The termination of the DREAMS project affects 15 countries and millions of adolescent girls and young women who relied on its programming for HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health and rights, protection from physical and sexual violence, education, and economic empowerment.
Date: 2/26
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Health
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: Human Impact
Additional Context: This information was collected as part of The Aid Report’s original reporting, “Life after DREAMS: Kenya’s girls navigate HIV risk without US support.” The feature story examined how the end of the PEPFAR-funded DREAMS program cut off HIV-prevention support for millions of girls across sub-Saharan Africa.
Originally launched in 2014, DREAMS functioned as a comprehensive support system for girls who were otherwise navigating risk largely on their own.Through small peer groups known as “sister cycles,” girls received mental health support, mentorship, and age-appropriate guidance on sexual health and HIV prevention, often from slightly older peers who had already navigated similar challenges.
Source: Devex