GELI ORPHANAGE AND SCHOOL PROJECT

The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to ravage the world, but is especially evident in Africa which has experienced the highest rate of infections and deaths. As early as the year 2000, about 33.4 million people were HIV positive worldwide. Out of this number, 22 million were in the region of Sub Saharan Africa. In Kenya alone, 2.2 million were already infected with the Virus in the same year. It is reported that 700 people die in Kenya every day due to AIDS related causes. The rural prevalence rate is 12 – 13%, or 1.4 million people, and in urban areas, 17 – 18%, or 430,000 people. One out of every five Kenyans between the ages of 15 and 49 is infected with the AIDS Virus.
Nyanza Province has been particularly impacted with this epidemic. In 1997, the prevalence rate was 32.1%. The need to provide improved care to people living with HIV related diseases has placed considerable strain on the existing local healthcare and other support systems. Infant and maternal mortality rates are on the rise against a backdrop of extreme poverty. The advent of the life prolonging drugs aka anti-retroviral therapies have to some extent helped in
Containing the death rates while on the other hand lead to an increase in dependency rate further impacting on the already fragile local socio – economic strata. The responsibility of caring for orphans and vulnerable children emanating from this scenario poses a major challenge to the community.
The social support systems in these communities are already overstretched and cannot cope with the ever increasing numbers of orphans and vulnerable children who are in need of basic shelter, education, food, clothing and healthcare. The increasing rise in the number of orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya is directly contributing to an increase in child labour, homelessness and an ever increasing school drop – out rate.