U.S. Government’s Families Matter! Program Safeguards Adolescent Girls and Women

TSUMEB, FEB 6 – As part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently supported the roll-out for the second phase of the Families Matter! program in Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region.

Families Matter! is an evidence-based training program designed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that promotes positive parenting practices and communication strategies. The ultimate goal of the Families Matter! program is to reduce sexual risk for adolescents and young people.

The Families Matter! training is part of the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) program that is being implemented in Namibia through PEPFAR funding by USAID and CDC and with inter-Ministerial collaboration.

DREAMS provides services that are tailor-made and youth-friendly to help adolescent girls and young women achieve their dreams by tackling challenges such as HIV infection, school drop-outs, social isolation, economic disadvantage and gender-based violence. In addition, the parenting-support program Families Matter! helps parents and caregivers to define and communicate their values and expectations about sexual behavior with the children they care for.

Twenty-six participants from USAID’s implementing partner Project Hope and the CDC implementing partner I-TECH from Oshikoto, Khomas and Zambezi regions were certified as Families Matter! facilitators at the training session held in January. Parents from these regions who go through the seven-week program, which will commence in February, will be better able to support their children through challenging times of their young lives.

The program helps caregivers become aware of topics that are still not discussed in many families because they are considered taboo. The training provides guidance for positively handling tough topics around sexuality, HIV prevention, and violence. The continued implementation of Families Matter! will support girls and young women in Namibia to live a safe life without fear, to prosper and achieve their dreams.

Between October 2018 and September 2019, an estimated 17,000 adolescent girls and young women are expected to access the full package of DREAMS services with an additional 26,000 receiving combination prevention services, and over 10,000 girls and young women with their families will receive services tailored for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).

PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health initiative – a comprehensive approach to combating HIV/AIDS around the world. PEPFAR employs the most diverse prevention, treatment, and care strategy in the world, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability for results. In Namibia, PEPFAR is led by the U.S. Ambassador, and programmed by an inter-agency team chaired by the PEPFAR Coordinator. – NDN Staffer