Programs Overview

• OVC Programme (2012–2018), including DREAMS: Delivered integrated services for children and adolescents, combining HIV prevention, case finding, treatment support, and socio-economic empowerment for AGYW.
• Paediatric and Adolescent Scale-up Project (PASP) (2015–2017, Gauteng): Focused on community paediatric HIV case finding through 13 CBO partners, using home visits, index and family-based testing, and community health screening events. PASP also introduced a bi-directional referral mechanism, linking community partners and health facilities to track children referred to care, provide targeted psychosocial support, and ensure follow-up for viral suppression. Evidence-based curricula such as KIDZ Alive and Vhutshilo 3 were integrated to support disclosure, treatment literacy, and adherence.
• Preventing HIV/AIDS in Vulnerable Populations (2018–2025, Gauteng): Focused on early identification, household-level HIV services, linkage to care, and adherence support for high-risk children, adolescents, and PBFW.
• Children, Adolescents, and Families in the HIV Epidemic (CAFHE) Programme (2024–2025, North West): Strengthened paediatric HIV case finding, linkage, and retention before stop work orders were issued.

Across all these programmes, HIVSA has consistently used evidence-based curricula to provide structured, age-appropriate support:

• Vhutshilo 1 & 2: Life skills and HIV prevention programmes for adolescents, focusing on HIV knowledge, sexual and reproductive health education, and decision-making skills.
• Vhutshilo 3: HIV treatment adherence support curriculum designed for adolescents and caregivers, addressing ART literacy, adherence strategies, and psychosocial coping mechanisms.
• KIDZ Alive: Child-friendly curriculum supporting disclosure, treatment literacy, and adherence for children living with HIV, using interactive, age-appropriate methodologies. HIVSA’s approach is community-anchored, delivered through CBOs and trained Community Care Workers (CCWs). CCWs provide household-level services, including HIV screening, family-based testing, referral to care, adherence support, psychosocial counselling, and follow-up. By operating directly within the home and community, CCWs increase trust, improve service uptake, and strengthen retention and viral suppression outcomes.
• HIVSA has also successfully implemented the Risiha model, demonstrating that capacitated CCWs can efficiently deliver early identification, linkage, adherence support, and retention interventions at household level, while addressing psychosocial and socio-economic barriers that affect treatment outcomes.

Across all programmes, HIVSA has emphasised capacity building, mentorship, and technical support for CBOs and CCWs, strengthening community–facility coordination and promoting sustainability. Complementary initiatives addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities, particularly for AGYW, have supported financial independence and improved health outcomes. Through this community-driven, household-level, and holistic approach, HIVSA has consistently delivered cost-effective, high-impact paediatric HIV interventions, providing a strong foundation for further improving identification, treatment, retention, and viral suppression of children and adolescents living with HIV.

Courses We Offer Our training offerings reflect our commitment to advancing capacity in the healthcare sector. Some of our courses include:

• Basic HAST (HIV, AIDS, STIs, and TB)
• HIV Testing and Counselling
• Differentiated Models of Care
• Child & Adolescent Disclosure Counselling
• Index Partner Notification
• Couples Counselling

 These courses are tailored to meet the dynamic needs of healthcare workers in both public and private sectors.   Training for All Our programs are not limited to DoH personnel. We also offer training services to private clients, NGOs, and organisations at competitive rates.

The Social Employment Fund (SEF) is a strategic initiative under South Africa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus, created to respond to rising unemployment by funding socially valuable work, funded through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Anchored in the belief that work should contribute to communities as well as individual livelihoods, the SEF connects public funding with civic and community partners to deliver part-time employment opportunities that are purposeful, inclusive, and skill-building.

Through the Social Employment Fund’s mandate of ensuring that participants contribute to “work that has meaningful community value and impact”, Community Based Organisations that hosted participants deployed them towards supporting community health interventions such as:

• Home visits (through shadowing trained community caregivers) to conduct household health and social assessments to determine household needs;
• Improving access to health services for communities through health education and referral to health services based on need;
• Under the supervision of trained community caregivers and registered counsellors from HIVSA supporting CBOs, refer community members for mental health assessments as needed, thereby improving access to mental health and wellbeing information at community;
• Supporting the provision of meals to CBO beneficiaries;
• Assisting with providing access to social services such as social grants, Identity Documents and others.

The Tshireletso project will work with 20 Community Based Organisations in Limpopo and Northwest Provinces, focusing on:

• Institutional and programmatic strengthening to enable local organisations to independently manage and sustain HIV interventions.
• Ongoing mentorship and support for CBO staff to maintain programme quality and community impact.
• Strengthening partnerships with government departments, health facilities, and local stakeholders to ensure programmes are integrated within broader HIV and health frameworks.
• Embedding monitoring and evaluation systems to track outcomes, guide decision-making, and demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions to donors and partners.

HIVSA’s vision for the future is to create an enabling environment where every child, adolescent, and young woman at risk of or affected by HIV has access to the care, support, and services they need to thrive. Over the coming years, our HIV programmes will continue to:

• Provide comprehensive, family-centred support that reduces vulnerability and promotes resilience.
• Strengthen and equip local CBOs to deliver sustainable HIV interventions tailored to community needs.
• Ensure that children and adolescents living with HIV have consistent access to treatment, adherence support, and educational opportunities.

Through these efforts, HIVSA remains committed to achieving its long-term goal of reducing new HIV infections, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, and contributing towards building an HIV-free generation in South Africa.

Our PHVP program is dedicated to capacity building within CBOs to improve HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and service delivery for at-risk populations in Gauteng. The program includes:

• Institutional and Program Capacity Strengthening: Building CBO capacity to sustainably support local health initiatives, manage resources, and deliver impactful HIV prevention programs.
• DREAMS Family Strengthening Program: Supporting adolescent girls and young women (10-18 years) and their primary caregivers through initiatives like Let’s Talk, which fosters open communication and resilience-building within families.
• Comprehensive Support for Children and Adolescents: A holistic approach offering:
• Health Service and Linkages: Ensuring access to services, including HIV prevention, SRH, TB, VMMC, STI education, and adherence support.
• Educational Support: Encouraging school enrollment and progression to secure a brighter future for youth.
• Economic Strengthening Services: Providing training in documentation and financial skills to enhance family stability.
• Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Support: Addressing trauma through grief and loss programs and offering support for GBV survivors.

Our CAFHE program offers comprehensive support to children, adolescents, and caregivers impacted by HIV/AIDS. This includes health services, psychosocial support, and life skills training aimed at empowering families to live healthier lives.

• CAFHE Program
• Health Services and Linkages
• Psychosocial Support
• Educational and Economic Strengthening Services
• Child Protection and GBV Support