USAID ACHIEVE Project

Funded by PEPFAR through Pact Tanzania, since October 2021, CEELS implements the Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence-reduction, Empowerment, and Virus Elimination—ACHIEVE — a 5-year global project for sustaining HIV epidemic control among pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents, infants, and children in Rukwa and Katavi regions.

Targeting Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), Children and Adolescents Living with HIV (C/ALHIV), CEELS utilizes trained staff to deliver case management services to more than 8,341 households with direct health and nutrition assessment, treatment adherence and psychosocial support, and referrals. To enhance pediatric viral suppression, the project provides escorted referrals to health facilities for clinical evaluation and laboratory tests.  Through the project, OVC are also supported to access health services through community health fund (iCHF).

CEELS staff also identifies, assesses, and supports CLHIV and children in destitute households with education materials (bags, uniforms, books and pens) to improve their school attendance and performance.

To improve household and youth livelihood, CEELS screens for economic vulnerabilities and provides vocational scholarship and business startup kits and linkage to community Saving and Lending Groups (VSLG) to improve saving, financial literacy, access to credit, and overall income generation.  About 22,678 OVC and caregivers, (including OVC living with HIV) were reached by the project annually.