NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

A report on industrial attachment at Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe

January 2015-July 2015
Prepared by:

FORTUNE MUSHONGA
(PARALLEL)
P0113892H
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Science in
Operations Research and Statistics Honours Degree
Industrial Supervisor: Mrs Moyo
ATTACHED AT

Educate .Inspire. Mobilize and Stop the Spread of HIV.

Contents
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY........................................1
Acronyms and Abbreviations................................................................................. 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................... 4
OVERVIEW.............................................................................................................. 5
CHAPTER 1............................................................................................................. 6
1) SKILLZ Street............................................................................................... 9
2) Generation Skillz Curriculum.......................................................................9
3) Skillz Club Curriculum.................................................................................9
4) Voluntary Counselling and Testing Tournaments.........................................9
5.) Skillz Utshintsho....................................................................................... 10
6.) Skillz Mantombazana targets 13 to 18 year old girls with a programme that
combines soccer with sexual and reproductive health knowledge , life skills ,HIV
counselling and testing , and access to community services .Females Coaches empower
young women to avoid risky behaviour and protect themselves and others from HIV.....10
Toolkits used to deliver the curriculum.....................................................10
CHAPTER 2........................................................................................................... 23
TASKS, PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES....................................................................23
TRACKING TRAINING OF COACHES WORKSHOPS.................................................24
For monitoring, evaluation and reporting purposes: An overview of the M&E
department function at HTC Tournaments...........................................................31
CHAPTER 3........................................................................................................... 32
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNT...................................................................38

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

ABCs

Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condom Use

AIDS

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

ARV Treatment

Antiretroviral Treatment

FFHC

Football for Hope Centre

GRS

Grassroot Soccer

GRSZim

Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe

KAC

Knowledge Attitude and Communication

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HTC

HIV Testing and Counseling

M&E

Monitoring and Evaluation

MAC

Matebeleland AIDS Council

MDG

Millennium Development Goals

NGO

.Non-Governmental Organization

NAC

National AIDS Council

PSI

Population Services International

UN

United Nations

UNAIDS

United Nations program on HIV and AIDS

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNICEF

United Nations International Childrens Fund

UNOSDP

United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace

VCT

Voluntary Counseling and Testing

VMMC

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision

WHO

World Health Organization

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to start by thanking Grassroot Soccer, not only for their help in making
my research possible, but also for all the amazing and inspiring work they do.
Many thanks to my supervisors, Mr Trevor Murai, Netsai Super Moyo and Primrose
S Dube for the patient guidance, encouragement and advice that they provided
throughout my time as an Intern at Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe. I have been
extremely lucky to work alongside a great team that cared so much about my work,
and responded to my questions and queries so promptly. I would also like to thank all
the members of staff and Grassroot Soccer coaches because my internship would
not have been possible without you.

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OVERVIEW
Industrial attachment broadens ones knowledge on aspects learnt and paves the
way for encompassing greater understanding on ones field of study. This report
represents the various experiences encountered over the work related learning by
Fortune Mushonga. (author), who was attached at Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe
(GRSZim) in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Operations Research
and Statistics at the National University of Science and Technology (N U S T).
Another thrust of the report is to elaborate on the operations of Grassroot Soccer
Zimbabwe, how it was established, its vision, mission, objectives and give an
account of the organizational structure. This will be illustrated by the use of an
Organogram of the organization. The report will also highlight an outline of his key
result areas, citing a host of problems and opportunities he faced during the
attachment period. Furthermore, the student will detail an analysis of the workrelated experiences as compared to M&E and statistical skills learnt. An analysis of
the applicability of this knowledge to hands-on work will also be incorporated herein.
The report is concluded by the students recommendations to the host organization
and the universitys department of Statistics and Operations Research.

CHAPTER 1
THE ORGANISATION
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Grassroots Soccer Zimbabwe (GRS Zimbabwe) is a private voluntary organization

(PVO 22/11) that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire and empower young
people to learn at an earlier age and in face of the absence of a cure, how to protect
themselves from HIV/AIDS and care for affected friends and family members.
GRS has a global reach, with flagship sites in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
BACKGROUND AND GOALS: A History of Grassroot Soccer and consideration
of its future
Due to the increasingly devastating impact of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa,
professional soccer player and paediatrician, Tommy Clark, developed Grassroot
Soccer (GRS) and its original approach to the pandemic in 2002 (GRS, 2007). While
born in Scotland, Clark and his family moved to Zimbabwe when he was 14. Being
the son of a professional soccer player and coach of one of the nations top
professional teams, Clark had a strong attachment to soccer throughout his life. After
leaving Zimbabwe and attending Dartmouth College, where he achieved AllAmerican status as a soccer star, Clark returned and began to play soccer
professionally in the Zimbabwean soccer league. Upon his return to Zimbabwe,
Clark realized the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS in the country more than ever
before. Understanding the power of sport, especially soccer with its global appeal,
and recognizing the need for an effective approach to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in
sub-Saharan Africa, Clark and three of his teammates, Kirk Friedrich, Ethan Zohn
and Methembe Ndlovu, founded Grassroot Soccer (GRS, 2007).
Clark and his three teammates created the GRS program based on the potential
power of learning as an active process, the popularity of soccer, the role model
status of professional soccer players, and the importance of internalizing HIV and
AIDS information. Learning through games and sport is highly interactive where the
information being taught can be applied rather than just memorized, the latter being
a trend typical in traditional school education. Children can have fun and be active
participants in the education process while also learning integral information
regarding HIV and AIDS. Soccer specifically was a highly appropriate choice as an
effective avenue for HIV and AIDS education in Africa due to the popularity of the
sport. Soccer can be found almost everywhere you look amongst the majority of
towns throughout Africa. The popularity of the sport not only garners the attention of
youth, but it also provides viable role models as many African youth look up to the
professional soccer players in their area. The local soccer players who become GRS
coaches have high cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1984) in the sense that they are
involved with a universally popular sport that garners the attention of so many of the
youth in Africa. This cultural capital gained through their involvement with soccer in
turn creates greater motivation for their other tastes and lifestyle choices to be
emulated by the GRS students. The founders of GRS picked up on the role model
status of local professional soccer players throughout Africa and recognized their
potential for delivering the GRS curriculum to African youth. This strategy was

