A Family-Based Economic Empowerment Model for Orphaned Children in Uganda

描述(由申请者提供)：R34的总体目标是进一步开发和研究名为SUUBI-MAKA的家庭经济赋权干预措施，为乌干达因艾滋病大流行而成为孤儿的家庭创造经济机会，并为R01奠定基础。这项研究有两个具体目的：(1)开展成熟性工作，以了解儿童和家庭有能力和有兴趣参加以储蓄和家庭创收为重点的家庭经济赋权干预措施，并了解他们对这一以家庭为重点的经济赋权方法的反应，以及其他干预内容，包括为青少年教育和成人辅导储蓄。(2)以形成性数据为基础(目标1)，调整干预措施，小规模审查与可行性和初步结果有关的问题，为更大规模的研究做准备。这项名为SUUBI-Maka的干预措施使用了一种新的方法，重点是为照顾因艾滋病而成为孤儿的家庭赋予经济权力。这项干预措施有三个关键组成部分：(1)促进家庭一级的创收项目(微型企业)，我们相信这些项目将加强经济稳定，减少贫困，并加强对因艾滋病成为孤儿的青年的保护家庭进程。(2)促进为艾滋病孤儿的教育机会节省金钱。(3)为儿童提供成人导师。干预措施将通过两组随机试验进行评估。这两个群体是：Suubi-Maka或通常照顾孤儿。参与的儿童将被嵌套在20所小学内，这些小学将被随机分配，以便特定学校的所有儿童接受相同的干预。将有三个评估点：基线(测试前)、12个月和24个月后干预。SUUBI-MAKA将在以下几个方面与常规护理进行比较：儿童的教育经历、心理社会发展、性风险承担和心理健康、照顾者的态度和能力以及家庭和照看关系。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of this R34 is to further develop and examine a family economic empowerment intervention, called SUUBI-MAKA, that creates economic opportunities for families in Uganda who are caring for children orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic, and to lay the groundwork for an R01. The study has two specific aims: (1) To conduct formative work in order to understand children and families' ability and interest in participating in a family-level economic empowerment intervention focused on savings and family income generation, and their response to this family-focused economic empowerment approach alongside additional intervention components, including savings for youth education and adult mentorship. (2) Based on formative data (Aim #1), to adapt the intervention and examine issues related to feasibility and preliminary outcome on a small scale in order to prepare for a larger study. The intervention, SUUBI-MAKA, uses a novel approach by focusing on economic empowerment of families caring for children orphaned due to AIDS. The intervention has three key components: (1) it promotes family-level income generating projects (micro-enterprises) which we believe will enhance economic stability, reduce poverty, and enhance protective family processes for youth orphaned by AIDS. (2) It promotes monetary savings for educational opportunities for AIDS-orphaned children. (3) It provides an adult mentor to children. The intervention will be evaluated via a two-group randomized trial. The two groups are: SUUBI-MAKA or Usual care for orphaned children. The participating children will be nested within 20 primary schools that will be randomly assigned such that all children from a particular school receive the same intervention. There will be three assessment points: baseline (pre-test), 12-month, and 24-month post-intervention. The effectiveness of SUUBI-MAKA will be compared with the Usual care on: children' educational experience, psychosocial development, sexual risk taking, and mental health, caregiver's attitudes and capacities, and family and caregiving relationships.