NFSC Assessment 2007

We are committed to improving, enhancing, and expanding our services to children affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda. For these reasons, we are working with The SPARK Center to conduct an assessment of our current services as well as further examine the unique needs of our children, particularly around psychosocial support and after school programming. The assessment will begin mid-June.This feasibility study was borne out of a partnership between The SPARK Center (at BMC) and Namugongo Fund for Special Children (NFSC), a community-based organization in rural Uganda serving children affected by HIV/AIDS. SPARK recently completed an independent program evaluation of its eight-year history of after school programming for school-aged children and adolescents affected by HIV. The present study is a follow-up to SPARK's program evaluation. It explores the extent to which SPARK may be able to translate its model of after school programming to NFSC in Uganda.

This study will explore the feasibility of ‘program translation’ through two main objectives:
(1) Create a rich ethnographic description of the current NFSC program including the daily operations of five ‘breakfast’ projects throughout the Namugongo region (Wakiso District) outside Kampala; and
(2) Explore local perceptions and opinions related to educational and psychosocial needs of children served by NFSC and the perceived feasibility of introducing after school programs to offer educational and psychosocial supports to orphaned and vulnerable children.

Tim Williams will work on-site to conduct this assessment. He has worked in both clinical and administrative roles within human services with both children and adults and has expertise in the implementation of program evaluations and needs assessments with community based organizations. During his graduate studies in social work, he focused his studies on human services within the context of developing countries, with particular emphasis on research and evaluation. Upon receiving his MSW from Boston College, Mr. Williams has worked at The Home for Little Wanderers and as a mental health specialist for McLean Hospital. Currently he works closely with a child mental health researcher at the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS at Harvard School of Public Health’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights. Most recently, he conducted a psychosocial program evaluation for the NFSC’s USA partner, The SPARK Center. Over the past year he has worked closely with NFSC founder Rosette Serwanga and SPARK director Martha Vibbert to develop the present assessment. This will be his second trip to NFSC.