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premised on Social Learning Theory (SLT), which, as discussed in the previous

chapter, posits that youth learn most effectively from those they respect (GRS,
2007). As Clark et al. (2006) noted, spreading information is one thing, but actually
getting people to internalize that information and change their behaviour is another
matter altogether. Rogers (1983) has also made the distinction between awareness
and attitudinal change as different stages in the process of Innovation Diffusion.
Interpersonal communication is often the arena where social norms and values are
created and perpetuated, and can be seen as a more powerful motivator of
behaviour change than larger mass media or broad communication campaigns
(GRS, 2006). As UNAIDS (2008a) states:
Young people are the key in the fight against AIDS. By giving them the support they
need, we can empower them to protect themselves against the virus. By giving them
honest and straightforward information, we can break the circle of silence across all
society. By creating effective campaigns for education and prevention, we can turn
young peoples enthusiasm, drive and dreams for the future into powerful tools for
tackling the epidemic (UNAIDS, 2003).

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MISSION
Grassroot Soccer uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize young
people to stop the spread of HIV.
VISION
A world mobilized through soccer to create an AIDS free generation.
STRATEGY
To achieve their mission, GRS continuously improves HIV prevention and life skills
curriculum, GRS shares its programme and concept affectively and utilize the
popularity of soccer to increase impact.
GRS PRINCIPLES
1. Young people have a vast potential to create meaningful change and play a
significant role in realizing an AIDS-free generation.
2. Soccer is an ideal way to reach, educate, and inspire young people in a language
they understand and enjoy.
3. Eradicating HIV and AIDS requires an integrated, collaborative, holistic, and
community-wide approach.
Inco-operation of HIV themes by GRS in their projects
The GRS Zimbabwe curriculum is made up of soccer based interactive learning
sessions. Each session builds on the previous one. The curriculum was developed
with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with US
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Zimbabwe MoESC ,medical
professionals and educational and public health experts . It focuses on building basic
life skills that helps boys and girls adopt healthy behaviours and learn about
HIV/AIDS.
Through a series of interactive activities and discussions students gain a tangible
understanding of HIV and AIDS and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for
sustainable behavioural change. Key curriculum topics include making healthy
decisions, avoiding risks, building support networks, reducing stigma and
discrimination, increasing knowledge about testing and treatment, and addressing
gender issues and assessing values.

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Current Activities
Currently GRS Zimbabwe is currently working in the high density suburbs where
there is a high prevalence of orphans and vulnerable children. We work through
colleges and secondary schools in Bulawayo.
GRS Zimbabwe has six main curricula;
1) SKILLZ Street is an evidence-based intervention for adolescent girls that

combine HIV prevention, soccer, sexual and reproductive health and life skills, HIV
Counselling and Testing, and access to community services. GRS developed
SKILLZ Street in response to overwhelming research that shows that participation in
sports activities combined with HIV and AIDS lessons among adolescent females,
leads to a range of health benefits, and that HIV is disproportionately concentrated
among women and girls. Furthermore and with regards to the Zimbabwean context it
is the girls who are disproportionately exposed to HIV drivers such as early sexual
debuts, transactional sex, early marriages/ forced marriages, sex coercion by age
desperate intimate partners and non-partners and therefore the group most mostly
prone to dropping out of school.
2) Generation Skillz Curriculum targets youths of 14 to 19 years of age. It

focuses on gender based violence, dangers of multiple sexual concurrent partners

and cross generational sex. It focuses on communication and discussions among the
youth. Generation Skillz targets the same age group but have focuses on financial
literacy and challenges youths face on issues such as identifying and pursuing goals
and basic budgeting.
3) Skillz Club Curriculum is tailor made for HIV positive youths between the ages

of 12 and 19. It is meant to suite the specific needs of the participants as they are
one of the most vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe. The main thrust of the curriculum is
to empower these youths with life skills as well as to teach them on how best to live
a healthy and fruitful life style, mainly dwelling on issues of adherence to treatment,
high risks of unprotected sex and re infections, issues of older sexual partners as
well as social support for the HIV positive members of the community. This Skillz
club curriculum is usually delivered during school holidays to accommodate both
school going youths and out of school youths.
4) Voluntary Counselling and Testing Tournaments (VCT) GRS Zimbabwe

commenced its first ever VCT tournament in October 2011. This is a concept where
GRS brings services to the community. The community is mobilized through our
soccer celebrities who do door to door campaign sensitizing the community about
the upcoming soccer tournament. GRS facilitates and mobilizes different health
service providers to provide free HIV testing services, family planning, referrals

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(including VMMC) and TB screening. This is done in a community soccer

tournament. GRS also facilitate community work that we conduct with the youth to
help them be responsible for their communities.
5.) Skillz Utshintsho is a cutting edge, youth-based and evidence-supported

interactive HIV prevention and life skills curriculum designed for Zimbabwean youth
aged 13-18 years old. The 5-practice intervention uses soccer language, metaphors,
and activities to address key behaviours that drive the spread of HIV, including
multiple sexual partners, older sexual partners, and gender based violence.

