16. Is the school Allot 2 points ifthe school is clean 2 surrounding well- and free from animal droppings. kept and free from animal droppings and litter? 17. Are pupils and Allot 2 points if both teachers and 2 teachers drinking pupils are drawing their drinking water from a safe water from a protected well, source? borehole, pipe or any approved source of drinking water. 18. Is the water source Allot 2 points ifthe well is fended 2 protected from and has a cover. The borehole area animals and dirty? is fenced and clean. 19. Is the water Allot 5 points ifthere is evidence of 5 periodically water being taken for analysis. checked for quality control? 20. Are periodic public Allot 5 points ifthere is evidence of 5 health inspections a public health inspection conducted at conducted in the last 6 months. school? 21. Is there an SHN Allot 2 points if there is an SHN 2 comer? resource centre. 22. Is the SHN Allot 5 points if evidence of 5 resource comer teachers, pupils, and surrounding utilized? communities using the facility. 23. Do pupils carry Allot 4 points ifthere is evidence of 4 food with them to at least more then 60% of pupils school? bring snacks to eat at school. 24. Is there a Allot 4 points ifthere is evidence of 4 Community Based such an organization. Organization in the surrounding community supporting the SHN programme? 25. Are pupils Randomly select 5 pupils. Allot 5 5 inspected for points if pupils are inspected for personal hygiene personal hygiene every day before every day? starting classes. Aguirre International Page 85 CHANGES Program Evaluation 26. Pupils knowledge Randomly select 5 pupils, one from 5 on prevention of each grade (grades 3-7). Detennine intestinal wonns knowledge level by asking basic and Bilharzia. facts about prevention of worm, bilharzias and communicable diseases. Allot a point for each pupil who gives a correct answer. 27. Pupils knowledge Randomly select 5 pupils, one from 5 on prevention of each grade (grades 3-7). Detennine Vit A and iron knowledge level by asking basic deficiency. facts about prevention ofiron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Allot a point for each pupil who gives a correct answer? 28. Are there at least 3 Allot 2 points for each club that 4 health promoting show evidence of meeting in the clubs in the school? last month. 29. Has the SHN team Allot 2 points if action plan is 2 got an action plan? available. 30. Is the action plan Allot 2 points if action plan is being 2 being followed? followed. 31. Does the school Inspect the treatment fonns. Allot 3 3 administer SHN points if SHN treatment protocol Drugs according to and schedule are followed. protocol/schedule? TOTAL 100 Aguirre International Page 86 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex Three: SHN Continuous School Evaluation Questionnaire 1. Name of School? 2. Head teacher's name? 3. Is he/she trained? 4. SHN focal point person? 5. Is he/she trained? 6. School Enrolment: girls 1-7 boys 1-7 7. Villages in the Catchment area }#:i}•.••.•. }·.·····••••• N: >If I;"....,:,;,.}.i· \\............ . .........•... .•... }.} ................... .... ,. •• '.'... -0.·••/>. bc ..... -I.(t:I-~· • . •... .••.•• \., •• }}}}i·}}/<) .. .. 8. Has the Community SHN Committee been formed? 9. What is their plan (community managed action plan)? 10. District level information? 11. District SHN Education Focal Point Person? 12. Has the school ever used the District SHN Resource Centre? 13. What materials were relevant from the Resource Centre? 14. Feedback from the District Coordinating Committees? Aguirre International Page 87 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex Four: Restructured Ministry Of Education Permanent Secretary I I Planning and Information Accounts Unit Aguirre International Standards and Curriculum Development Audit Distance Education Teacher Education and Specialised Services Purchasing and Supplies Unit Human Resource and Administration Page 88 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex Five: The Changes Programme in the Context of Zambian Education The CHANGES programme serves critically important needs for the overall educational system ofthe Zambian government. It does not stand alone, however, and thus we offer the following short comments about other components ofthe system and how they impinge on its effectiveness. Each topic is followed by a recommendation, which refers to what any new follow-up programme and the continuing USAID funded education programmes could consider, particularly as they relate to lessons learned under the CHANGES programme. 1. Multiple Programnles in the Schools: Findings and Conclusions: The following separate acronyms were listed by the MOE in 2002, and although not all ofthem still exist, parents, head teachers and classroom teachers expressed their concern that teachers were "always going to workshops," and unable to be about the business ofteaching children to read and write: INSPRO, PAGE, ANTI-AIDS, GRACE, GEMS, TGM, INSET WORKSHOPS, SITE, CHANGES TED, DISTRICT WASHE, FAMILY PACK, QUIZ, SPORT DRAMA CULTURE, AND MIEP. In addition to these formal GRZ, NGO or Internationally funded programmes, many schools have a multiplicity of after-school clubs and sports activities, some of which occur during the school day. It was reported in one zone that the whole second trimester was taken up with sports, with little or no formal education occurring at all. Reconlnlendations: • It has proven difficult, particularly in small, 1-7 teacher rural schools, to have CHANGES interventions receive the necessary level of attention. Each activity requiring "training" takes teachers out ofthe classroom, limiting the instructional time for students. When one teacher or head teacher serves as the "focal point" for multiple programmes, there is little question that most, if not all, ofthe special programmes will suffer from neglect, regardless oftheir importance. 2. Educational Quality in Primary Education: "The Zambia NationaIU(7i0(70fTfJachers (ZNUT) .. .says' toorr1iJchemphasis has bee(7 put on upils passing subjects otherthan mastering survival skills. ;The curriculum must be reviewed. - because it was a majorcause of faili(79 educ~tiopal§tandards ...The grade eight andnine syllabus was equally 'useless' because it didnot allow pupils. to ma§ter survival skills that woulqh(3lp them even when they failed to find white-collar ·obs~ ..the recent results were a disaster. " - The ,2005 Findings and Conclusions: The team was not able to observe large numbers of classes in session, as many heads and teachers dismissed their students from class before our arrival at the school to hold dran1a, dances and other community events. Aguirre International Page 89 CHANGES Program Evaluation Others had their teachers meet with the teanl, instead of our being able to observe them teaching. Visits, however, were made to many classrooms, and other than the NBTL, Primary Reading Programme classrooms in grade one and SITE in grade 2, the rooms were almost completely devoid of books, learning materials, mathematics manipulatives, or other evidence ofteaching and learning. Student workbooks were examined, and again, other than in grade one and somewhat less in grade two NBTL classrooms, there was no evidence of original student writing, but much evidence of copying offthe blackboard. Books, again with the exception ofsmall libraries in NBTL/SITE classrooms, were not in evidence in any classroonls observed, but could be found, sometimes hundreds ofthem, in the office ofthe Head Teachers. In other cases, books were still at the Resource Centres or District Offices, and not in the hands ofteachers and children. At no time were children observed reading even a textbook. The National Assessment Survey of 200 I under the Basic Education Sub￾Sector Investment Programme concluded in a somewhat understated fashion that "learning achievement levels in Grade 5 were somewhat low," with the mean percentage scores in English and Mathematics at 33.42 and 35.74 respectively. It went on to say that "Pupils stayed for a considerable long period without learning." Recommendation: • While neither CHANGES nor any follow-up programme deals directly with the low quality of primary schooling, they are and will be affected by the nature ofthe teaching-learning process in the classroom, the lack ofreading and numeracy skills on the part of children, and other indicators oflow quality. Students who cannot read, cannot read materials on HIVIAIDS or gender roles. 3. Lack of Trained Teachers in the Classroom: Findings and Conclusions: The IMF/WB controls on the employment of additional teachers have placed a tremendous burden on the schools ofZambia. It is hoped that when the controls are lifted, the 3 year backlog ofteacher graduates from the TTCs can be employed. An obvious partial cause oflow achievement in Zambian primary schools is the lack oftrained teachers in almost every school visited. Often only 2 to 4 "certified" teachers were responsible for up to 7 classes in a given school. The other classroonls occasionally had an untrained adult from the community, often paid only K60,000 per month to be a community teacher. Far too often, however, no adult was present in the room, and thus, children could be found playing on the school grounds, orjust returning their homes. Recommendation: • As described in the following section on multi-grade teaching, highly successful multi-grade classrooms with up to 75 students are now functioning throughout several Latin American countries, and are being experimented with in Uganda.It involves a major reform ofschooling, not a piece-meal approach, but can be done for approximately a 10 percent added cost factor, with under-trained teachers, and often leads to children in multi-grade, rural classrooms achieving at or above students in regular, graded, urban settings. Any new programme could work with the materials preparation, multi-grade teacher training and a scaling-up ofthe current experimental programme. Aguirre International Page 90 CHANGES Program Evaluation 4. Language of Instruction, Activities, Posters and Instructional Materials: Findings and Conclusions: While there is great hope in the research results of PRPISITE in teaching children to read and write in their mother tongue and in English, English does not yet appear to be a strong medium ofinstruction in rural primary scho·ols. Children do not appear to have a solid grasp ofthe English language until grades 8 and 9, and by that time, a significant percentage ofstudents have left the system. Recommendation: • While a few posters could be found in mother tongue languages, the vast majority ofmaterials on girls' education and HIVIAIDS are in English. While a case could be made that these reach the older students who have "mastered" English, there is informal evidence that even these older students do not fully understand much of the more conceptual information about HIVIAIDS, to say nothing ofprofound cultural issues involving gender roles within their respective cultural and linguistic groups. There is a great need to retrain teachers for the "Read-On Programme" for grades 3-7. 