Controlling HIV Epidemic for Underserved and Key populations (CHEKUP 1) is a project funded by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is a follow-on to the USAID Zambia Community HIV Prevention Project (Z-CHPP) that was implemented by Pact Zambia, the USAID Open Doors Project (OPD) and FHI360. The main goal of the USAID CHEKUP 1 Project is to improve the health outcomes of Zambians by preventing new HIV infections among priority and key populations most at risk of acquiring HIV, namely adolescent girls and young women, adolescent boys and young men, people living with HIV, mobile populations, discordant couples, and key populations. This project is led by CIDRZ and being implemented by Copper Rose Zambia, Young Women Christian Association of Zambia (YWCA), Tackle Africa, Pact Zambia and D-tree, Key Populations Civil Society Organizations (KP-CSOs).
Copper Rose Zambia (CRZ) is implementing the USAID CHEKUP 1 Project in Kitwe, Chingola, Mufulira, Lusaka and Luanshya. CRZ will focus on the following areas:
- Leading initiatives related to mobilization of at-risk youths for HIV testing, including conducting population-specific dialogue meetings to explore their resources, skills and competences and establishing adolescent and youth-led support groups.
- Coaching Boys into Men by conducting weekly coaching sessions targeting adolescent boys and young men before harmful gender norms become more entrenched.
- Educating and encouraging adolescent aged 18-24 to use My Safe Space App as a way of enhancing access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among adolescents and young people.
- Leading initiatives on school based prevention intervention (SBPI).
The Copper Rose Zambia (CRZ) Kitwe and Lusaka CHEKUP 1 staff successfully participated in the project planning meeting which was held in Lusaka. The planning meeting included all the consortium partners working on the project and was meant to help all the partners understand the scope of work assigned to each partner.
The CRZ CHEKUP 1 project team undertook learning visits to DREAMS centers in Chingola, Kitwe, Lusaka and Luanshya. The purpose of the visits was to familiarize the CRZ CHEKUP 1 team with the work of the CHEKUP 1 project and learn how the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) centers operate in the district and what services are provided for the girls at the centers.
Furthermore, our team successfully had a meeting with DREAMS School Based Prevention Initiative (SBPI) connectors under the CHEKUP 1 project in Kitwe, Chingola and Lusaka districts. The meeting was held in order to fully understand the work the SBPI connectors have been doing in the district at the various schools and find ways of ensuring young people are fully engaged in the implementation of the activities at school level.