6.) Skillz Mantombazana targets 13 to 18 year old girls with a programme

that combines soccer with sexual and reproductive health knowledge , life skills ,HIV
counselling and testing , and access to community services .Females Coaches
empower young women to avoid risky behaviour and protect themselves and others
from HIV

7.) Holiday Soccer Camp professional soccer players and community-based role
models deliver the Skillz Holiday program during school holidays, which is fun, friendly and is
run in a safe environment.

Toolkits used to deliver the curriculum

GRS has developed a culturally sensitive toolkit for educators to use when teaching
GRS participants [12-18 years of age] about HIV/AIDS and life skills. Each coach is
given activity equipment such as bibs, balls and cones and utilizes a GRS Skills
Coaches Guide which contains the GRS curriculum and helps coaches in facilitation.
Key learning outcomes
1. Understand the basics of HIV/AIDS
2. Confronting stigma
3. Identify and manage risk
4. Develop self esteem
5. Set goals
6. Maintain healthy gender relationships
7. Be resilient
8. Be proud of ones personal impact on the community
9. Improve financial literacy skills
The curriculum is designed to foster maximum interaction between GRS coaches
and GRS participants. These discussions are carefully structure and prompted by
the programmes participatory and fun activities, which have been developed using
soccer analogues.
Situations from the game of soccer, the most popular sport in Zimbabwe are
analysed by children with the guidance of the GRS coach and compared to real life
situations. This helps children to understand the situations and develop coping

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strategies. This also brings an awareness of strengths, opportunities and challenges

in their lives and how to best manage them.
As an example, in the first activity the GRS coach facilitates 4 ways to stay strong.
This lesson highlights the importance of identifying your strengths, planning your
next move, building your support team and taking action in the community. These
recurring themes are integral to a young persons ability to build the following:
Self esteem
Resilience
A social support network
Self-control and pride in their actions
A second example is an activity called risk field in which participants dribble a
soccer ball in between cones representing HIV related risks-multiple partners,
drug/alcohol abuse, sugar daddies, etc. If one player hits the cone, he and his
teammates must complete 3 push ups, showing how the consequences of one
persons risky behaviour can not only affect him or her, but also their friends, family
and the wider community.
Other activities follow this same pattern of discovery-based learning, which
encourages youth learn through active participation.

Theoretical Approach
GRS realized that the true power of soccer has always been connections that it
creates between people. Using footballers as role models, and using the popularity

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of soccer to engage hard to reach young people, GRS has combined social theory,
public health methodologies, rigorous evaluation and a huge dose of passion.
Our curriculum is based on the Social Learning
Theory. The program combines three powerful
principles of education:

Kids learn best from people they

respect. Role models have a unique

power to influence young minds. Young
people listen to and emulate their heroes.
Grassroot Soccer uses professional
players and other role models as HIV
educators and spokespeople.
Learning is not a spectator

sport. Adolescents retain knowledge best

when they are active participants in the
learning process, teaching others what
they themselves have learned. Grassroot
Soccer graduates are trained to become
peer educators and advocates in their
communities.
It takes a village. Role models can change what young people think about,
but lifelong learning requires lifelong community support. Grassroot Soccer
fosters community involvement through youth outreach, long-term partnerships
and special events like graduation ceremonies for graduates.
Initially developed in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the Zimbabwean Ministry of Education, medical professional,
and educational and public health experts, the GRS curriculum uses activities
and games to provide youth with comprehensive HIV prevention and life skills
education. As GRS has grown, several well-respected HIV prevention experts
have served in an advisory capacity including Albert Bandura, Martha Brady,
Douglas Kirby, Thomas Coates, and Helen Epstein.
The GRS curriculum fits WHO criteria on which school-based interventions
should be brought to scale (see WHO Technical Series 938: Preventing
HIV/AIDS in Young People), has been approved by a large network of
stakeholders, and has been implemented on a wide scale through projects
funded by (among others) USAID, AED, UNHCR, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, the W.K Kellogg Foundation, CARE International, and the Abbott

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Fund in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, and

Namibia (among other countries). Implementing Partners of all sizes
(including FHI, JHUCCP, IOM, and Mercy Corps) use GRS methodologies in
their own programs across Africa.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The GRS Research & Development team aims to continually produce innovative,
high impact health education materials and to be the leaders in evidence-based
research in the Sport for Development field. Working closely with the Research
Advisory Board as well as GRS coaches, staff, and volunteers, the R&D team
creates new sport-based educational products that are research-driven and culturally
relevant.
In addition to creating HIV educational products, the R&D team works as consultants
to develop educational material for some of the worlds most pressing physical and
social health issues, including malaria, peace-building, obesity, gender based
violence, substance abuse, and others. The R&D team provides technical
assistance in the form of curriculum development, training, and monitoring and
evaluation.
The R&D Process
Curriculum development
Our curriculum development focuses on building life skills that help youth
adopt healthy behaviours. Through a series of interactive activities and
discussions learners gain a tangible understanding of potential barriers to
their development and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for
sustainable behaviour change. Key curricular objectives include making
healthy decisions, risk avoidance, building support networks, reducing stigma
and discrimination, increasing knowledge about testing and treatment,
addressing gender issues, and assessing values.
Our curriculum development process has been informed by years of field
experience and technical expertise in curriculum design. Grassroot Soccer
produces culturally relevant curricula by closely engaging local stakeholders
in Curriculum Development Workshops. This workshop is designed to elicit
input and direction from youth, mentors, and local coordinators to guide
content development and delivery.

