Chief of Party KIDSS (OVC), Cameroon
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded Catholic Relief Services (CRS) cooperative agreement grant (AID-624-A-14-00004) to implement the Key Interventions to Develop Systems and Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (KIDSS) project funded under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Over a five-year period (2014-2019), CRS, in partnership with the Archdioceses of Bamenda, Douala and Yaoundé, is addressing the challenges of sustainable care and support to OVC. Through the KIDSS project, CRS is strengthening the capacities of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon (GRC), civil society, communities and households to care and support Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).
In response to the PEPFAR 3.0 strategic alignment to achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 global targets, KIDSS geographic and programmatic scope was amended in the Country Operational Plan (COP) FY 2015. To align with the global PEPFAR 3.0 targets, KIDSS was directed to focus on priority HIV services for OVC in the PEPFAR priority health districts of Djoungolo in Yaoundé and Deido in Douala and two sustained health districts of Nkolndongo in Yaoundé and Bamenda, with an overall goal of increasing the rate of “new on antiretroviral therapy (ART)”.
Through the revised KIDSS project, CRS will improve capacities of GRC, community networks, and OVC families/caregivers to achieve PEPFAR 3.0 strategic objectives, in partnership with the Archdioceses of Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda. CRS as the prime is responsible for overall technical quality of the project, financial management, including sub-granting, and providing leadership on GRC capacity strengthening. Archdioceses will ensure supervision and support for community-level (health district) interventions, supporting the GRC, civil society organizations (CSOs), and OVC caregivers to improve the continuum of care and support for OVC.