What Works for Women and Girls

a decrease in marginalization, increase in perceptions of adult support and stability ingrief levels. They also reported a slight though significant decrease in depressive symptoms.The mentoring program appears to have enhanced available support and overallcommunity connectedness (Brown et al., 2008). (Gray III) (youth, depression, Rwanda)A 2006–2007 post-test study of 6,127 children ages 8–14 in four OVC programs inKenya and Tanzania found that kids’ clubs had mixed results in improving children’spsycho-social outcomes. One successful kids’ club, which met once a month and had astandardized curriculum and an OVC supervisor on staff, was associated with higherperceptions of having adult support, improved pro-social behavior and fewer emotionalproblems (Nyangara et al., 2009). (Gray IV) (orphans, support groups, Kenya, Tanzania)A study in Benin from 2005–2007 with 91 children, 51% female, aged 5 months to15 years, found that psychological disorders disappear after two months of continuedpsychological care given to them as well as to their parents, caregivers or other relativesinvolved in childcare. In this intervention, follow up for those with psychological problemswas done twice a week for a month, and twice a month until the patient was stable.Psychological care was integrated into the care package for HIV-exposed or infectedchildren and comprised of clinical, social and nutritional, therapeutic education andpediatric community-based care (Odjo et al., 2008). (Abstract) (children, adolescents,counseling, community-based care, Benin)5. Programs that provide microenterprise opportunities, old age pensions or other targetedfinancial and livelihood assistance can be effective in supporting orphans.A randomized clinic trial studied 268 adolescent orphans in their final year of primaryschool from fifteen comparable primary schools in Rakai District, Uganda and foundthat at ten months post-intervention, adolescents who had participated in an economicempowerment intervention had significantly better self-esteem and self-rated healthmeasures than the control group. Girls reported greater increases in self-esteem thanboys. Self-esteem was positively correlated with self-rated health functioning, andadolescents with increased self-esteem were found less likely to intend to engage inrisky sexual behaviors. The SUUBI economic intervention focused on increasing assetsfor families and provided workshops on asset-building and planning, monthly meetingswith mentors on life planning, and a Child Development Account (CDA) for eachadolescent with a 2:1 match of contributions that could be used for “secondary education,vocational training and/or for a small family business” (Ssewamala et al., 2009:193). The average monthly net deposit was $6.33, which accumulated to $228 per year,enough to cover almost two years of secondary education. The study participants hadan average age of 13.7 years. The proportion of study participants who were paternal,maternal and double orphans was 41%, 19% and 40%, respectively (Ssewamala et al.,2009). (Gray II) (adolescents, orphans, microfinance, self-perception, Uganda)362 CHAPTER 12 CARE AND SUPPORT