1. AVSI Foundation – USAID/SCORE Project Psychosocial support Forum - Victoria falls in Zimbabwe. Rita LAROK OTIM Impact of life skills training on resilience of orphaned and vulnerable adolescents and youth

2. Sustainable Comprehensive Responses for Vulnerable children and their families (SCORE) at a glance Donor: USAID/PEPFAR Implementation: AVSI Foundation with CARE, TPO, FHI360 Duration: May 2011-Apr 2016, Budget: 32.6m USD Coverage: 35 districts in Uganda. Goal: To decrease the vulnerability of moderately and critically vulnerable children (VC) and their households. RA 1: Improved socio-economic status of OVC families. RA 2: Improved food security and nutrition. RA3: Improve access to protection and legal services. RA 4: Increased capacity to access acquire or provide critical services --- Interventions: Parenting, LIFE SKILLS..

4. Life skills Approach Description Target Adolescents 12-18 and youth 19-35 in and out of school Approach Group and modular trainings 1-2 week practice breaks Pre and post training assessments Research group: # 553 sample participants from 35 districts Average age: 18 Gender: 48% F (267) and 52% M (286) Period of research: 2013/2014

5. Life skills- Activity based modules Module 1:Getting Started Module 2:Knowing myself Module 3:Relationships Module 4:Coping with Emotions Module 5: Passive, Aggressive & Assertive Behavior Module 6: Growing up Module 7: Communication Module 8: Decision Making Module 9: Substance Abuse Module 10:Reaching my Goals and Dreams

6. Theory of Change - Parameters Relationships – strength and quality Coping with Emotions – Feelings/ Mood Handling Conflict – Ladder with levels Communication skills - Quality Psychosocial wellbeing - Scale

7. Results: Relationships Significant improvements in the proportion of strong, fair and not close relationships

8. Results: Coping with emotions Significant REDUCTION in Anger p-value: 0.0000 ANGRY

9. Results: Coping with emotions Significant Improvements in Happiness p-value: 0.0000 Happy

10. Results: Coping with emotions: Nervous Significant REDUCTION in children nervous (p-value: 0.0000)

11. Results: Coping with emotions: Sad Significant REDUCTION in Sadness p-value: 0.0000

12. Results: Coping with emotions: Shy

13. Results: Handling Conflict – Ladder with levels

14. Results: Conflict Ladder Significant Improvements in Conflict management

16. Results: Communication skills - Quality Less Not good communicators BUT more aggressive communicators

17. Results: Psychosocial wellbeing - Scale Significant improvements in psychosocial wellbeing

18. Conclusions AVSI Foundation USAID/SCORE Life skills training does have a significant effect on improving resilience of adolescents and youth

20. Thank you! Contacts: Rita Larok Tel: +256771497551 Email: rita.larok@avsi.orgrita.larok@avsi.org and SCORE Secretariat Tel: 0312-501614 secretariat.score@avsi.org http://www.score.or.ug