AVSI Foundation – USAID/SCORE Project Psychosocial support Forum - Victoria falls in Zimbabwe. Rita LAROK OTIM Impact of life skills training on resilience of orphaned and vulnerable adolescents and youth

Sustainable Comprehensive Responses for Vulnerable children and their families (SCORE) at a glance Donor: USAID/PEPFAR Implementation: AVSI Foundation with CARE, TPO, FHI360 Duration: May 2011-Apr 2016, Budget: 32.6m USD Coverage: 35 districts in Uganda. Goal: To decrease the vulnerability of moderately and critically vulnerable children (VC) and their households. RA 1: Improved socio-economic status of OVC families. RA 2: Improved food security and nutrition. RA3: Improve access to protection and legal services. RA 4: Increased capacity to access acquire or provide critical services --- Interventions: Parenting, LIFE SKILLS..

Life skills Approach Description Target Adolescents and youth in and out of school Approach Group and modular trainings 1-2 week practice breaks Pre and post training assessments Research group: # 553 sample participants from 35 districts Average age: 18 Gender: 48% F (267) and 52% M (286) Period of research: 2013/2014

Life skills- Activity based modules Module 1:Getting Started Module 2:Knowing myself Module 3:Relationships Module 4:Coping with Emotions Module 5: Passive, Aggressive & Assertive Behavior Module 6: Growing up Module 7: Communication Module 8: Decision Making Module 9: Substance Abuse Module 10:Reaching my Goals and Dreams

Theory of Change - Parameters Relationships – strength and quality Coping with Emotions – Feelings/ Mood Handling Conflict – Ladder with levels Communication skills - Quality Psychosocial wellbeing - Scale

Results: Relationships Significant improvements in the proportion of strong, fair and not close relationships

Results: Coping with emotions Significant REDUCTION in Anger p-value: ANGRY

Results: Coping with emotions Significant Improvements in Happiness p-value: Happy

Results: Coping with emotions: Nervous Significant REDUCTION in children nervous (p-value: )

Results: Coping with emotions: Sad Significant REDUCTION in Sadness p-value:

Results: Coping with emotions: Shy

Results: Handling Conflict – Ladder with levels

Results: Conflict Ladder Significant Improvements in Conflict management

Results: Communication skills - Quality Less Not good communicators BUT more aggressive communicators

Results: Psychosocial wellbeing - Scale Significant improvements in psychosocial wellbeing

Conclusions AVSI Foundation USAID/SCORE Life skills training does have a significant effect on improving resilience of adolescents and youth

Thank you! Contacts: Rita Larok Tel: and SCORE Secretariat Tel: