Orphan Support Program

A widow of more than 10 years looks after her three children. This client received a heifer from Kyetume’s Orphan Support Program. With the money that she made selling milk, she was able to put her children through school and pay for a home made of brick, which is much more sturdy than their original home of grass and mud. As part of the program, she has returned a female calf to the Orphan Support program, which was then given to another family. In this way, the Orphan Support Program is able to sustain animal resources and provide heifers to benefit subsequent households.

Eight children in Nakisunga were orphaned when their parents died of AIDS. Through a church in the area, a woman was introduced to the OVC family and felt compelled to devote her life to being their caretaker. KCBHCP provided the household with a heifer and with the money made from selling milk, this woman was able to put the children through school and provide meals for the household.

The Benefits of Vocational Training

-In 2009, another female client was a participant in KCBHCP’s Vocational Training Program, through which she was taught tailoring skills on site at Kyetume. Equipped with these skills, she is now able to earn some income to support herself and her child. She works at a small site in Ntenjeru, where she offers tailoring services and teaches other OVCs how to tailor as well. In this way, her case demonstrates KCBHCP’s goal of spreading income-generating skills in the community. This client’s mother is a beneficiary of the HIV/AIDS Program at Katosi as well as a beneficiary of the Orphan Support Program. The household has benefited from KCBHCP by finding a means through which to be financially self-sufficient.

-Another female client was trained in hairdressing and styling through KCBHCP’s Vocational Training Program. With the money that she makes at the salon, she is able to support her twin daughters. She is now taking on two trainees, recommended by KCBHCP. Her customers are happy with the services that she provides and she thoroughly enjoys her work.

HIV/AIDS Program

-A woman in Mpatta-Mawotta parish defaulted on her HIV/AIDS drugs and became very ill and bed ridden for a period of over four months. During the period of illness, expert clients, CCAs and counselors conducted several home visits and counseled her on pertinent issues. Besides defaulting on drugs, she was also in a state of denial. Fortunately, she finally came to the Katosi facility with a testimony of appreciation to everyone who gave her advice, deciding to re-adhere to drugs.

-One female client from Nakisunga stopped taking ARV drugs for over two years, claiming that she felt nauseous each time she swallowed the tablets. She resisted home visits, blaming health workers for her situation and leading counselors to give up on visiting her. After her situation worsened and her health status greatly deteriorated, this client finally sought medical assistance and counseling.

An Integrated Approach

-Caretaker to 11 orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), one widow is the first person to openly express being HIV positive in her village. When she first joined Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme, she had a CD4 count of 51 and had a mouth full of sores. Since becoming a client at Katosi, she has been on ARV treatments. This woman, who once thought she was going to die, now talks about life with optimism and a smile. Three times a month, she takes an hour and a half walks to the Katosi clinic to pick up medication for herself and her HIV positive son. Now, her CD4 count has recovered to 628. She knows that her children have learned that HIV is a disease that can kill (her husband passed in February 2006 of AIDS), but with education and good choices, people can live a good life. This extraordinary woman started a school in the community, serving 60 young students in its first year of opening. Having seen her life changed through others’ help, she feels a desire to help others with the life she has been given. This woman has benefited from multiple KCBHCP programs. In addition to getting treatment through the HIV/AIDS program, she is a recipient of a heifer through the Orphan Support Program, and her daughter has been trained in tailoring through KCBHCP’s vocational training program. The combination of services has supported her family’s physical, social, and economic health.

Source for all stories: MIT 2011 team