In 2004, a small group of professionals with deep concern for the well-being of children at risk established Hope Educational Foundation International (HEF) in Pompano Beach, Florida. They knew that chronic and systemic threats to children, like HIV and AIDS, malaria, childhood diarrhea, and chronic hunger lead to more than 25,000 children dying, daily, from preventable causes (UNICEF). The founders, including international educators as well as ministry leaders and professionals in medicine and marketing, sought to address this tragic circumstance.
One of the first challenges identified in need of being addressed was the HIV and AIDS pandemic and its impact on children in sub-Saharan Africa. Through the financial and managerial support of the long-established children’s ministry, Reach the Children Foundation, HEF’s first curriculum was underway.
iMatter
Beginning in Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the world, HEF professional staff, along with volunteers and educators from Swaziland, conducted a research program in 2005 in order to determine the best approach to helping children overcome the threat of HIV and AIDS. That research led to the development of a values-based, character education curriculum that included HIV prevention education. The curriculum, named iMatter, was developed in 2006 in the Swazi cultural context and divided into age appropriate levels.
iMatter begins by laying a foundation of individual value and the worth of human life. This focus on the value of life provides a basis for teaching on making good choices, decision-making skills, and preparation for the future which are critical topics for young people. After this groundwork has been laid, the curriculum provides instruction on the facts of HIV, the need for appropriate behavior, and the harms of stigma. Curriculum for iMatter has now been developed for upper and lower primary level ages and has been delivered in nearly 100 Swaziland schools, impacting more than 46,000 children. Survey analysis revealed that iMatter had a positive impact on self-image, personal values, knowledge of HIV and AIDS and attitudes toward abstinence.
In 2007, the iMatter curriculum was expanded to South Africa where local partner agency, Reaching a Generation, helped enhance and improve the curriculum through the addition of a sophisticated teacher development program. In cooperation with the Department of Education in South Africa, iMatter was expanded and culturally adapted and integrated with South Africa’s Life Orientation life skills program. Life Orientation learning develops skills, knowledge, values and attitudes that empower the learner to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions regarding health promotion, social development, personal development, physical development and movement, and orientation to the world of work. The iMatter program is expanding to reach 2,000,000 primary-age students under a five year PEPFAR grant through the U.S. Center for Disease Control, increasing the potential for taking iMatter to every student in South Africa – more than 4.5 million.
From a modest beginning of 6,000 children educated with the iMatter curriculum in 2006, Hope Education Foundation saw nearly a million reached in 2009 and 450,000 children reached in 2010. Now, the iMatter curriculum is being distributed to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers. Working with the South African nonprofit agency Touch Network, the caregivers used the iMatter curriculum to provide psycho-social care and HIV prevention education. The success of that test has led to a research program testing iMatter with another 60 caregivers and 1,200 OVC. With research aimed at tailoring the iMatter curriculum to OVC specific needs, such as dealing with loss, grief and loneliness in a non-formal education setting, new curriculum development for OVC is expected to be finalized in 2011.
Feeding Program
Hope Education successfully implemented a USAID International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP) program under Food for Peace. This 12-month feeding program began in October 2006 where 75 metric tons of dehydrated soup was distributed in schools, Voluntary Testing and Counseling sites, orphanages and HIV AND AIDS treatment clinics in Swaziland. Through successful management and close interaction with a USAID representative from Pretoria, the program produced good on-the-ground results and was extended another 12-months through October 2008.