5. Pre- and In-Service Teacher Education: Findings and Conclusions: The CHANGES Programme, while primarily concentrating on in-service education through the training offocal point head teachers and regular classroom teachers, has also offered workshops in Teacher Training Colleges on HIV/AIDS and Girls' Education. Regrettably, the new graduates have not yet been able to obtain positions due to IMF/WB controls, as stated above. In addition, with HIV/AIDS taking its toll on the teaching profession, despite ARVs for teachers and their spouses, it will remain important that new teachers receive the pre￾service training and that those out in the schools are not only provided with "cascade" training by focal point persons in their schools, but regular monitoring and updating. The reader is referred to the Annexes for infornlation on More and Less Successful Interventions in Teacher Education. Recommendations: • Any follow-up programme to CHANGES must continue to consider the needs of both pre- and in-service teachers. It will be critical for any new effort to work closely with the TTCs in each Province, while continuing to upgrade in-service teachers. 6. Training: Findings and Conclusions: As indicated in nunlber one above, head teachers and teachers are involved in considerable training for one or more ofthe many progranlffies in the Zambian schools. In many small rural schools, teachers nliss nlany days each month attending training sessions. While the evaluation team was unable to visit any ofthe CHANGES training sessions, the training documents themselves appear to be well designed, but rather "didactic" in nature. Whether the trainers actively involve the participants in the training itself, we could not ascertain, but if trainees remain passive participants, then the trainings themselves reinforce the copying methodology which appears to dominate most Zambian classrooms. An additional concern has to do with the "cascade" model oftraining. It is utilized throughout the world as a mechanism to train large numbers ofteachers at Aguirre International Page 91 CHANGES Program Evaluation comparatively low cost, but there is strong evidence that the learning tapers off significantly on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th iterations. Recommendation: • It is critical that monitoring and evaluation occur in at least a sample group of schools, to assure that critically important information is actually passed on to other teachers, parents and communities involved in either SNH or CSMC, who are not focal point persons. On such critically important topics as HIV/AIDS, Gender Equity, and Life Skills, information is never enough. All trainings must also involve attitudes and behaviours, and thus the type oftraining itself~ecomes critical. 7. Primary Reading Programme (NBLT/SITE): Findings and Conclusions: The most important innovation in the Zambian schools is the Primary Reading Programme. On a classroom level, it is immediately apparent when one enters an NBLT classroom, as it contains children working in groups, age appropriate reading materials in Zambian and English languages, children working individually and in groups, teachers working with groups of children rather than a full class, little copying offthe board, etc. Its success has been exceptional, with gains in literacy between 1999 and 2002 of up to 2000 percent in Zambian reading scores in grade 1, and gains of over 700 percent in English reading scores in grades 2-5. Zambia has become THE international leader in literacy, and its successes are now being copied throughout the continent. Recommendation: • The MOE has already produced a mathematics text called Mathematics Rainbow Kit (MARK), based on the model, and plans to produce similar texts across the curriculum for all primary grades. Any follow-on programme should seriously consider working closely with and supporting this expansion ofthe reading programme to other grades and subject areas. 8. Multi-grade Teaching Methods: Findings and Conclusions: A large percentage ofrural teachers are forced to teach more than one grade, due to the lack of employment of new teachers and teachers being gone for reasons ofworkshops, illness, or death. While workshops on multi￾grade teaching have been held in Zambia, the only design that has proven itselfin poverty-stricken rural areas is that ofthe New School Movement (Escuela Nueva) of Latin America. Suffice it to say, that Ministers of Education from throughout Eastern and Southern Africa have visited Colombia and Guatemala to observe it inaction and have been positively impressed, but to date, only Uganda is experimenting with an African version. The model is now expanding nationwide in Nicaragua and is starting in Peru. It has proven particularly powerful in