The Empowered Children and Adolescent Program (ECAP) III, is a 5-year program estimated at $19.5 million grant funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

Since it began in October,2020, the project has reached a milestone of enrolling 61,158 beneficiaries which includes 45,003 Vulnerable Children and Adolescents (VCAs) and 16,155 caregivers. 

These beneficiaries have received a minimum of one HIV and/or socio-economic services during the period under the comprehensive service delivery model for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC). The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) is the prime implementer of the program with technical support from Project Hope, on economic strengthening, interventions, and case management. 

Furthermore, the project has supported VCA’s and their families to be stable by improving household economic security and linkage to social protection services through provision of skills trainings on saving and financial management.  

To date, a total of $66,857 value of loan has been circulating among the 265 OSAWE saving groups established under the program so far and loans have been disbursed among members including $6,747 social funds, and a total of $45,740 value of savings is in circulation.

The program’s main focus is to provide comprehensive health, education, social protection and livelihood support services for Vulnerable Children and Adolescents (VCAs). It operates in two provinces (Lusaka and Eastern) and covers six districts (Lusaka, Chipata, Petauke, Chilanga, Chongwe and Kafue.

The main goal of this project is to mitigate the impact of HIV and improve the health and wellbeing of VCA through delivery of high-impact, evidence-informed and age-appropriate interventions customized for each VCA sub-population using a family centred approach. 

The project has continued working closely with different key sectors of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) and other stakeholders at the national, provincial, district and community levels to improve the social and health outcomes of vulnerable households in high HIV burden districts across the two targeted provinces to achieve its objects.

In the 2021 Financial year, the project has achieved the following in achieving its objectives: