Resilient and Empowered Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV (READY+)
Empowering Young Lives
Project Manager
Name:Henry Nsona
Role: Overseeing implementation of the READY+ Project across 15 health facilities in Malawi
Expertise: Adolescent health, HIV care and treatment, SRHR programming
Project Goal & Objectives
Project Goal:
Adolescents and Young People living with or most affected by HIV, especially those who are most vulnerable, are resilient, empowered, and knowledgeable and have bodily autonomy and the freedom and agency to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Project Outcomes:
- Outcome 1: Powerful Adolescents - The project will help young people get ready to make informed decisions about their health and rights by targeting young people with accurate information about their health and human rights.
- Outcome 2: Safe Communities - The project will get parents/caregivers, community leaders and other community members ready to support young people to talk about SRH and access SRH and HIV services in their communities.
- Outcome 3: High quality services - The project will support health facilities and health care providers to improve service delivery across the 95:95:95 strategy by training health care workers on how to make their facilities safe spaces for young people to access SRH and HIV services.
- Outcome 4: Greater accountability - The project will get decision-makers ready to champion access to health information, services and commodities for AYPLHIV by advocating for the involvement of young people in the decision-making process regarding SRH and health services.
- Outcome 5: Improved skills - The project will get decision-makers ready to get young people ready for improved skills and better options for secure livelihoods through vocational and leadership skills training.
Scope of Work
MACRO is leading the implementation of the READY+ project in Malawi in 15 Health facilities across Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzimba North. MACRO will:
- Promote and facilitate age-appropriate disaggregated SRHR, care and treatment for adolescents and young people 10-29 years using a peer-led approach
- Deliver youth and economic empowerment interventions to ensure young people are resilient and well-equipped to lead fulfilled lives
- Collaborate with MOH to deliver capacity building of service delivery structures to enhance youth friendly health services
- Create demand for HIV and SRH services among young people through community outreach programs
- Advocate for young people's involvement in policy review and implementation
- Create enabling communities for HIV and SRHR service delivery through dialogue sessions with community gatekeepers, and caregivers
Target Population
- Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV (AYPLHIV) aged 10-29 years
- Most vulnerable populations affected by HIV
Project information
- Name: READY+
- Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Maputo
- Project Duration: 2024 to 2026
- Geographic Coverage: 3 districts (Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzimba North)
- Health Facilities: 15 sites
Project Description
The READY+ project aims to empower adolescents and young people living with HIV in Malawi through comprehensive SRHR services, peer support, and community engagement. The project uses a multi-faceted approach to build resilience and improve health outcomes for this vulnerable population.
MACRO implements the project across 15 health facilities, working closely with government ministries and community stakeholders to create supportive environments for young people's health and rights.
Key Achievements
- Completed project inception process through entry meetings with national, district, facility and community level stakeholders
- Recruited and trained 34 Peer Supporters
- Cascaded WANDA training to 34 Peer Supporters
- Procured and distributed pushbikes to all 34 Peer Supporters
- Commenced beneficiary enrolment in 5 sites under Lilongwe (133 AYPLHIV enrolled in 2 weeks)
Implementation Sites
- Blantyre: MACRO Limbe Clinic, Bangwe, Makhetha, Chilomoni, & Mpemba
- Lilongwe: MACRO Lilongwe Clinic, Kabudula, Mitundu, Bwaila/Lighthouse, & Area 25
- Mzimba North: MACRO Mzuzu Clinic, Ekwendeni Hospital, Mzuzu Central Hospital, Mzuzu Health Centre & St. Johns Mission Hospital