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

描述（由申请人提供）：该R34的总体目标是进一步制定和审查一项名为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R 01奠定基础。这项研究有两个具体目标：（1）开展形成性工作，以了解儿童和家庭参与以储蓄和家庭创收为重点的家庭一级增强经济权能干预措施的能力和兴趣，以及他们对这种以家庭为重点的增强经济权能方法以及其他干预措施组成部分的反应，包括为青年教育和成人辅导储蓄。(2)根据形成性数据（目标1），调整干预措施，并在小规模上检查与可行性和初步结果相关的问题，为更大规模的研究做准备。这项名为SUUBI-MAKA的干预措施采用了一种新颖的方法，重点是增强照顾艾滋病孤儿的家庭的经济权能。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），我们认为这将加强经济稳定，减少贫困，并加强对艾滋病孤儿的家庭保护进程。(2)它促进为艾滋病孤儿提供教育机会而节省资金。(3)它为儿童提供了一位成人导师。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或孤儿照料中心。参与的儿童将被安置在20所随机分配的小学内，以便来自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个月和干预后24个月。SUUBI-MAKA的有效性将与家庭护理进行比较：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父母关系。

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.