poor, rural settings, where children perform at equal levels in literacy and numeracy to their urban counterparts in graded schools. Cost estimates from Latin America have shown it to be approximately 10 percent more costly than other systems, but that the benefits significantly outweigh the costs. Recommendation: • Regardless ofwhether Zambia gets out from under the controls ofthe IMFIWB, significant numbers ofrural teachers will continue to find themselves teaching or having responsibility for more than one grade. Unless, and until, Zambian rural Aguirre International Page 92 CHANGES Program Evaluation teachers are provided with the training, workbook materials, flexible promotion, books, student government, and the other proven components ofthe system, rural students will continue to significantly lag behind their urban counterparts. Any follow-up programme should seriously consider assisting a pilot programme in the New Zambian Primary School. 9. Production Units, School Feeding and Nutrition: Findings and Conclusions: There were several very impressive Production Units seen at particularly rural schools. Large, healthy fields of maize, ground nuts, sunflowers, and other crops were observed, as were several vegetable gardens. These Production Units, however, appeared to have little to do with school nutrition and feeding, as products in most cases were only served to the children once a week at most, and often only two times during a term. We were unable to determine if students gained any real vocational skills by tending the fields and gardens, or whether they already had most ofthe skills and were merely being used as unpaid labour. Recommendation: • Whether primary school children should be working in the fields rather than mastering other basic skills is a fundamental question which needs to be addressed by the MOE. The nutritional and feeding value ofthe fields and gardens is not apparent. . 10. Clinical Supervision, Guidance and Counselling: Findings and Conclusions: The traditional role ofschool inspectors or monitors has been replaced by "Standards" officers, but it is our perception that most playa similar role to their old inspectorial role. Uganda has trained a whole cadre of "clinical supervisors," who have gained the skills necessary to assist head teachers and teachers in their roles, rather than inspect and monitor student records and finances and pass'. judgment on lesson plans and teaching techniques. While we met one excellent guidance counsellor in a large urban school, who had clinical supervision and guidance skills, this appeared to be the exception rather than the norm. Reconlnlendation: • In the deeply profound areas ofHIVIAIDS and Gender Equity, to say nothing of the all the other things facing school heads, teachers, and pupils, any new follow￾up programme needs to consider the development of a cadre of professionals trained in facilitation and counselling skills. 11. Decentralization, Local Boards, Parent and Community Control: Findings and Conclusions: Parents and community members with whom we met are increasingly frustrated by teachers who miss class for workshops, illness, to collect their monthly paycheques, supervise sports and other activities, or have other legitimate or illegitimate reasons for not teaching their children. Most felt that they had little input into the decision-making processes oftheir children's schools. Recommendation: Aguirre International Page 93 CHANGES Program Evaluation • It will be critical for any follow-up progranlme to confront the sense of powerlessness that many parents and communities feel about the schools which their children attend. 12. Life Skills, Vocational Skills: Findings and Conclusions: A large majority ofZambian children will finish their schooling at or before grade 7 or grade 9. It is thus absolutely critical that they gain the life-skills necessary to survive in a world of poverty, HIV/AIDS, and gender discrimination. It is also necessary th.at the skills they learn in school are of worth when it comes to being able to supporting their future or present families. The life￾skills taught through the DFID/UNICEF Guide for Out-of-School youth deal with such individual skills as self-awareness, empathy, decision-making, problem-solving, and effective communication; and specialized life-skills such as drug and substance abuse, reproductive health and entrepreneurship. It is an excellent manual on introducing these skills. Recommendation: • It is critical that many ofthese life-skills become part ofthe regular school curriculum, as it is much more difficult to contact out-of-school youth, than it is while they are still in the school. Some schools have given over half a day each week to "practical" skills, but too often this is just working on the school production unit, or even in the fields and gardens of head teachers and teachers. Any follow-up programme could work with the MOE to see that many ofthese skills become part ofthe regular curriculum. Findings and Conclusions: Regrettably, the Evaluation team had no chance to visit the Community Schools that have become a critical component ofthe Zambian educational system. They do, however, educate an increasingly large number and percentage ofZambian children, with even less resources, infrastructure, salaries and trained staff than is found in the regular school system. Recommendations: • Any follow-up programme needs to be involved in training teachers, providing support for HIV/AIDS, SHN, and Gender Equity efforts in these schools. 14. Orphans and other Vulnerable Children: tl here a~~ more vf.Jlni/ri1ble childreii in school inistry orEducation VUJnerable. Schem Equity and Gender Officer, MOE Findings and Conclusions: Most schools are counting and/or monitoring the number of orphans in their schools, often with the support and assistance ofthe Community Development workers from the MCDSS. The numbers of children falling into the category ofsingle or double orphans is truly staggering, with some schools reporting 25-50 percent orphans. In a limited number of cases, teenagers are raising their Aguirre International Page 94 CHANGES Program Evaluation brothers and sisters with limited assistance from the schools and community development workers. Recommendation: • A case could be made that a large majority ofZambian youth are vulnerable, even those with both parents still living. Malnutrition, lack of adult supervision, a wide variety of health risks including HIVIAIDS and poverty, make it imperative that any new efforts by USAID reach these children, who are among the most vulnerable in the world. 15. Time: In School and On-Task: Findings and Conclusions: Not only are the Zambian primary schools suffering from a lack of books and other instructional materials, generally poor instructional techniques, and many untrained teachers or no teachers at all in the classrooms, because ofthe large number ofstudents attracted by free education, school feeding programmes and other interventions, many schools have multiple shifts, with children coming and going all day. 'Many children appear to be in class little more than 3 hours daily, while many teachers are overworked, teaching two or more shifts. If every minute ofschool time was used for actual learning, it might be possible for children to master the curriculum, but regrettably, we observed classes with no instruction occurring due to lack ofteachers, and reports were given to the team of large blocks of instructional time being taken up with sports and other extra-curricular activities. Reconlnlendation: • NBLT/PRP has made exceptional strides in confronting this problem at grades one and two, but books, instructional materials and sufficient time in school and on-task are needed at all grade levels. Without this fundamental reform, all other interventions of curriculum, subject-matter standards, pre- and in-service teacher training, teachers' guides, learning comers, etc., are almost certainly doomed to failure. National policies, with monitoring, on the nurnber of days in school, starting and finishing on time, length of recess and lunch breaks, and other factors concerning time 16. Out-or-School Youth: Findings and Conclusions: With a large majority ofyoung people completing their schooling at or before grades 7 or 9 and often without mastering basic skills of literacy and numeracy, and with few vocational skills, programmes geared primarily at school children are not meeting the needs ofthese out-of-school children and youth. Radio or television programmes and posters might meet some of the needs of particularly urban young people, but millions ofrural children receive little formal or non-formal education. Community schools and adult education programmes are beginning to confront some ofthese issues, but unless and until this group receives nluch more attention, issues of health, HIVIAIDS, gender equity, life-skills and vocational skills will continue to grow in importance. Recommendation: • USAID should give serious consideration under any follow-up programnle to a much greater emphasis on meeting the needs of out-of-school youth, as these are among the most vulnerable members of Zambian society in life-skills, academic and vocational skills, and at risk for HIV/AIDS. Aguirre International Page 95 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex 6: Service Learning and Community Service as an HIVIAIDS Prevention Method Service-learning is a teaching method that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to their schools and their communities. Through careful integration with established curricula, lessons gained from perfonning hands-on service activities heighten interest and enhance academic achievement, citizenship, and character development. Service-learning is a proven key to educational refonn that also makes significant contributions to community development. (NYLC, 1994) Service-learning is a philosophy, a community development model and a teaching and learning method. As a philosophy, service-learning embraces young people as a community resource and asset. It views all people in a democratic society as citizens with a capacity to contribute - no matter their age. Service Learning, Community Involvement and Lessons for HIV/AIDS Interventions Youth are a community asset and a resource Real-life community issues are part of the school curriculum and communit life Active learning using critical thinking and roblem solvin skills Citizenship and character gains result A feeling of ownership results when youth are involved at all stages of the process Service learning must meet a genuine community need A clear connection to curricular learning objectives, often interdisciplinary in nature Reflection on the action and learning is critical, with lessons learned leading to change Direct contact with people in need Aguirre International Young people, not just "experts," need to be involved in all HIV/AIDS interventions HIV/AIDS must be part of every formal and informal educational settin Passive acquisition of knowledge has not roven a successful intervention Limited participation in programmes by young people leads to few citizenship or character ains When information is done "to" students or when they are not involved in planning, im lementation or evaluation, ains are limited Particularly in the African context, there can be no greater community need than HIV/AIDS intervention Rather than a short unit in science or health, an in~depth, interdisciplinary programme is more Iikel to have a reater im act Rather than memorization of theoretical information, reflection on HIV knOWledge and service can change the individual and the communit In many African communities, nearly every person is directly affected by HIV/AIDS. The t es of direct assistance are unlimited Page 96 CHANGES Program Evaluation Indirect channelling of resources to areas of With over 10 million orphans worldwide, and need hundreds of thousands of youth infected annually, there is no shortage of areas of need Advocacy to eliminate sources of problems Advocacy against social stigma and discriminatory laws. Behaviours in favour of effective interventions are critically important Project-based learning with student Too many HIV/AIDS programmes are adult identification of need, programme planning and designed, managed and evaluated with little or implementation, and evaluation no youth planning, implementation or evaluation Aguirre International Page 97 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex 7: Ministry of Health Structure Central Board of Health Provincial Health Offices (8) District Health Boards District Hospitals Aguirre International Health Centres Health Posts Voluntary Providers e.g. NHCs, CHWs HC Private providers Page 98 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex 8: Excerpts from the National SHN Policy Guiding Principles The management ofthis policy and its implementation will be guided by the following principles: a) Creating an enabling environment for the professional delivery of SHN services through effective planning, institutional management, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation b) Guaranteeing that quality SHN is instituted in all learning institutions to benefit learners and to sustain their health living c) Ensuring that equity of access to SHN services is accorded to every learner without discrimination in terms of gender, religious beliefs, HIV and AIDS and social status or race d) Empowering Education Boards and Parent Teacher Associations to take an active role in decision-making on issues related to the SHN programme e) Strengthening partnerships and community alliances required in the provision of quality the SHN programme t) Take into consideration the existing legal provisions in education health and nutrition, and that no activity under SHN shall contravene the provisions in these pieces legislation Vision To promote and provide quality and cost-effective health and nutrition services to all school children in order to improve learning Policy Objectives a) Promote and improve the nutrition status ofschool children in order to enhance and sustain their physical, social and mental well-being b) Promote and maintain the health status ofschool children through the initiation of effective health promoting activities c) Improve collaboration among line ministries in planning and implementing SHN interventions d) Strengthen school and community based health and nutrition activities e) Provide health and nutrition education and promotion of activities at all levels ofthe education system t) Promote and sustain a safe and healthy learning environment . g) Ensure capacity-building among stakeholders Resource Mobilization a) The government shall create a budget line to finance the SHN programme b) The government shall ensure that line ministries commit resources towards the implementation ofthe SHN interventions c) The government and other implementing agencies shall mobilize resources for SHN activities d) The government shall train human resource for the implementation of SHN programme Monitoring·and Evaluation a) The government shall ensure that monitoring and evaluation of SHN is integrated into education programmes b) Line ministries and other stakeholders shall jointly carry out monitoring and evaluation of SHN interventions Aguirre International Page 99 CHANGES Program Evaluation c) The capacity of all officers participating in monitoring and evaluation at all levels shall be strengthened d) MOE shall develop and integrate a comprehensive SHN information system with measurable indicators into the existing Education Management information Systems (EMIS) e) The impact assessment ofthe SHN programme shall be carried out every three years. Aguirre International Page 100 CHANGES Program Evaluation Annex 9: Options for Implementatio,n of School Health and Nutrition Programmes (CHANGES 2005) Lowfuiriifual cofu