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U.S. Embassy Launches "CHANGES 2", a Program in Education Sector

The United States Government and the Government of Zambia launched CHANGES 2, a four-year program that will strengthen the professional skills of basic education teachers. The program, co-funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), places a special focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation as well as support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

The project was launched today at Lusaka’s Kabulonga Girls’ High School by The Honorable Minister of Education Dr. Brian Chituwo and U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Andrew Passen.

The Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support - 2 (CHANGES2) project commenced operations in August 2005 and is a continuation of USAID’s support to the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Sector Plan.

It is an expansion and enhancement of the MoE’s successful CHANGES program that was implemented from 2001-2005. In addition to support for expansion of the MoE’s school health and nutrition activities to new programmatic and geographical areas, CHANGES2 will empower pupils, teachers, and community members to improve education, gender equity, and health in schools and communities.

The project has the following goals:

800 MoE staff per year will be trained to provide targeted HIV/AIDS prevention education in basic schools.

400 schools per year will benefit from enhanced delivery of basic education services, especially HIV/AIDS prevention education.

400 communities per year will benefit from school-based outreach and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

260,000 community residents per year will benefit from outreach and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

3,500 orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) per year in secondary schools will benefit from scholarships (bursaries) to ensure their retention in school, and playing an active role in HIV/AIDS prevention activities in their schools.

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1,200 Teacher Training College pre-service students will benefit from improved training in teaching methodologies, including the enhanced provision of HIV/AIDS and health education.

With its central office in Lusaka, CHANGES2 will be implemented in Southern, Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt Provinces through existing MoE structures. Provincial program offices will be located in Livingstone, Lusaka, Kabwe and Ndola to coordinate district and zonal education activities. CHANGES2 will also deliver scholarship support services in the same four provinces, as well as in Eastern and Northwestern Provinces.

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