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Grassroot Soccer uses a system of pre-testing and piloting to

develop scaleable learning tools.
Pre-testing: Primarily using qualitative methods, such as focus groups,

structured interviews, and observation, pre-testing allows Grassroot Soccer to

answer crucial questions like: Is the intervention fun and culturally
appropriate? Are key messages understood? How long is the intervention?
Piloting: Relying on clearly defined benchmarks of success and a

comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan, Grassroot Soccer pilot tests

new products with a sample population before scaling up. Upon reviewing
data collected from pre- and post-questionnaires, attendance forms, focus
groups, and site visits, Grassroot Soccer assesses the impact of the
intervention and whether the intervention should be scaled up, further
evaluated, or discontinued.
Scale Up: If deemed effective, replicable, and culturally appropriate, a
product is brought to scale through Grassroot Soccer affiliates and
implementing partners. Products are adapted and translated and right-size
program support structures are established.

EVALUATIONS
Rigorous Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) has been central to Grassroot Soccers
success and growth. Ten evaluations in seven countries have shown positive impact
on knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and communication related to HIV. The most recent
study showed that, compared to a matched peer group at long-term follow-up, GRS
graduates in Zimbabwe were 6 times less likely to report early sexual debut, 4 times
less likely to report sexual activity in the last year, and 8 times less likely to have had
more than one sexual partner.
Numerous formal evaluationsconducted by Stanford Universitys Childrens Health
Council, consultants from The Population Council and the Harvard School of Public
Health, and researchers from Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins University and the
University of Cape Townhave documented Grassroot Soccers effectiveness in
significantly reducing sexual risk behavior, decreasing stigma, and improving
students knowledge, attitudes, communication, decision-making skills, and
perceived social support related to HIV and AIDS. Surveying over 300 students in
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Stanford Universitys Childrens Health Council concluded that
The GRS Program is a culturally appropriate, internationally suitable, creative, and

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effective way to educate at-risk youth about HIV/AIDS and its prevention. Similarly
encouraging results have emerged in recent years from formal evaluations in
Zambia, South Africa, Sudan, Liberia, Botswana, Ethiopia, and the Dominican
Republic.
A 2008 behavioural survey found that 2-5 years after the intervention, GRS
graduates in Zimbabwe were nearly six-times less likely than their matched peers to
report sexual debut between 12-15 years, four-times less likely to report sexual
activity in the last year, and eight-times less likely to report ever having had more
than one sexual partner. Six years after incorporation, there already exists
substantial evidence documenting GRS impact in averting risky behaviour,
increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge, diminishing stigma, and breaking the silence
surrounding HIV.
THE DATA
Ten evaluations in seven countries have shown the GRS program to have positive
impact on knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and communication related to HIV. One
study in Zimbabwe found that after participating in the GRS curriculum

The percentage of students who could list three people they could talk to

about HIV increased from 33% to 72%

The percentage of students who knew where to go for help for HIV related

problems increased from 47% to 76%

The percentage of students who said they would feel comfortable providing

emotional support for an HIV positive classmate increased from 52% to 73%
The percentage of students who believe condoms were effective increased
from 49% to71%
(Source Childrens Health Council, 2004 Evaluation)

SCOREBOARD: Open-Source M&E for HIV Education

Success and sustainability in education, health, and development depend on
organizations ability to effectively measure, analyze, and disseminate output and

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outcome data. For many organizations, however, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is
more of a burden than a blessing a one-way flow of data from field to headquarters
to funders, rather than a continuous process of using data to track progress, identify
gaps and improve performance.
With the help of the Salesforce.com Foundation, Grassroot Soccer (GRS) has
developed a best-practice M&E system called The Scoreboard. Developed on the
Force.com platform, The Scoreboard is a user-friendly, open-source system that
enables sophisticated reporting, automatic analysis, and constant results feedback to
the field. Rather than storing hundreds of spreadsheets, GRS now tracks
demographics, attendance, and pre/post quiz results for more than 60,000
participants online. The secure, cloud-based system provides a live picture of
programmatic activity and automatically sends site-specific, national, and global
Dashboards once a month to staff at all levels via email. GRS not only uses the
system to track its progress towards reaching 1 million youth with life-saving HIV
education, but also actively shares the technology with other development
organizations looking to revolutionize their M&E systems.

