As part of the outreach of the Presbyterian Church in East Africa, Elijah Teeka talks about HIV/AIDS awareness among the Maasai in the Ewaso region of the Rift Valley in Kenya. Kenya
About KenyaMore than 400 Kenyans die every day from AIDS and some 1.2 million are living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of Kenyan Mennonites live in Nyanza province, which has the second highest incidence of HIV in Kenya.
MCC Supports:Kenya Mennonite Church (KMC)One of the reasons for the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the Kenya Mennonite Church is the practice of wife inheritance. Traditionally a widow was "inherited" by one of her husband's brothers. This brother would provide for her and her children and she would become his wife. Today the husband often dies of AIDS, a disease that the inherited wife will eventually pass on to her new husband and his other wife/wives. Through their HIV/AIDS project, the KMC aims to address this and other cultural practices contributing to the spread of HIV. Through a network of church and community AIDS educators, each church diocese has created its own AIDS campaign that addresses local challenges and incorporates men, women, and children. People living with AIDS are counseled and accompanied as they seek out medical care and orphan children are cared for through assistance with schools fees and supplies. School-based youth are provided with AIDS education and supported through peer education groups. Community counseling centers and support groups for AIDS widows have also been established. $48 Cdn./$42 U.S. covers the cost of 30 mosquito nets for people living with HIV/AIDS. $159 Cdn./$139 U.S. provides a bicycle to one caregiver. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.
Presbyterian Church in East Africa (PCEA)As a culturally traditional, primarily nomadic ethnic group, the Maasai of Kenya have difficulty accessing mainstream government programs for HIV/AIDS education. In this traditionally polygamous and nomadic society, the pastoralist way of life is being threatened by lack of land and increased population pressure. As contact with the outside world increases, the Maasai are at increased risk of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Through the Presbyterian Church in East Africa, MCC is supporting a project that reaches out to the Maasai through school and church seminars and public workshops in marketplaces. For those already infected with the virus, the project provides counseling and home-based care, as well as support for children orphaned by AIDS. Pastors and community AIDS educators are being trained and a local HIV testing and counseling center is being established. $26 Cdn./$23 U.S. allows ten pastors to attend an HIV/AIDS training seminar. $981 Cdn./$861 U.S. covers the cost of furnishings and supplies for the establishment of a counseling and testing center. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects. |
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