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The Kenyan village of Nyumbani is
home to 938 children orphaned by AIDS and 97 grandparents who care for them.
The Catholic aid group Nyumbani established the village of the same name with
the permission of the Kenyan government in 2006. In the village, the aid group
pairs the children with grandparents who have lost their middle-aged children
to AIDS and other causes. Each grandparent cares for about 12 children.
Everyone in the village has been touched by HIV, but because of antiretroviral
drugs (ARVs), no one has AIDS. Sister Mary Owens, executive director of the aid
group, says that only 80 children in the village have HIV.
Funding for the Nyumbani village
comes primarily from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR), but ideas are underway for the village to become self-sustaining.
Plans include a tree-growing project, growing edible fish in an aquaponic setting,
and farming. American John Noel started the tree-growing venture four years
ago, hoping that profits will completely fund the village after 10 years.
UNAIDS reports that sub-Saharan
Africa, where Kenya is located, contains about 69 percent of all people with
HIV. Only 61 percent of Kenyans with HIV have access to ARVs. In contrast, all
residents of Nyumbani—a name that means “home” in Swahili—are covered by ARVs
and have food, water, and care.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
