PROPOSAL FOR THE TOWA PROJECT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HIV/AIDS MAINSTREAMING PROGRAMMES IN SOUTH EASTERN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Name of Public Institution: South Eastern University College (SEUCO) Address: South Eastern University College P. O. BOX 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya TEL. +254 20-2413859 (KITUI) +254 20-2531395 (NAIROBI) Mobile: +254717066706

Contact Person: Dr. Josphert N. Kimatu Chairman of the SEUCO AIDS Control Unit (ACU) Email: josphert@yahoo.com Mobile Tel: +254734907740 Location of the sub-project: The South Eastern University College main Campus near Kwa Vonza market in Kitui County, and its three campuses at: Emali Town, Kitui Town and Machakos Town Duration of the Project: 12 Months Amount requested: Kshs 2,000,000

A PROPOSAL FOR THE TOWA PROJECT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HIV/AIDS MAINSTREAMING PROGRAMMES IN SOUTH EASTERN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Introduction The South Eastern University 2010-2020 strategic plan shows how the university has strategized to deal with key organizational and operational challenges which are derived from social and environment appraisals (see attachment). Hence, the implementation of the University HIV /AIDS policy has been ear marked in the 2010-2020 strategic objective number 6 as one of the crucial strategic ways of maintaining a healthy human resource; this is more emphasised by the rural and urban setting of the some of the campuses of SEUCO. Furthermore, the University College has established a research fund which has enabled the establishment of the University AIDS Control Unit (ACU), and is currently facilitating a research based solutions for challenges in society and industry as shown in the attached 2010-2020 strategic plan objective 2. However, the HIV/AIDS challenge is still overwhelming for this young University College despite its allocation of MTEF to sustain the ACU. Hence, there is need for regular funding for a continuous specific education, research and evaluation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic prevalence and incidence. This cannot be overlooked especially in a dynamic and influential organization like a University as it endeavours to have HIV/AIDS mainstreamed in its programmes. Goal: To implement HIV/AIDS mainstreaming programmes in South Eastern University Broad Objectives
1.

To continually educate and sensitise the University and its environs on crucial matters on HIV/AIDS.

2. To conduct regular research on HIV/AIDS awareness and impact amongst the University

fraternity and its neighbours.

3. Establish a student centred HIV/AIDS eradication campus clubs (HECC) for peer counselling and

awareness campaigns. Specific Objectives

1. To carry out monthly lectures on a defined key areas on HIV/AIDS for staff, students and semi-

annual campaigns on the neighbouring community.

2. To semi-annually evaluate aspects of HIV/AIDS attitudes and awareness though the ACU

mechanisms and direct research on students and the neighbouring community.

3. To annually train staff, students and neighbouring community on HIV/AIDS management strategies

through peer counsellors and discussion forums. Methodology The scope of operation
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The project shall target the four campuses of SEUCO, which are the Main Campus which is situated 17km form Kitui own at Kwa Vonza Market on the Kitui-Machakos road, The Kitui Campus at the Kitui Town, The Emali Campus which is situated at the Mombasa road near Kibwezi Town and the Machakos Campus at Machakos Town. The University college is a constituent of the University of Nairobi and is a dynamic institute of Higher learning which is targeting the three counties of Kitui, Machakos and Makueni. The targeted audiences The target population includes both the university fraternity and the neighbouring community. The College has both diploma/craft TIVET and graduate/post graduate level students. The strategic plan of the University, projects that by the year 2020, the university shall have 11,108 students and 1847 staff members. The double intake of students could raise the number of the extrapolated students and corresponding staff. In the year 2012 the population is predicted to double from the current 1748 students to over 3472 students. The staff is also expected to raise from 323 to 880. The secondary and primary schools, vocational training institutes, churches and mosques shall also be targeted by this project as they form part of the interactive neighbouring community. Issues and concerns to be addressed The university at present does not house majority of its staff, hence most of them travel daily to the town for accommodation. Most do not have their families with them. The main campus of the university is 12 km from the main road and over 30km from Kitui Town. This has made the students to be like closed in the campus for most of the time. This can cause the possibility of disastrously spreading a like HIV/AIDS at a faster rate. The university HIV/AIDS policy is not discriminatory and hence there is need to sensitize members of being aware of killer diseases like HIV/AIDS. The rural setting of the neighbouring may expose them to HIV virus because they tend to take everything from the university as a societal model. This could partly be due to the economic differences between the university fraternity and the rural folks. Beneficiaries of the project This project aim at benefiting the university human resource as the loss of this calibre of people is a great loss and a disadvantage to the achievement of the 2030 vision in Kenya. The university students are always regarded as role models and if we can be able to change the behaviour of one student, then we can be sure that we have helped at least a village in Kenya. The educational cost of a graduate is very high and the efforts which we can make to reduce the repercussions of HIV/AIDS in the sub3

Saharan region by taking the preventive measures seriously can not be underestimated. The family is the core unit of a nation and if the current bread winners and students who are potential bread can be maintained HIV free then the future of the nation can be secured. The social, economic and health impact of HIV/AIDS has made some nations to stagnant in Africa. Hence, although we have said that the number of people in the University College is about 6000 in 2012, the influence of each one of them can be estimated to be triple. Specific actions of the Strategy The strategies of implementation shall be through educational programs which shall be held monthly or once every two months in some campuses. We shall motivate the participation of all the members in the regions though an award of a certificate of completion. We shall have a ten lectures which shall be in the following key areas; demystifying sex and sexuality; public health in relation to HIV/AIDS; effects of HIV/AIDS to the immune system, the history of HIV/AIDS, the structure of the HIV virus, the gender issue in HIV/AIDS impact, infection and transmission of HIV; the management of HIV through behaviour change, STI, Tests, stigmatization etc; impact of HIV/AIDS to various sectors e.g., education, health, industry, social etc ; Global statistics on the HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence. Development of peer counsellors shall be the main strategy so as to maintain sustainability. The equipping and then commissioning of Local opinion leaders, departmental representatives of ACU, students peers and invited guest shall be applied to reach the community, see Figure 1 below.

ACU Information supply: via Lectures Interactive activities: via games, poster competitions etc Workshops: with invited guests

Department al representati ve Staff

Students peers Communi ty

Students

Global advance s

Feedback/ evaluation 4

Opinion leaders in the community

Researc h

Database development Products: training manuals Policy updates Publications/newsletters

Figure 1. A flow chart showing the ACU interactive equipping and mobilization networks for the dissemination of reliable HIV/AIDS knowledge. Implementation of the project The use of interactive activities like setting up joint thematic games, competitions for drawing and writing informative catchy posters shall enable the community to easily internalize the concepts of infection, transmission and impacts of the HIV/AIDS scourge. Other activities shall be through the invitations of members from other ACU and relevant professional. The showing of video clips and publications of newsletter shall also for the bulk of the information to set up a dynamic database so that future implementers shall use to sustain the projects vision. These interventions shall be implemented within university HIV/AIDS policy guidelines and the budget of the human resource development and training policy of the ten year strategic plan. Advances in technology shall enable research to be done so as to identify even particular HIV-I strains prevalent in the community. The products of the strategy shall be used for future evaluation of the impacts of the strategy as shown in the flow diagram above.
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Monitoring and evaluation the project The recommended reporting mechanism through the NACC and NASCOP structures will be used. Which will include monthly, quarterly and annually reports using the COBPAR reporting form. The unit will develop and modify standard operating procedures, reporting forms and tools that will be used in the monitoring process. Expenditure towards the implementation of the activities will follow the approved university college financial reporting process. Inclusion of all stake holders The project shall endevour to have full participation of all stakeholders at all levels in the management and prevention of the HIV/AIDS. This decentralization has the potential of taking the response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic to a new level. This Joint HIV and AIDS Programme Review (JAPR) held in August 2007 have shown the effects of such approach. The National AIDS Control Council (NACC) had also adopted this strategy since 2002. The implementation of this strategy at the university level shall enable each stakeholder to identify the achievements made, determine gaps in interventions, and identify major challenges and emerging issues. Recommendations shall be made and actions for the key solution agencies identified (see. Figure 2)
University administratio n NACC ACU

Staff

Health service s

Studen ts

Neighbour s

Development of HIV/AIDS management and preventive strategies and mainstreaming activities

