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Education and Economic Empowerment

Improve the overall health of people living with HIV/AIDS, combat the stigma of being tested, and promote prevention.
 

HIV/AIDS Testing & Outreach

What:

Founded in 2010 thanks to grant funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Secure the Future Fund, our HIV/AIDS program provides free testing and community outreach, focusing on education, prevention, and treatment across all age groups. 

Why:

HIV/AIDS remains a critical challenge in Africa today, and in Kenya it is estimated that between 1.6-1.9 million people live with HIV/AIDS. Maai Mahiu, Kenya is located along a major trade route nicknamed the "HIV Highway" due to the rampant spread of disease in this area. People living with HIV/AIDS in the region often suffer from a lack of economic opportunities, difficulty accessing vital medication, poor nutrition, and numerous additional health problems. Through education and economic empowerment, CTC is working to improve the overall health of people living with HIV/AIDS, combat the stigma of being tested, and promote prevention. 

How:
  • VCT (Voluntary Counseling & Testing) Clinic with 905 individuals tested for HIV in 2012
  • Drop-In Center with Health Resources & Counseling available
  • Community Health Workers who lead support groups, make home visits, transport patients to hospitals, and tend to the health needs of families in the region
  • Over 400 community members currently in HIV/AIDS support groups
  • Treated 1,251 patients through summer medical camps in 2012, ranging in age from 3 weeks to 90 years old
  • Support groups adopt income-generating activities, such as goat keeping, poultry rearing, mat making, and gardening
  • School health clubs in 7 schools (both primary and secondary schools)
  • Youth Peer Educators: 40 youth equipped with the skills and knowledge to correct the misconceptions among young people on HIV/AIDS and other life issues.    [More info]
  • Reproductive health care education focused on women and youth
  • Cervical cancer screenings and pregnancy tests
  • Outreach to sex workers through a combination of preventive, capacity building, and economic empowerment (table banking) initiatives
  • Kids Days: a quarterly event of sports, therapy and sharing for youth ages 5 to 14 who have been diagnosed with or have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS 

Further Reading:
 
Partners:
  • Kijabe Mission Hospital
  • Maai Mahiu Health Center
  • Upendo Village--A Catholic founded community-based organization under Assumptions Sisters of Nairobi (ASN), Upendo Village has been partnering with CTC through medical interventions and nutritional support for people living with HIV/AIDS.