Screenshot of the GRS dashboard

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Organisational Structure of Grassroot Soccer Inc

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GRS Zimbabwe Organizational Structure Responsibilities & Relationships

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GRS Zimbabwe leadership role key functions

Director of Operations

Day-to-day management of GRS Zimbabwe operations

o Strategy Working together with department managers to set
objectives and execute strategies, ensuring that short and longterm GRSZ goals contribute to the fulfilment of the overall GRS
mission
o Coordination Encouraging internal collaboration efforts among
departments and programs to ensure implementation of unified
information collection and program output reporting mechanisms
o Employee Development Supporting department managers
through day-to-day guidance, ongoing management coaching and
performance evaluation
o General Management Overseeing organization-wide personnel
and administrative functions and ensuring uniform implementation
and enforcement across all departments of all policies and
procedures

Finance
Controller &
Accounting
Manager
Internal
financial
oversight
o Accounting
system
manageme
nt
o Financial
statement
preparation
Grant
management
support

Grants and
Communications
Manager
Grant
ownership &
tracking
o Requirements
, budgets,
reviews and
timelines
Up-to-date
grant
information
proliferation
o Internal
collaboration
o GRS Global

Programmes
and Bus Dev
Intern
Programme
implementatio
n
o Operational
planning,
budget
creation &
monitoring,
site
coordination,
curriculum
execution
and
feedback

Bus Dev Intern

Fundraising
o Identification
and
engagement
of new
partners
o Grant
proposal
writing
Strategy
development
o Link between
on-theground
feedback and
high-level

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Budget
creation &
monitoring
People
Operations
(HR)
o Employme
nt financial
systems
oversight
GRS Global
liaison
o Affiliate
financial
support &
audits
o

information
exchange
through
regular
communicati
on
Grant reporting
o Updates &
final reports
Grantor
engagement &
stewardship
o Communicati
on & close
rapport

Communication
s strategy
development &
oversight

assessment
Coach
management
o Recruitment,
training,
performance
assessment
& personnel
development
Community
partner
engagement &
stewardship
o Soccer
connections,
school
administrato
rs, local
authorities,
HCT
partners,
VMMC
clinics, etc.
.
Programmes
growth
strategy
development &
implementatio
n

strategy
creation
M&E Department
Management
Data collection
oversight
o Development
&
implementati
on of
programappropriate
tools to
capture
quantitative
and
qualitative
feedback
Data analysis &
reporting
standards
o Monitoring &
measuremen
t of
programmes
performance
against
established
targets

GRS Zimbabwe key internal links

Director of
Operations
Strategy
creation, crossdepartment
coordination, &
employee
development

Grants Manager
Budget
requirements:
creating,
monitoring and
projecting
Programmes

Director of
Operations
Strategy
creation, crossdepartment
coordination, &
employee
development

Director of
Operations
Strategy
creation, crossdepartment
coordination, &
employee
development

Finance
Controller &
Accounting
Manager
Budget
requirements:
creating,

Grants Manager
Alignment of
grant purpose,
budget, delivery
and reporting

Director of
Operations
Strategy
creation, crossdepartment
coordination, &
employee
development

Grants Manager
Grantor
relationship
management
Grant writing &
reporting

Finance

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Manager
Alignment and
reconciliation of
budget vs.
actual
expenditures
Tracking and
reconciliation of
coaches hours
& payroll

Bus Dev Intern

Alignment of
financial needs
& fundraising
initiatives

monitoring and
projecting
Programmes
Manager
Alignment of
grant purpose,
budget, delivery
and reporting
Bus Dev Intern
Grantor
relationship
management
Grant writing &
reporting

Controller &
Accounting
Manager
Alignment and
reconciliation of
budget vs.
actual
expenditures
Tracking and
reconciliation of
coaches hours
& payroll

Bus Dev Intern

Up-to-date
programmes
information
necessary to
Bus Dev
messaging

Finance
Controller &
Accounting
Manager
Alignment of
financial needs
& fundraising
initiatives

Programmes
Manager
Up-to-date
programmes
information
necessary to
Bus Dev
messaging

Key considerations:

In this structure, accountability works both ways. Managers hold those in their
departments accountable and are held accountable by their responsibilities in
management and leadership development.

Finance Controller & Accounting Manager

The introduction of a Grants Manager will allow the Finance Controller &
Accounting Manager to play a supporting role (budgetary) in grant tracking.
Potential benefits include increased ownership in the grant process (Grant
Manager), additional attention to People Operations and improved financial
systems support to GRS affiliates (Finance Controller & Accounting Manager).
Grants Manager
Grants Manager and PR & Communications Officer alignment of
responsibilities through:
o Brand building and awareness in communications with both grantors
and target communities
o Grant writing (collaboration leads to improved quality)

Bus Dev Intern

The Bus Dev Intern and M&E Officer relationship emphasizes the link
between data collection & feedback and high-level strategy development.

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Kennys individual skills and capabilities align nicely with M&E Department
management.

CHAPTER 2
TASKS, PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
DAILY TASKS AND ACTIVITIES
During my internship at Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe, I have worked on multiple
tasks, projects and activities. Grassroot Soccer projects and activities can be divided
into daily tasks that involve office work, and the on-site activities that happen on the
field or at schools were GRS interventions take place.
Daily tasks and activities (routine)
Data Capturing
Updating the attendance registers
Communications
Updating and sharing information on our social media platforms
Gathering content that contributes to the GRS newsletter
Data analysis & reporting standards (collaboration leads to improved
quality)
Tracking GRS programming and reporting statistics
Onsite Visits
The purpose of the Site visits is to enable monitoring, that is, to give feedback
to decision makers on the progress of implementation of the project so they
are able to make decisions in improving the implementation towards an
enhanced impact
Ultimately the Site visits contribute towards narrative reports and the project
evaluation process.
In addition Site visits enable the M&E team to capture photos which will be
used for various purposes including for purposes of vertical and horizontal

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accountability, public visibility through such mediums as Facebook, twitter,

and newsletter and for documentation purposes.

