In 2010 we achieved the following… this year we aim to reach twice that number
- 10,000 local’s were mobilized by community health workers and VCT counselors by door to door outreaches to raise awareness son HIV/AIDS
- 4,000 empowered with information of HIV and alcohol and drug addiction
- 1,000 community members were assisted on male circumcision referrals which is part of HIV/AIDS prevention
- 30 active clients receiving HBC (home based care) that receive referrals for opportunistic infections and other treatments
- 30 IDP’s (internally displaced people) that receive food and education on income generating projects
- 15 local’s taking part in our ‘Alcohol Anonymous Group’ which supports them through psychotherapy and sustain projects.
- 2,000 people tested for HIV/AIDS
Our clinic
At the beginning of 2009 we established a health clinic in Ngando, a local slum in Nairobi, Kenya. At present the clinic provides free health services, primarily focusing on HIV/AIDS related issues. The work carried out at the clinic is especially important given the current HIV/AIDS crisis. Those afflicted by the disease face numerous hardships including minimal access to readily available medicines, exposure to opportunistic diseases, becoming socially ostracized, and most importantly a lack of awareness and education regarding the disease.
Healthcare is neither easily accessible nor affordable for many Kenyans living in the rural villages of Nairobi. Poverty creates a large barrier to the acquisition of healthcare in general, but in rural areas in particular. Although government-run hospitals do exist in Nairobi, most of the locals in the more rural villages cannot afford consultation, treatment or pharmacy fees nor can they afford transport to these government clinics and hospitals, which are located in the larger towns and cities. Diarrhoea, measles, tetanus, malaria, pneumonia, and malnutrition are preventable and treatable and yet they kill thousands of people every year.
In tackling these hardships the clinic focuses on offering VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) services, nutrition, guidance and support programs as well as PMTCT (prevention from mother to child transmission) awareness. As well as servicing the health needs of the community, the clinic also employs some of the women in the community that are currently not working to promote their socioeconomic well-being.
In addition to this, we find that the establishment of a professional in-house clinic would add tremendous synergistic support to the well-being of the children in our rehabilitation centre and these services would not have to be sought nor paid for externally.
Partnering with NACC to reach more locals
Our clinic has partnered with NACC (National Aids Control Council) a government organization, to help us carry out activities focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness. Through our collaborative efforts with not only NACC and their TOWA program but other local health clinics we have been able to implement community outreaches and set-up VCT operations in different communities, testing up to 1,000 people at a time.
