Image: Grassroot Soccer mentor Sonwabise Dick prepares to run a soccer-based HIV and gender-based violence prevention activity with adolescent girls at the Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. South Africa. © Karin Schermbrucker / Grassroot Soccer

This project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

HEALTHQUALITYHEALTH

ACCESS TOQUALITYHEALTH

SERVICES

EDUCATIONKNOWLEDGE

SELF-ESTEEM

SELF-EFFICACY

POSITIVEBEHAVIOUR

SOCIALA SAFE PLACE

TO BELONG

DISCOVERAUTONOMY

POSITIVEMENTORS

ECONOMICINCOME

SAVINGS

LAND & HOUSING

TRANSPORT

EQUIPMENT

WHOLE GIRL APPROACH

It should be noted that the GAP Year study is aligned to the national She Conquers campaign objectives i.e.  (1) decreasing HIV infection among adolescent girls, and (2) decreasing teen pregnancies, (3) keeping girls in school, (4) increasing the reporting of experiences in GBV and (5) adolescent economic empowerment.

Primary objectivesTo evaluate the impact of a comprehensive asset-building model to empower adolescent girls’ on:• Reducing school dropout by 20% among adolescent

girls between grades 8-10 (measured at the end of the 2 year time point i.e. end of grade 9)

• Increased reporting of gender based violence among adolescent girls as they progress from grade 8.

Secondary objectives• Create an enabling environment for adolescent girls by

transforming schools into hubs of safety and support• Create awareness and linkage to care for sexual

and reproductive health and rights services among adolescents through a health systems strengthening intervention

Study population Grade 8 learners, school administrators, coaches, HCWs, community organisations and service providers and learner’ parents/guardians

Follow up/duration2-year study intervention: enrolment and follow up of all study participants between February 2017 and June 2019

Study/Programme sitesStudy activities will be conducted in two provinces in South Africa (Western Cape-Khayelitsha and Gauteng- Soweto and Tembisa)

Intervention• Afterschool HIV/SRH life skills programme using soccer

as a platform over two years• School safety linked to the National School Safety

program • Linkage to care • Parent engagement through various platforms Partners & collaboratorsGrassroots Soccer (GRS), Sonke Gender Justice (SGJ), Path International, Department of Basic Education (DBE), Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Development (DSD), NGO Community, and Youth and Community Advisory Boards.

Linked sub-studies and postgraduate projectsThe GAP Year study may be able to provide opportunity for postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows to take part in data collection, analysis and management activities, as part of their capacity building and transferring of knowledge.

Overall study/project contact• Dr Saiqa Mullick, Director: Implementation Science, Wits

Reproductive Health & HIV Institute (RHI), South Africa, Phone: +27 11 358 5336, Email: smullick@wrhi.ac.za

• Nicolette Prea Naidoo, Technical Head Research: Implementation Science, Wits Reproductive Health & HIV Institute (RHI), South Africa, Phone: +27 11 358 5440, Email: NNaidoo@wrhi.ac.za

Study designCluster rand-omized control design

Study durationFour years

Study arms13 intervention schools and 13 control schools

Investigators Dr Saiqa Mullick (PI) and Nicolette Naidoo (Co-PI)

Study sample size 2600 girls and 1750 boys

Sponsors/DonorsBill and Melinda Gates Foundation

www.wrhi.ac.za

BUILDING HEALTH, SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ASSETS FOR EMPOWERING GIRLS AT THE CRITICAL TIME OF ADOLESCENT TRANSITION

Overview

• GAP (Girls Achieve Power) Year seeks to empower adolescent girls’ (AG) agency and safety while shifting gender attitudes and encouraging positive behaviour change among adolescent boys. GAP Year will also work with schools and communities to encourage a culture of health and safety as well as build an evidence-base around the impact of asset approaches for improving adolescent girls’ outcomes.

• The aim of GAP Year is to empower adolescent girls as they progress in education by improving their overall health, safety, and well-being through an increase in their educational, health, social, and economic assets, while at the same time shifting gender attitudes and encouraging positive behaviour among adolescent boys.

• Informed by the Ecological Model, GAP Year will work with schools and communities to encourage a culture of health and safety and will build the evidence-base around the impact of asset-building approaches for adolescent girls. Sport, specifically soccer will be used, as a programme platform and facilitated by local coaches to enable a healthy and productive progression for adolescent girls through secondary school.

HEALTH EDUCATION SOCIAL ECONOMIC

The GAP Year project is designed to work at multiple levels to maximise positive impact on young people’s lives.

ECOLOGICAL MODEL

© Karin Schermbrucker / Grassroot Soccer

SOCIETAL

COMMUNITY

RELATIONSHIP

Individual

VALUES& NORMS

PROGRAMMES & POLICIES

CULTURE

GENDERBELIEFS

Support groups

Other services (CBOs/NGOs

Community Clinic

SCHOOL

GAP Year Introduction Brochure, WitsRHI, June 2017, Version 1

FRIENDS

NEIGHBOUR-HOOD

MALE PEERS

Immediate

FAMILY

Church

The GAP Year intervention is a project led by the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, our consortium of partners include Grassroot Soccer, Sonke Gender Justice and PATH International. GAP Year is generously funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.