Suubi+Adherence4Youth

Participants will be assigned to receive FLT workshops which are implemented by community-level agencies in collaboration with the financial institutions. FLT comprises six workshops delivered over 6 weeks. Topics include: a) an introduction to the notion of asset-building; b) coverage of asset-building strategies in detail, e.g., saving; c) coverage of specific topics related to saving, e.g., the importance of saving and how to save, d) an introduction of banking services to participants and e) coverage of basics of borrowing and debt management. Participants from the same location, in this case, clinics are assigned to the same group. Workshops occur on weekends to accommodate participants week-day schedules, including school and/or gardening.

"ALHIV will receive a YSA with a 1:1 matched savings program at a financial institution accredited by the Bank of Uganda. Each YDA will be opened in the name of the adolescent, with their primary caregiver as a co-signer, until the adolescent turns 18 years. The account will then be matched with money from the program on 1:1 rate.~As part of YSA, ALHIV are also trained on investing in income-generating activities (IGA) and are normally allowed to use up to 30% of their matched savings to invest in an IGA to benefit their family. The IGA portion helps promote economic stability for families and enable the ALHIV to afford medical expenses."

Participants assigned to this component will participate together with her/his caregiving family, in attending sixteen 60 minute sessions hosted within the community over 16 weeks. Each session involves 6-10 families. Participants will learn from the Suubi Cartoon curriculum about their HIV diagnosis and treatment needs, while coping with family loss, stigma, peer relationships, identity, and family functioning.

Participants will be assigned to small groups with an average of 3-4 peers from the same health clinic, and each ALHIV stays in the same group -- for 9 sessions - with the same role model. This is intended to build trust and rapport not only between the role model and mentee, but also between all group members. The 9 sessions, to be conducted over a 6-month period, include activities, videos, scenarios, and role-playing to facilitate discussion and learning. This is intended to promote their self-esteem, improve their HIV care engagement, reduce stigma and stress, encourage hopefulness, build stronger communication skills with their caregivers and/or family members, enhance safe sexual decision-making, and decrease sexual risk-taking behavior.

SOC consisting of pediatric ART initiation and monitoring outlined by Uganda's Ministry of Health.