GRS Coach discussing the activity I am beautiful with participants

(On Site Visit)

TRACKING TRAINING OF COACHES WORKSHOPS

A Training of Coaches (TOC) Workshop was held from the 12 th to the 16th of January.
86 Coaches were selected based on their role model potential, their desire to create
positive change and also on their vulnerability to social problems faced by their
communities. These coaches participated in the workshop.
In the TOC, the young community role models were taught facilitation skills and
Grassroot Soccer activities. The coaches learned how to deliver the GRS curriculum
to the youth, to increase their knowledge of HIV prevention and build valuable skills
in facilitation and community mobilization. These are skills that not only help coaches
become better educators, but also have an important impact on their personal and
professional lives. At the end of the workshop, they were allocated sites where they
were going to work from.
From the 26th to the 30th of January 2015, 25 GRS facilitators attended a Basic HIV
Counselling Course. This was facilitated by Contact Family Counselling Centre, an
accredited counselling and training organisation. This course was meant to equip the
coaches with the knowledge and skills to help them conduct home visits as well as
act as a support system for their participants. Of these 25 coaches, 5 of them where
from the pool of coaches that where to deliver the Skillz Street program.

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GRS Coaches practicing the activity Exercising your rights

TRACKING SKILLZ INTERVENTIONS

After the training, the selected coaches then went to schools to recruit youths to
participate in the GRS programs. The Ministry of Education through their Provincial
Office had already given us permission to work with different government schools.
The GRS coaches delivered the curriculum to 668 on 5 individual days of the week
using a ratio of 2 coaches to 25 participants, this ratio maximized child participation.
It is also easy to form trusting relationships with a smaller group of children. The
smaller number also allowed the coaches to do home visits to the participants
homes to ascertain testing consent from their parents and guardians. A total of
568participants graduated after attending 7 of the 10 sessions of the intervention.
Every weekend 40 girls were involved in a Skillz Street league. In this case each
school formed a team of 8 girls who would play against another school in the 5 aside league. The school teams would play each other on a round robin basis and the
league lasted for the whole trimester.

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Sizane High School participants undergoing practise 6

TRACKING PRE/POST QUIZ 2015 FIRST QUARTER

KNOWLEDGE SHIFT
The table below shows the pre and post quiz figures that were scored by a
sample of participants, randomly selected from the participants population. The
sample participants completed questionnaires before the intervention (pre-quiz)
and the same participants were asked to complete the same questionnaires after
the intervention (post-quiz). These questions addressed knowledge, attitude and
communication on issues that relate to HIV/AIDS.
PRE/POST QUESTIONS BY QUESTION PERCENTAGE SHIFT.
KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS
1. Having sex with an older partner increases your risk of
getting HIV.

78%

95%

22%

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2. All children born from HIV-positive mothers are also HIVpositive

3. Drinking alcohol and using drugs increases your risk of
making poor decisions.
4. Having more than one sexual partner over the same
time period increases my risk of getting HIV.
5. Circumcision can reduce a man's risk of getting HIV.
6. The chances of spreading HIV to your partner through
sex are higher in the first 6 weeks of infection.
AVERAGE
ATTITUDE QUESTIONS
1. I feel good about who I am
2. I would say no to play sports with someone who has HIV.
3. Guys and girls should listen to each other.
4. It is the males responsibility to make decisions in a
relationship.
5. I would be willing to care for a friend with HIV.
6. I can say no to sex, even if my friends pressure me.
7. Sometimes a man may have good reason to hit his
girlfriend or wife
8. I am ready to take an HIV test.
AVERAGE
COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS
1. I have talked about HIV with a parent or guardian in the
past 2 months.
2. I have talked about sex with someone of the opposite
sex (outside of Skillz).
AVERAGE

51%

74%

45%

31%

80%

91%

94%

158
%
3%

90%
62%

94%
85%

4%
37%

67%

87%

45%

97%
85%
89%
68%

97%
90%
94%
78%

0%
6%
6%
15%

92%
74%
45%

95%
85%
62%

3%
15%
38%

83%
79%

87%
86%

5%
11%

334%

58%

71%

44%

70%

59%

39%

64%

65%

The pre/post questionnaires were also administered to measure change in

selected targeted desired outcomes.
Below is a table of the pre/post by desired outcomes.
DESIRED OUTCOME
PRE
POST
%
Age Disparate Sex
78%
95%
22%
Gender Based Violence
45%
62%
38%
Gender Equity Norms
78%
86%
11%
HIV Stigma
64%
78%
35%
HIV Testing
83%
87%
5%
HIV Transmission
57%
80%
41%
Male Circumcision
90%
94%
4%
Multiple Sexual Partners
91%
94%
3%
Self Efficacy
74%
85%
15%
Self Esteem
97%
97%
0%
Substance Abuse
31%
80%
158%

RESEARCH EVALUATIONS

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A research evaluation to assess the success of GRS Zimbabwe 2.0 strategy was
done, the evaluation was done by means of using a paired samples T test.
The test were done by comparing the number of participants tested at different HTCs
before the prior and following the implementation of the GRS 2.0 strategy.
Data was analysed using SPSS and Excel

PRIOR

VENUE OF THE
HTC

VENUE OF THE HTC

DATE

DATE

FOLOWING

AMAKHOSI

16.02.2013

40 NKETA

30.04.2015

134

MARISHA

13.04.2013

49 SIZINDA

16.08.2014

53

BHANGO

11.06.2013

28 MAKOKOBA

02.04.2015

203

IMINYELA

15.06.2013

33 LOBENGULA

25.04.2015

102

AMAKHOSI

29.06.2013

40 IMINYELA

21.03.2015

117

PHUMULANI PN

10.07.2013

30 SILWANE

11.04.2015

142

SOSHANGANE

31.07.2013

42 MARISHA

21.03.2015

159

EMAKHANDENI

30.11.2013

47 BANGO

13.12.2014

111

NKETA GROUNDS

16.02.2014

33 NGUBOYENJA

30.08.2014

84

250

200

150
PARTICIPANTS TESTED

PRIOR
100

FOLOWING

50

0
1

HTC TOURNAMENTS

The number of participants that got tested and recorded at different HTC
tournaments is continuous (scale) data.

