The Rotarians Fellowship for Fighting AIDS (RFFA) was recently informed by USAID that the ANCHOR (the Africa Partnership for Children Orphaned and at Risk) project partnership, of which RFFA is a key partner, has been awarded $8.1 Million Dollars (U.S.) to help 147,000 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in six countries of Africa over a five year period. ANCHOR was jointly developed by Marion Bunch (Chair of RFFA) and Dr. Mark Ottenweller (Director HOPE worldwide) in the Fall of 2003.

In addition to HOPE worldwide and RFFA, other project partners are The Coca Cola Company/Africa, Emory University Schools of Public Health and Nursing and the International AIDS Trust (Washington, D.C.). The funds will be channeled through HOPE worldwide who will do the actual on-the-ground work at Community Childcare Centers. Rotarians and Coca Cola employees and bottlers will play a support role in implementing HOPE worldwide’s Best Practice AIDS programs. Emory University’s staff will monitor and evaluate the results of the work USAID is responsible for providing grants of funds for AIDS work under President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). “The grant process is extremely competitive,” said Marion Bunch. Funds will be forthcoming in February 2005 upon completion of the pre-award technical review and clarification process by USAID.

The ANCHOR partnership will increase comprehensive and integrated care and support for the 165,500 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in seven countries: South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Kenya. It will increase the capacity of affected families to care for and support OVC, benefiting a total of 40,000 caregivers. This will be achieved by scaling up national and community-based programs to improve the living conditions, health and welfare of OVC. It will combine the capabilities and networks of each of the partners to strengthen and develop support for OVC at both existing and new sites.

Marion Bunch said, “Rotary’s strength really lies in its people, it’s human resources, who are the community leaders all over the world. But our people alone cannot make a difference. We need partners who each bring different expertise to a project; and that funding can be obtained from governments or private foundations.”

FInd out more about the ANCHOR Representatives