Proud of Tanzania Foundation (PoTF)
PoTF OVCs PROGRAM
SYSTEMATIC APPROACH / PROTOCOLS

       I.      MAIN AIM OF THE APPROACH

• To give the overview of the PoTF OVCs Program
• To demonstrate the detailed procedures and processes to follow especially in serving the Program’s beneficiaries: families, children, students & youths.

1. PROGRAM’S GOALS & OBJECTIVES

A. Program’s Goal

• Improved and sustainable livelihood of Poor Orphans, Most Vulnerable Children, Youths and Families (OVCs).

B. Program’s Objectives

• Improved livelihood and security of Poor Orphans, Most Vulnerable Children through education and health care support.
• Empowerment of Poor Orphans, Most Vulnerable Children, Youths and

Families and caretakers for sustainability of their livelihoods.

III.   IDENTIFICATION / CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF OVCs

The OVCs Program selects the beneficiaries (families & students) basing on the following criteria:

1. Families / students who are orphans i.e. those who lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS or any other cause and who live in extreme poverty.
2. Families / students who have parents but are very old or sick or who live under extreme poverty.
3. Vulnerable families which are child – headed (those who live alone without parents / caretakers and who live in extreme poverty).
4. Vulnerable children or students who perform very well in school but do not have any means of support.
5. The clients are identified from the community in collaboration with the Community Development Workers/Volunteers / Social workers/schools.
6. Program’s staff visits to the selected families / students to check and approve of their real situation and to report back to PoTF Management and later to the donor.

IV.  ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS INTO EDUCATION.

• Levels of Enrollment Offered: The Program enrolls all supported students into primary & secondary schools, vocational training centers, colleges and universities.

• Procedures of Enrollment: The Program determines the level of education of a selected student in conjunction with his/her parent/caretaker and school/college teachers to get the appropriate class/form/ grade for the student.

• Academic Contracts: Each year all supported students sign contracts for their support before embarking on their new academic year. All students are obliged to write letters to their donors to appreciate for the given support as well as explaining their next school/college requirements and renew their support contracts every year.

• Payment of Fees & Contributions: The payment of school / VTC/College/ University fees & contributions for the student is done through the bank and cash payment to the educational institutions. No student is given fees or any contribution in cash for any school payment.

• Purchase of Scholastic Items: The Program purchases scholastic items for the supported families & students and provides those items at PoTF OVCs Program Office or at their respective schools/homes. However, the program inquires a list of necessary scholastic items for the new students from the parent/caretaker/school/college of enrollment before making purchases.
• Support of Books & Materials to Students: Supported students in primary & secondary schools are provided with academic books and materials to boost their studies for better performance. These materials are submitted back to the PoTF OVCs Program Office whenever these students graduate.

• Transport During Holidays: The program either arranges for transfer of supported students to and from their respective schools/colleges back home during holidays or it provides transport fees to parents/caretakers /students themselves to enable them to travel on their own.
• Students with Special Cases: In case of students with special cases, the program discusses with management of respective schools or colleges to give proper solution.
• Students’ Replacement: The Program replaces students who graduate from the colleges/Universities with new students after the donor’s approval or permission.

V. WELFARE OF SUPPORTED FAMILIES.

• Mode of Family Support: All families supported by PoTF OVC Program have different donors. Therefore, the support spectrum varies from one family to another depending on its donor’s budget.
• Number of Supported Family Members: The program limits the number of supported family members to ensure that the provided support is well utilized. Regular census of supported families is done and also families ‘caretakers sign contracts to commit themselves on adhering to the program’s regulations.
• Will Writing: Each family caretaker writes her/his Will instructing on how her/his wealth will be managed and ownership statement when she/he passes away, to benefit the supported family members who will be left behind.
• Provision of Nutritional Food: The program purchases and provides nutritional food items to supported families ( currently few families with special cases are attended) four times a year during students’ short holidays (March/April & September) and long holidays (June & December). Families are obliged to provide their own food in the remaining days of the year.

• Health Insurance: The Program supports families and students with health insurances each year.

• House Renovations/Constructions and Shelter Support: The Program constructs or renovates houses which are in bad conditions being owned by the supported families, if approved by the donor. Also, the program supports vulnerable families without houses of their own with payment of room/house rent & water/electricity bills.

• Other Support: The Program may support families with items/services like water tanks, water/electricity/solar connections, wheelbarrows, household items such as beds, cupboards, wardrobes, television sets, tables, chairs, cookers, animal/chicken shades, etc. depending on family’s urgent need and when approved by the donor.

VI.  MONITORING VISITS TO SUPPORTED STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND YOUTHS.

• School / College Visits: The Program’s staff pays regular visits to supported students in nearby schools/colleges/Universities to monitor their academic and behavioral progress and to take photographs to be used in the program’s narrative reports.
• School Meetings & Graduations: The Program’s staff attends parents’ meetings and graduation ceremonies in schools (primary & secondary) and colleges where supported students study for new information gathering, knowledge of students welfare and to witness the completion of their studies at particular level.
• Visits to Families & Youths: The Program’s staff pay regular visits to supported families and youths to know their social welfare, progress of their business enterprises/ activities, to identify their new needs and to take photographs to be used in the program’s narrative reports.
• Monitoring Form: During the visits the Program’s staff fills the monitoring form/sheet which is useful in preparation of the program’s narrative reports.

VII. DONOR FUNDS & MODES OF PAYMENT TO PROGRAM’S CLIENTS.

• Bank Accounts: The Program has both for Dollar U$ Account No. 215507000079 and Tanzania Shs Accounts No. 215204000003 in the Tanzania Commercial Bank, TCB Bank where all the donors’ funds are transferred to.

• Program’s Budgets: The Program prepares annual budgets in August for Administrative, Families, Students, Training, Mentoring, Volunteering and Special Requests programs for the coming year which are submitted to the donors for approval and transfer of funds.

• Budget Overlap: The budget of one program does not overlap into another program’s budget prior to donor’s approval.

• Mode of Payment: The Program uses both cash and bank transfers when making payments for the needs of supported students, families and youths.

• Request Form: The Program prepares a request form in which all supported students in primary & secondary schools and colleges/universities fill in their required school needs.

• Requests Approval: All requests from supported families, students and youths are first received and analyzed by the Program’s coordinator, monitored by the Treasurer and approved by the PoTF Chairperson.

• Transfer of Funds: The program’s donor transfers the college students’ funds early in October every year to enable them to pay for their tuition fees and other needs like accommodation, food, stationeries and transport for their new academic year which begins in October.

• Purchases of Office & Clients’ Needs: All purchases of office, students, families and youths needs are done by the Program’s staff. No Program’s client is allowed to receive cash money to purchase his/her requested needs, to ensure accountability in purchasing proper items and availability of required receipts for donor reports.

• Use of Cash Funds: The Program uses cash funds to purchase scholastic items, families’ household items and equipment, office equipment, direct payment of school contributions, payment of students’ pocket money & transport fees, payment of house rents & bills and during purchase of renovation and construction materials for supported families’ houses.

VIII. TRAINING PROGRAM OF SUPPORTED STUDENTS, YOUTHS, CARETAKERS AND OTHER BENEFICIARIES.

• Training Participants: The Program conducts academic training sessions to supported family caretakers, students, youth graduates and beneficiaries from other institutions.
• Training Venue: The trainings are conducted at PoTF office located at Mateves Mulongoine in Arusha, Tanzania by qualified facilitators.
• Funding: The Program’s trainings are funded by different donors to cover expenses such as facilitation & coordination fees, transport, stationeries, preparation of training materials, meals & refreshments of trainees and 10% of the training budget for the program’s sustainability.
• Students’ Training Periods & Contents: The Program conducts trainings to students from primary to the University level on weekends and during holidays (June & December). The training contents cover life skills & early preparation which includes topics such as self-recognition, goal setting, communication skills, financial awareness, media literacy, career advice, C.V writing, job hunting, HIV/AIDS prevention, sexuality and children rights.
• Training Periods & Contents for Caretakers/Youths/Other Beneficiaries: The Program conducts trainings to supported caretakers, unemployed youth graduates and other beneficiaries to empower them into self-employment. The training topics are business skills, family planning, parenthood, family care, nutritional improvement, group formation, leadership & technical skills. The training participants prepare their individual business plans which are analyzed and approved by PoTF staff and stakeholders who are experienced in business fields, before being qualified for payment of startup and additional capitals by the donor.

IX.  CONDUCT OF FAMILIES’ CARETAKERS AND YOUTH, BUSINESS SKILLED GROUPS.

• Formation & Activities of Business Skilled Groups: The Program ensures that supported caretakers & youths who are unemployed graduates from their respective business skilled groups in which they choose their leaders, prepare a constitution, open a bank Account, buy shares, take loans and share dividends at the end of the year. Also they conduct monthly meetings at PoTF office in the last week of each month, on Fridays for the mothers and on Saturdays for the youths. The new family caretakers and youths who join the Program are also enrolled into these skilled groups to become part of PoTF OVCs Program beneficiaries according to the constitutional procedures of these groups.
• Business Startups & Additional Capitals: After the training of caretakers and youth graduates on business skills the Program provides them with startup capitals to start their enterprises. The startups provided are small amounts of money not exceeding TZS 500,000 for the youth and TZS 200,000 or less for the caretakers to monitor their progress first. The startup capitals are not paid back. Those clients who perform very well in their business enterprises are granted additional capitals as loans of more than TZS 500,000 for youth graduates and of more than TZS 200,000 for the caretakers to boost their enterprises.
• Payback Amounts and Periods: The supported caretakers and youths are obliged to pay back their additional capitals. The clients sign MoUs prepared by the program and approved by the donor, which stipulate the payback amount and period. The payback amount ranges from 30% of the additional capital below TZS 7 million to 50% of additional capital above TZS 7 million. Furthermore, the payback period is 5 years for payment of 30% of the loan and 10 years for payment of 50% of the loan.

X. MENTORING & VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES.

1. Mentoring Sessions:

• Targeted Mentees: The mentoring sessions are conducted to enable students/youths with special social cases to overcome their prevailing situations.
• Mentoring Plan: The Program prepares a proposed mentoring plan indicating the mentoring annual schedule, venue, mentors, mentees and the budget, which is then submitted to the donor for approval.
• Mentoring Budget: It covers costs such as mentoring & communication fees, transport of mentees, refreshments, stationeries and incentives which are submitted to the donor for approval.
• Mentoring Periods: The mentoring sessions are conducted at PoTF office twice a year during school/college holidays in June and December.

• Identification of Mentors and Mentees: The Program or donor identifies mentors who are experienced and qualified in the required fields depending on the real situation of the identified mentee in need of urgent mentoring from the group of supported students / graduates.

• Mentoring Methodology: Mentoring sessions involve both mentors and mentees in listening, brainstorming, sharing of life story experiences on achievements and challenges both at home and in schools / colleges. Also going out with the mentor to recreational activities like parks, community activities, sports or cinema for refreshment and integrating them from time to time into successful life cases.

• Rewards to Mentees: After each mentoring session the mentees are rewarded with presents as incentives by performing well during the mentoring sessions.
• The Expected Outcomes: The Program expects the following outcomes from the mentees after each mentoring session: Self-confidence, selfawareness, time management, crisis management, money saving skills, observing respect for all, high volunteering spirit, positive thinking attitude, proper use of media, sharing of educative inspirations with friends and former school mates, proper choice of peers, proper use of personal talents for income generation, etc.

• Mentoring Sessions’ Assessment: The Program has a mentoring assessment form which is used by the mentor to assess the mentee’s participation and outcome in the respective session.
• Mentoring reports: The Program prepares both narrative and financial reports with good and practical photographs after each mentoring session is completed to be submitted to the donors on time.

1. Volunteering Activities:

• Volunteering Purpose: The purpose of volunteering activities is for the students to learn basic work/business skills, work / business ethics & experiences to start building their Curriculum Vitae (C.V). Also volunteering during holidays keeps them occupied with educative activities to avoid vulnerable environments at home.

• Volunteering Plan: The Program prepares and proposes the volunteering plan indicating the annual volunteering schedule, a list of students for volunteering, places of volunteering and the annual budget.
• Volunteering Participants: The participants are the program’s supported ongoing primary, secondary and college students who are above 14 years of age. Also form IV and Form VI graduates who are waiting for their National Exams results.

• Volunteering Periods: Volunteering sessions are conducted during the long holidays in June and December.
• Volunteering budget: It covers costs such as lunch, transport to volunteering places and pocket money/incentives which is then submitted to the donor for approval.
• Volunteering Places: The Program finds qualified and experienced places or institutions with good performance such as villages, offices, companies, farms, schools, churches, hospitals, colleges, etc. which are relevant to the future fields/goals of supported students. In addition the program collaborates with the selected volunteering places for the students to be assigned relevant duties during the course of volunteering period as indicated in the volunteering plan.
• Volunteering Assessment: The Program submits the volunteering assessment form to the host institutions for the assessment of the volunteering students mainly in tasks performance and discipline.
• Monitoring Visits: The Program staff conducts the monitoring visits to the students in their respective volunteering places to see their progress and takes good and practical photos during their volunteering activities for narrative reports and record keeping.
• Volunteering Reports: The Program prepares narrative and financial reports with good and practical photographs after each volunteering activity is completed to be submitted to the donors on time.

XI. PROGRAM ALUMNI.

• Membership: The Program identifies all graduates who have been supported since its establishment in 2022 who are either employed or self-employed and bring them together to form an alumni group.
• Alumni Fund: The Program has established an Alumni Fund in which the Alumni give their voluntary contributions for the support of vulnerable children who are outside the program’s support, to ensure sustainability of the PoTF OVCs Program.  
• Introductory Letter: The Program prepares and distributes an introductory letter to each Program’s Alumni to explain the core purpose of being an alumni and to sensitize them to contribute to the Alumni fund.
• Alumni Contract: The Program writes and distributes a contract to each Program’s Alumni to sign and commit oneself on the duration and amount of contribution that she/he is willing to give back to the Program.

 

XII. CORRECTIVE MEASURES TO PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES.  

• Purpose of Corrective Measures: The program’s beneficiaries are corrected whenever they misbehave towards the Program or its stakeholders like schools, colleges, etc. to maintain discipline and harmony.
• Disciplinary Records: The Program has a disciplinary book in which all disciplinary matters concerning the supported families, students and youths are recorded.
• Disciplinary Procedures: The program follows procedures in dealing with disciplinary cases of the beneficiaries. Whenever a beneficiary misbehaves at home or school/college the Program inquires for more information and affirmation from the source, and arranges for a disciplinary meeting at PoTF office or at respective school/college to give solution.

XIII. ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM’S BENEFICIARIES.

• Academic Assessment of Students: All supported students are academically assessed twice a year in June and December during their school/college holidays.
• Submission of Academic Report: All supported students are obliged to submit their school/academic reports to the Program management immediately after closing for holidays or any other time as required by the Program.
• Performance Grades: The Program considers reports of students with grades of C or above and division III or above as good performance. However, the Program considers reports of students with grades of below C and below division III as poor performance. After receiving the semi – annual and annual academic reports of all supported students in schools and colleges all their results are displayed on the Program’s notice board for encouraging all students to perform very well.
• Rewards to students: Supported students who perform very well with A & B grades are rewarded with appreciation letters by the Program as incentive to maintain same or higher performance. Meanwhile the supported students with low grades (below C) are warned in writing, encouraging them to work hard for better grades and are enrolled in special tuition programs in collaboration with their respective schools/colleges to achieve improvements.
• Career Advice: On finding solutions for students with low/slow learning abilities the Program discusses with family caretakers and school/college authorities and advises for them to be directed to alternative options like joining the vocational training centers where they pursue the right life dreams.
• Assessment of mothers & youths: The business enterprises / activities of Program’s families and youths are assessed through monitoring visits which involve filling the monitoring form and during monthly meetings for record keeping and preparation of narrative reports.

XIV. REPORTING

 Reporting Period: The Program prepares both quarterly and semi – annual reports (both financial & narrative) and are submitted to the donor on time.

• Report Mode: The prepared reports are submitted either electronically or through hard copy during donor visits upon donor’s and stakeholders’ preferences.
• Report Content: The Program’s narrative reports MUST be attached with good and practical photographs and the Program’s financial reports MUST be attached with proper receipts. Consequently, the Program’s Coordinator,

Accountant and Secretary Make close follow ups to beneficiaries and staff for early delivery of required receipts to facilitate timely submission of financial reports to the donor and other required stakeholders.

• Report Approval: All narrative & financial reports prepared by Program’s Coordinator are checked by Treasurer and approved by Chairman before being submitted to the donors or stakeholders.