(i)Support for orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC)
• We identify positive children 0-14years and adolescents 15-19years, link them to health centers and make a follow up to ensure that they are retained into care (Antiretroviral treatment)
• We give education support to OVC. We identify and support critically vulnerable children that require mandatory school requirements to enable them enroll and attend school. We use our limited resources and give those items like book, pens, geometry sets, school uniforms, shoes, bags, beddings and other logistics like sanitary wear for adolescent girls. We struggle to pay for them meals at school and registration fees etc. we truck enrolment, attendance and academic progression of the supported children Most of these children that we support are HIV positive as well as their care giver.
• We economically empower OVC households; we support them with stimulation funds/ capital to enable them actively engage in income generating activities (IGAs) of their choice. Priority is normally given to the poverty stricken OVC and their care givers
• We support malnourished children identified at the Healthy center. This package includes beans, maize flour, cooking oil and porridge etc. we monitor progress.
N.B In all our OVC programs, we conduct home visits to make needs assessment and truck progress.
(ii) We address gender issues associated with HIV/AIDS and stigma related issues.
• We run an annual “Bonnie Camp” for the vulnerable girls. This is a women empowerment initiative to address gender issues that accelerate HIV/AIDs infection and effects. The camp provides family strengthening environment where education, recreation and emotional support are intertwined
• The camp focuses on orphans, vulnerable children and women. The overall objective is to bring together orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), infected and affected by HIV. The camp lasts for a full weak. While at the camp, the girls participate in a number of activities including healthy education workshops entailing: issues of hygiene, HIV/AIDs prevention, self esteem, relationship building and root cause analysis of African poor cultural norms that belittle women.
• Outside the room, they play soccer, participate in sacker racing, musical choirs, decorate garments, learn the limbo, sing and dance both African tradition and western music styles.
•These girls while at camp spend a weak free of stress, responsibility and fear. Slowly they openly discus issues and eventually laugh and joke with their counselors.
• We conduct community based voluntary HIV counseling and testing through which we identify HIV negative adolescent girls and young women 10-24 years. Form groups and establish youth friendly corners called safe spaces from where we give them services like family planning, skills training like hair dressing and tailoring. We empower them economically by helping them from savings and credit association. Some of these women 20-24 are in commercial and transactional sex due to economic hardships. We retest them after every three months to ensure that they are HIV free. Under this program we also address gender based violence through community mobilization and norms change campaigns.
(iii) We host both local and international volunteers.
Most of these are normally on internship and research. However, these have to apply and sign our volunteer contract; though these have to cater for their needs during the period of volunteerism.