JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:  Adolecent Champion, CoSMO Project

Supervisor:  HIV care support and linkage officer

SUMMARY OF THE CoSMO PROJECT

Consolidating Systems and Services for the Management of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CoSMO) is a  5-year, approximately US$33 million project funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is implemented by the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) – a Cameroonian faith-based organization, in partnership with 26 local Sub Recipient– Implementing Partners (SR-IPs) in at least 68 health districts across all 10 regions of Cameroon.

The OVC program addresses the challenges of sustainable care and support to OVC by strengthening the capacities of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon (GRC), civil society, communities, and households to provide quality care and support to HIV-infected and affected children in Cameroon. Under the leadership of NECC, sub-recipients’ partners, the Government of Cameroon and other stakeholders will work collaboratively to reach about 65,000 OVC and their families in health districts across the country where the HIV burden is high. The program consists of HIV prevention and case finding activities for OVC as well as ensuring community support for linkage to care and retention among children and adolescents living with HIV with the goal of contributing to HIV epidemic control by attaining and sustaining the 95-95-95 targets of UNAIDS.

The adolescent champion who is a sub-recpient staff will serve as a model to his peers enrolled in the project and support them stay adherent to their ART and achieve sustained viral load suppression.

Qualities of an adolescent champion

He/she must  be living with HIV and be aware of hisor her Status. know how to read and write  and understand English/French Language. He should have basic knowledge on HIV, be willing to disclose his/her status to the public when need arises and respect the values of confidentiality .Understanding  and speaking  the vernacular of the locality will be an added advantage.

JOB Summary

Working in close collaboration with the CMC and HCS&L officer of the sub partner organization, the Adolescent Champion will be responsible for providing  psychological support to peers. Help adolescents living with HIV cope with fear, hopelessness, stigma and discrimination. They will provide practical Information from their own experiences, motivation and positive reinforcement for adherence to treatment, disclosure, sexual and reproductive health issues and address mental health concerns. This will contribute to confidence  building, reducing anxiety and promoting sense of belonging among peers.

Roles and responsibilities

Adolescent champions will  have the following roles to play;

·         Support the creation of community support groups of ALHIV by the Subpartner

·         Assist respective sub partner organization with recruitment ALHIV who are project participants  into community support groups

·         Encourage ALHIV between the ages of 10-17 to join and  participate in group activities

·         Mobilise and sensitise their peers on HIV/AIDS , ART and its importance and share their experinces

·         Adherence and psychosocial counseling of their peers

·         Prepare activity reports after each  group session

·         Debrief regularly with CMC, HCS&L officer, and caseworkers responsible for the adolescents involved in group activities.

·         Prepare monthly report of activities and submit to their supervisors

Personal qualities

·         Must be  an ALHIV,15-17 or 17-20 attending secondary school, who is adherent to ART with  sustained VL suppression.

·         Have a mastery of HIV/AIDS and adlosecent, psychosocial support care packages

·         Can speak and write English and/ or French

·         Good communication and interpersonal skills.

·         Good planning and organizational skills.

·         Good knowledge transfer skills.

 Lettre de motivation et CV doivent etre envoyer au plus tard le 27 mars 2024 à 12h00, par mail : awa.cosmo@gmail.com