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Continuous data are often summarised by giving their average and standard
deviation (SD), and the paired t-test is used to compare the means of the two
samples of related data.

The paired t-test compares the mean difference of the values to zero. It
depends on the mean difference, the variability of the differences and the
number of data.

Hypotheses:
The 'null hypothesis:
H0: There is no difference in mean PRIOR and FOLLOWING number of participants
tested at an HTC Event
And the 'alternative hypothesis':
H1: There is a difference in mean PRIOR- and FOLLOWING number of participants
tested at an HTC Event

Results

The relevant results for the paired t-test are in are on column 7of the Paired samples
Table.
From this row observe the t statistic, t = -5.302, and p = 0.001; this indicates that
there exists a very small probability of this result occurring by chance, under the null
hypothesis of no difference.
The null hypothesis is rejected, since p < 0.05 (in fact p = 0.001).

The conclusion drawn from the statistics

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There is strong evidence (t = -5.302, p = 0.001) GRS 2.0 is effective in scaling up the
uptake of HTC. In this data set, the number of participants that got tested improved
greatly as the PRIOR mean was 38 and the mean following the implementation of
GRS 2.0 mean number per HTC is 122
Its statistically significant that the strategy 2.0 improved greatly the uptake of HTC
by approximately 302%

Home Visits
The M&E department managed to track 608 home visits were conducted in the
period January to June 2015. Home visits are meant to inform the parents and/or
guardians of the participants about our program as well as solicit for parental testing
consent for minors under the age of 16. Legally written consent is enough for the
participants to be tested, but testing partners refused to accept the written consent
and insisted on parents/guardians being present when their youths were being
tested because they are liable if the written consent is later challenged. In the VCT
stakeholders meeting, GRS tried to convince the testing partners to accept written
consent as our coaches are present when it is signed and we are willing to keep
such records but they declined. GRS continues to explore options to overcome this
challenge.
Tracking Voluntary Counselling and Testing
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Tournaments are football competitions
aimed at gathering a large number of community members while promoting testing,
counselling and Know Your Status messages. GRS participants were asked to
invite their friends and families to come and get tested. GRS Coaches also
embarked on a community sensitisation program.

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Skillz Street participant going through the testing procedure

For monitoring, evaluation and reporting purposes: An

overview of the M&E department function at HTC
Tournaments

Provision of Testing documentation

Testing Documentation keeps track of GRSs testing events. The various
documents record the events key details, testing statistics, and information
describing sessions delivered by GRS and its partners. These documents
also note key challenges and lessons learned. The Testing Documents work
together to give GRS a picture of its testing events and to provide the
information necessary to improve future programming.

There are three Testing Documents:

TESTING STATISTICS Records a Testing Events basic, statistical
information. Completed by GRSs testing partners.
TESTING TRACKER Tracks data that will later be transferred to a final
Testing Statistics Document. GRSs testing partners use this form to ensure

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that they are reporting a complete data set.

TESTING SNAPSHOT This document captures information not reflected on
the Testing Statistics Document. GRS completes this form.
Making sure that participants go through the whole testing process.
Provision of referral forms
Collection of quantitative data that can be used for reporting like pictures
,videos and doing on site interviews
Observation of proceedings at the HTC to aid in the identification of problems
and what goes well
CREATING M&E TOOLS AND SCORECARDS
Since saleforce.com development to capture new data is expensive I was also
involved in creating scorecards to capture data that was not being captured in the
organisation .
I created a CHI SQUARE SCORE CARD to capture the the time

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CHAPTER 3
Promoting parental engagement to increase HCT consent rates for adolescent
girls: a mixed-methods pilot study in Bulawayo.

BACKGROUND
HIV counselling and testing (HCT) encourages people to become aware of their HIV
status, promotes HIV/AIDS prevention-education, and facilitates access to ART.
Grassroot Soccers (GRS) research has shown that 33% of youth ages 15-16 report
having ever tested for HIV. Increasing access to and acceptability of HCT among
adolescents, particularly by promoting parental engagement and creating
adolescent-friendly testing environments, is a priority.
Bridging the Gap (BtG) uses the power of soccer to address stigma and increase
uptake of youth-friendly HIV services using a continuum of care model. BtG was
initially developed and implemented in Lusaka, Zambia in 2010. Due to its success
increasing HCT uptake to 62% among youth participants, GRS sought to replicate
the BtG model at another GRS site in Bulawayo.

From February 2015 to May 2015, four 6-week BtG pilot programmes were
conducted in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with participants (n=899) aged 12-16 in two
secondary schools. Adolescent youth entered the pilot through participation in a
sport-based HIV prevention programme led by young community leaders
coaches. After a 3-day training, coaches conducted phone calls to parents and
visits to participants homes to promote HCT. At the programmes end, participants
were invited to an event with HCT provided by local partners. A mixed-methods study
was conducted to evaluate the effects of Home Visits on parental consent rates and
HCT uptake.

