Working with Children Who are Orphaned and Vulnerable to HIV and AIDS
19 January 2009by Evie Gardner
In the past three years, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) has partnered with 28 caring congregations and 12 centers throughout Kenya, enabling households, families, churches, and communities to support children orphaned and affected by HIV and AIDS. Each congregation provided four members, including the pastor, to participate in this program that is funded by UNAIDS. NCM staff trained them on how to identify children in their communities who have lost one or both parents or are particularly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.
Wonderful Results
More than 6,500 children presently benefit from the Orphans and Vulnerable Children program, and 564 caregivers bring love, care, hope, and a future for them. Two hundred volunteers work with the children and caregivers to provide educational assistance, income generating projects for self-sustainability, and health and nutritional support. The program also provides 44 children ages 15-17 with vocational training in tailoring, mechanics, welding, carpentry, leatherworks, weaving, and bicycle and motorcycle repair. Through the program, 10 bright young people completed their secondary school and received graduation certificates. The program provided 1,500 children with school-related items, such as stationery, shoes, and new uniforms (or mending of old uniforms).Today, there are various sustainable projects that the Church of the Nazarene has in Kenya, through which churches and caregivers are empowered to help children. These include a horticulture project, selling maize and beans, nursery schools, household farming, goat- and chicken-rearing, and small-scale business enterprises.
The Story of Monica Waswan
Monica Waswan, 65, is a caregiver from Sege center in the Siaya district in western Kenya. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 1998, the Siaya district is one of the least developed areas of the Nyanza Province in which one out of every five children die before reaching the age of five. Here, Monica takes care of her five grandchildren whose parents died from AIDS-related causes four years ago. Monica’s husband also died many years ago. She started weaving baskets last year to provide a small income to help feed her household. She said, “I never used to do [any work for money] before my only son died. He was the one who was feeding me. After he and his wife died, life became very difficult for me. I had to start motherhood again for my grandchildren. This is the reason why I started weaving baskets.” She also does small-scale farming near her home. She appreciates the NCM program because her older grandchildren received training in agriculture and nutrition. They take initiative in assisting her in household chores and on the farm. Monica is grateful for the church’s
support.
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