Products: reduced HIV/AIDS infections and transmission rates

Figure 2: The ACU operational framework linkages for all localized stakeholders Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS though Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) processes This will in the long run address the root causes and effects of the HIV/AIDS current epidemic. The SEUCO strategic plan has allocated funds for this although the challenges have been enormous. One of the key areas has been to teach all first years in the University with the carefully tailored curriculum of HIV/AIDS which is examinable like any other course. Staff has been allocated so as to have maximum
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teacher-student interaction. The ACU shall continually be evaluating the contents of the curriculum and making the necessary changes so as to accommodate emerging issues. The use of projectors in teaching has been o great advantage in showing graphs, illustrations and fast teaching notes for the coverage of the stipulated curriculum. However, the number of students constrains of rooms and the overloading of the lectures especially during script evaluations has been a challenge. The congested timetable had also forced some lectures to be taken at night or over the weekends and taught by part timers. Never the less, the induction of students at the early university years has enabled the harmonization of the HIV/AIDS knowledge and created an atmosphere for discussion and sharing of ideas for the rest of the time the students have been in the campuses. It was interesting to notice how some students had distorted information about the cause and effects of HIV/AIDS pandemic. We have tried to use these classes to identify peer counsellors and form clubs for HIV/AIDS. However, financial constrains have been an hindrance. Sub-project sustainability Although the South Eastern University College Aids Control Unit was started in January 2010, with the main aim of empowering both the College Community and the immediate communities of the entire lower Yatta District and its environs on the need to sensitizing the community at large on the importance of good public health and HIV/AIDS prevention. A feedback and recruitment strategy has been set so as to keep the vision and the mission of the ACU alive despite the dynamism of the university fraternity. The University College has allocated the ACU some funds to facilitate its activities and has promised to keep on expand the budget as emerging issues arise. A weekly evaluation of the university situation by ACU members has made new ideas to be implemented appropriately A good networking with partners and stake holders working together to fight HIV/AIDS like NASCOP KITUI, LIVERPOOL have assisted in instilling more knowledge to the ACU leaders. The development of the university HIV/AIDS policy and the financial allocations for it in the strategic plan has enabled the sustainability of the activities and future plans to be guaranteed. Collaboration and partnership The University College has established various collaboration and development partners including Pennsylvania State University (USA), Northeast Normal University (NENU) of China, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), DAAD, SASOL Foundation-Kitui, Africa Harvest, Biodiversity International and Kitui District Hospital among other governmental and non-governmental organizations/agencies. The ACU and institutional capacity
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South Eastern University College Aids Control Unit comprises of five qualified members, six HIV/AIDS Committee members and the inclusion of the dean of students. The Unit came into force in January 2010 and since then; the Unit has involved itself in various activities such as sponsoring VCT services in the college. The team has also been in the fore front in the provision and evaluation of the HIV/AIDS common course for all fresh university students. The institution top management is composed of a Principal who is the Chief Executive of the college, three deputy principals, two registrars and a finance officer. The University College has over fifty seven highly qualified academic staff of which 56% are PhDs. holders, and over 25 tutors. Administration and finance Division has staff strength of over 200.

The Core Project team with representation across departments No Name of Contact person Alternate officer Departmen t Responsibility/Progra mme tasks Physical address Posta l Addre ss 1709020 0 Office landline Tel Mobile Tel Email address

1. Dr. Josphert N. Kimatu Dr. Jane Kapkiyai Chairman, ACU, and Departmet of Biological Sciences ACU/Clinica l Team leaders in overall project implementation.

KwaVonza, Kitui

+254-202413859

0734907 740

josphert@yahoo.co m

Mr. M. Musembi

Ms. I. Kamene/ Ms. N. Miriti

Oversee establishment of HIV/AIDS prevention and testing facilities, Carry out diagnosis and testing services Overseeing planning and establishment of prevention and testing facilities

KwaVonza, Kitui

1709020 0

+254-202413859

0733945 461

mosem_06@yahoo.c om,

Deputy Principal (Finance, Planning & Development) Mr. E. Kitati

Registrar (Planning & Developmen t)

CPPMU

KwaVonza, Kitui

1709020 0

+254-202413859

0722309 706

cwanjala@seuco.ac. ke,

Mr. Ndolo

Finance

Overseeing financial transactions in the institution

KwaVonza, Kitui

1709020 0

+254-202413859

0712230 653

1. Details i) ii) iii) iv) v)

of the AIE holder Name: PROF. GEOFFREY MULUVI PF/No:AD/0107 Position: PRINCIPAL ID No: 1763652 Job Group: 17

2. Bank Details i) Account Name: SEUCO CURRENT ii) Account Number: 0102152862000 iii) Bank: National Bank of Kenya Ltd. iv)10 Branch: KITUI v) Bank Signatories: Prof. Geoffrey M. Muluvi, Prof. Francis M. Mathooko, Prof. Dickson M. Nyariki, Edward M. Kitati.