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Grassroot Soccers continuum of care model

METHODOLOGY
Evaluation forms were administered to measure coach preparedness for Home Visits
(n=23). Monitoring data were collected regarding participant attendance, Home Visit
progress, and HCT uptake. HCT events were observed by GRS staff.
Three of the four pilot programmes were for females-only; the fourth programme was
mixed-sex. A participant was dened as a learner who attended at least one session
of the 10-session female-only programme or at least one session of the 7 session
mixed-sex programme.
Interviews were conducted with parents/guardians (n=7) to explore: awareness of
GRS, perceptions of the Home Visit and HIV testing, and interest in attending the
HCT event. Interviews were conducted by a GRS staff member and transcribed
immediately after the interview.

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Grassroot Soccer HCT event with PSI Bambanani at Iminyela Grounds

A Generation Skillz participant going through a HIV and AIDS counselling session

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RESULTS
Of the 899 participants (mean age=14 years), coaches conducted visits to 607
homes. 98% of parents/guardians that were visited at least once gave HCT consent
(n=594; males=84; females=510). At the HCT events, 47% of participants received
HCT (n=425).
Differences in HCT uptake between programmes were due to a variety of
circumstances, including:
1) Poor weather conditions
2) Shortage of testing kits
3) Scheduling conflicts with school exam periods.
4.) Unavailability of transport to ferry participants and guardians to the testing site as
GRS has only one vehicle intended for transportation to the HTC.
5.) Religious issues since HTC tournaments are held on Saturdays its difficult for
participants that are seven day Adventists turn up on the day of the HTC.
6). Late arrivals at the testing site by our community testing partners.

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Attendance data, home visit progress and HCT uptake among participants

*HCT parent/guardian consent was obtained during the first visit to the home.
**HCT parent/guardian consent was obtained during the second visit to the home.

Evaluation forms suggest coaches felt prepared, although some coaches were
nervous to discuss HTC with parents.
Interviews suggest high acceptability amongst parents the majority shared that the
Home Visit inuenced them to give HCT Consent.

After the [coaches] claried my concerns about testing how the results are translated to
my child, I felt it was safe and useful and that is why I agreed or offered consent for my
child to test if she wants to.
Mother of female participant!
The most prominent perceived barrier amongst parents was lack of availability.

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I asked my daughter] about testing and if she will want to, and she agreed. I also wish for
her to test, but I was unavailable for a [Home Visit] because I work and I come home very
late.
Mother of female participant

CONCLUSION
Findings suggest Home Visits can effectively engage parents/guardians and promote
HCT among adolescents. Although logistical challenges are a concern, the time
invested in visiting participants homes resulted in 98% of parents/guardians visited
giving HCT consent. Even parents who were not available for a Home Visit
expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss their childs involvement in the
programme over the phone. It is important to note that 85% of parents/guardians
who signed consent forms were female. HCT uptake among total participants varied
between programmes. Planning for HCT events should include ensuring the external
testing partner has sufficient testing supplies and avoiding scheduling testing events
during busy school periods. Limitations include lack of a control group.
Future research should be conducted to determine how to overcome logistical
barriers and better engage male parents/guardians in the HCT consent process.
Additionally, the BtG pilot should continue to be evaluated to assess the
effectiveness of linkage to care among youth living with HIV.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNT

Home Visits GRS introduced Coach home visits to increase the uptake of HTC.
Coach visits provide a critical opportunity to secure parental testing consent for
minors under the age of 16, as well as to provide parents and guardians with
information on GRS programs. Under the law, written consent should be enough for
the participants to be tested, but GRSs testing partners refused to accept the written
consent and insisted on parents/guardians being present when their children were
being tested because they are liable if the written consent is later challenged. In the
most recent VCT stakeholders meeting, GRS tried to convince the testing partners to
accept written consent, as it makes testing more difficult if parents are required to
attend testing events, and our coaches are present when it is signed and we are
willing to keep such records, but the testing partners declined. GRS continues to
explore options to overcome this challenge.

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Testing partner capacity One of the major setback in the VCTs has been the
capacity of the testing partners. Ta times they are overwhelmed with the number of
people who would have been mobilized to come to the event and as a result they
turn away participants and community members. Since participants are the primary
targets of the project, measures have been put in place to make sure that they are
given preferential treatment in VCTs. This includes a separate queue for participants
and making sure that such a queue is attended first.
Over subscription of the VCT service - In dealing with over subscription of VCT
services by community members, a ticket system has been devised which enables
referral of community members who come when GRS would have reached the
number of testers that VCT service providers can accommodate on each testing
event. These would be referred to an upcoming VCT or to the service providers
offices.
Punctuality of testing partners This has been discussed at length in the
stakeholders meetings. This was further cemented by having all the service
providers sign MoUs for service production.

APPROVAL OF REPORT BY WORK RELATED

SUPERVISOR
The undersigned certifies that he has read and recommends to the National
University Science and Technology, acceptance of Work Related Learning Report by
FORTUNE MUSHONGA, registration number PO113892H prepared in partial
fulfillment of the requirements of Bachelor of Science in Operations Research and
Statistics Honours Degree.

SUPERVISORS SIGNATURE ..

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(T.MURAI)
STUDENTS SIGNATURE..
(F.MUSHONGA)
DATE.

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