FOCUS
Promoting Health and Fighting Disease
Creating Economic Opportunities
MDGs ADDRESSED
MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
MDG 8: Create a global partnership for development
OVERVIEW
Kenya has historically been considered one of Africa’s more economically advantaged countries. However the past decade has seen a dramatic decline in three indicators of human development—longevity, living standard, and educational attainment. In three years, Kenya dropped 20 places on the UN’s human development index to 154 out of 177 countries. Food security is a major challenge. With one of the highest rates of population growth in the world, exacerbated by recurring drought—Kenya is no longer able to feed itself and imports large quantities of food.
Additionally, preventable diseases plague parts of Kenya. An estimated 170 million workdays are lost annually due to malaria. Kenya's HIV/AIDS pandemic was officially classified as a national disaster in 1999. Approximately 1.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and almost 900,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS. Given the current rates, the number of orphans could rise to 1.9 million in the next few years.
Our PARTNER
Episcopal Relief and Development is partnering with the Anglican Church of Kenya, which has 2.5 million congregants spread throughout 28 dioceses and 1,500 parishes. The Church has been a major force in health and development issues, with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS and malaria awareness and prevention. The diocese has decades of experience working through its on-the-ground partner Inter-Diocesan Christian Community Services (IDCCS).
Our CURRENT PROGRAMS
Episcopal Relief and Development is fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria in Kenya through community-based programs, while creating opportunities for families to improve their food supply and increase income. Episcopal Relief and Development is strengthening the ability of communities to care for the most vulnerable, including people with HIV/AIDS and orphans.
The focus of Episcopal Relief and Development’s work is in four dioceses in Nyanza Province: Southern Nyanza, Maseno, South, Maseno West, and Bondo. These areas, located along Lake Victoria, suffer from a multiple burden of high malaria transmission, frequent droughts, chronic poverty, lack of clean water, and the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country. In some of the communities in the province, up to 35% of adults are infected with HIV.
The high number of HIV/AIDS cases in Nyanza Province has created a growing number of households headed by children. Many children and teenagers are forced to drop out of school to care for sick parents. Once a parent dies, these young people must support the family. Families and communities suffer due to the lack of healthy adults to help with farming and sustaining the economic activity of the village.
Promoting Health and Fighting Disease
Episcopal Relief and Development is equipping communities with the knowledge and tools they need to prevent malaria and HIV/AIDS in their communities and care for children orphaned by AIDS.
- Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, along with training in the proper use of nets, ensure that the most vulnerable are protected from the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria.
- Trained malaria “agents” and volunteers instruct community members in malaria prevention and treatment methods.
- HIV/AIDS awareness workshops train clergy and community leaders to teach prevention methods in their communities and provide counseling to those affected by AIDS.
- Home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS and support for children orphaned by the disease improves the quality of life of those suffering and the children left behind.
- Training programs help student leaders confront issues such as sexuality and HIV/AIDS and explore solutions so that they can counsel their peers struggling with the same problems.
- Protection of valuable natural springs ensures communities have access to safe and affordable water.
Creating Economic Opportunities
Episcopal Relief and Development is training people in nine communities throughout the Nyanza Province in sustainable agricultural methods, business development, and marketing and distribution. These programs will enable families to increase food production and generate new sources of income. A micro-finance program provides access to loans to start small businesses.
- Workshops mobilize and teach community members how to organize small to medium sized businesses, improve their crops and products, and engage in income generating activities as a group.
- New “value added” crops such as palm oil, tomatoes, citrus fruits, groundnuts, pineapples and bananas increase community income and improve adequate food and nutrition.
- Businesses such as basket weaving, tomato processing, and mineral water bottling provide new opportunities to earn income from the resources within the community.
- New equipment including oil extractors, water pumps, cotton weaving machines, juice extractors, and peanut butter processors give community businesses the help they need to be competitive and successful.
- Micro-finance opportunities through the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund (ECLOF) help people start their own businesses and increase their family income.
Our PAST ACHIEVEMENTS
The NetsforLifeSM malaria prevention partnership distributed 59,310 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in 2006 and 2007. A total of 112,635 people were sensitized about malaria prevention, and 435 individuals were trained as malaria agents. This brings the total number of people protected to 171,945.
Since 2005, Episcopal Relief and Development has assisted the Anglican Church in Kenya to achieve significant development milestones and strengthen communities in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and care, improving food supply, and creating economic opportunities, including:
- Registering 16,000 “vulnerable individuals” in eight zones including orphans and others affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Holding HIV/AIDS workshops for 58 health workers and 67 religious leaders.
- Protecting nine springs which serve as a water source for 16,000 people.
- Teaching 158 people (112 women and 46 men) how to add value to their agricultural products.
- Training 240 women and 267 men in sustainable agricultural practices.
- Providing business skills and micro-finance training to 25 women and 40 men.
- Supporting 197 orphaned students by paying school fees.
- Training 460 youth HIV/AIDS peer counselors.
