Abstract

MOPE541 Poster Exhibition

Strengthening the social workforce: building the capacity of community-based caregivers to provide psychosocial through a situated supported distance learning programme

Presented by Lisa Langhaug (Zimbabwe).

L. Langhaug¹, M. Kluckow², S. McMaster³, L. Mudekunye<sup>4

1</sup>REPSSI, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research, Harare, Zimbabwe, ²REPSSI, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, ³The African Centre for Childhood, Durban, South Africa, ⁴REPSSI, Deputy Executive Director, Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: HIV and AIDS pose grave threats to young people's psychosocial development. In Eastern and Southern Africa, community-based caregivers who provide psychosocial care and support to this population have extremely limited access to formal and up-to-date learning opportunities. In response, REPPSI developed an accredited Situated and Supported Distance Learning Certificate in 2009.
Methods: Applied learning principles informed curriculum design. 553 students from eight countries (Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) participated in the year-long course. Students studied from hard copies of six modules and attended four 5-hour group sessions per module facilitated by a skilled mentor to discuss their learning. With logistic support from the African Centre for Childhood, students completed hand-written assignments assessed by academic supervisors at the University of KwaZulu Natal. Phone interviews with alumni captured impact data 18 months following course completion.
Results: While regionally, average completion rates for distance learning courses run below 30%, we achieved an unprecedented 89% completion rate. Key elements to programme success included relevancy of course material to real life situations, regular student support, and constructive feedback on written assignments. Of the 309 (63%) alumni interviewed, 70% (n=216) remain working in their same communities with 47% working for an NGO, 20% each work for an FBO/CBO or government department. 23% of the 183 alumni who began as volunteers are now paid; 74% of them attribute this change to course participation.
Conclusions: This innovative learning and teaching model yielded very high rates of student completion, skills, and knowledge retention demonstrating that relevant, formal learning experiences that build critical capacity of community-based caregivers is achievable. Success was attributed appropriate learning materials supported by trained mentors in regular, well-organized group sessions with continuous valuable assessment. Currently, almost 1000 students from 10 countries are about to graduate, trebling total reach across the continent.
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