The training was conducted from February 17–21, 2015, at the State Health Board, No. 10 Colliery Avenue, GRA, Enugu. It was facilitated by two experienced trainers, Humphrey Ubanyi and Meniru Hamilton, both of whom brought extensive expertise in HIV/AIDS programming and community-based service delivery.
The primary goal of the workshop was to build the capacity of Community Volunteers (CVs), equipping them with comprehensive knowledge of care and support services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and People Living with HIV (PLHIV). A key focus was on the effective use of OVC tools for data capturing and reporting, ensuring that accurate and reliable information could be gathered and utilised for the successful implementation of the HIV/AIDS Programme Development Project Phase II (HPDP-II).
The training also addressed critical components such as understanding the dynamics of vulnerability among children, providing psychosocial support, linking beneficiaries to essential services, and adhering to standard operating procedures in community-level interventions. Volunteers were taken through practical sessions on filling OVC service forms, maintaining beneficiary records, and compiling timely reports in line with project and donor requirements.
A total of 10 female volunteers participated in the training. They were drawn from the communities of Akpawfu and Ugbawka in Nkanu-East LGA, and Ihe-Owerre and Owerre-Obukpa in Nsukka LGA. These participants were carefully selected based on their commitment to community service and their potential to act as change agents within their localities.
By the end of the workshop, participants had gained improved technical skills and a deeper understanding of their roles in supporting OVC and PLHIV. This positioned them to play a more active, informed, and impactful role in the HPDP-II project’s delivery in their respective communities.
