KAIPPG's Programs:

KAIPPG's mission is to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, improve community health, and promote sustainable development through mobilizing, encouraging, and enabling individuals and community groups to initiate culture-specific intervention programs.

KAIPPG addresses the issue of HIV/AIDS holistically, by linking it with various aspects of community welfare, such as poverty, food insecurity, education, general health and nutrition. The organization builds the capacity of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS to realize their full potential and bring about positive change.

KAIPPG Capacity-Building:

The organization focuses its work on improving the status of women and young people living in rural areas, where HIV/AIDS, poverty, malnutrition, and illiteracy are prevalent. KAIPPG trains women, young people, and men to become leaders in their communities by providing them with knowledge about:

• HIV/AIDS prevention
• How to care for and support people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS) outside the hospital setting.
• How to empower PLWHAS and affected households in nutrition and food production using the nutritional field school model.
• Promoting formation of micro-enterprise activities among HIV/AIDS households as a way of positively contributing to poverty reduction, and training community groups in advocacy through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and project management so as to increase sustainability.

KAIPPG Sites:

KAIPPG has twenty-four project sites across seven districts: Teso, Busia, Butere, Mumias, Malava/Lugari, Kakamega, and Bungoma, in Western Kenya. The local communities are the main focal point in project identification, prioritization, implementation, and management.

The program directly reaches about 30,000 people annually, including PLWHAS, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) and their guardians, in-school and out-of-school youth, teachers, pastors, and the communities' own resource persons. In 2005, 2449 adults benefited from our home-based care and nutrition interventions; 1649 OVC were reached with various forms of support; and 26,300 people received accurate HIV/AIDS education.

KAIPPG-Assisted Groups:

Lung'anyiro
This is a faith-based organization located in Mumias District. It is located in a rural community, one that has an OVC program. The church has donated funds for a school, and also telecommunications equipment. The community is tackling the issue of HIV/AIDS through the church, and is thus using modern and traditional techniques to teach others what KAIPPG has taught them.

Namulelchwa
The group is located in Mumias District. Its activities include farming, and mushrooms are its primary income-generating activity. Their kitchen gardens have different types of local vegetables that contribute to the health of the community. Because of KAIPPG's training, their harvest has improved.

Namulelchwa is different from the other project sites because it is a rural area where the beneficiaries own their land. Therefore, KAIPPG does not have to rent the land like at other sites. They are also close to the market so they can sell the excess crops very easily. They produce maize, sorghum, beans, soy beans, cassava, and other indigenous crops.

SHIGAAP
SHIGAAP is located in Mumias District. The group is mostly comprised of commercial sex workers and day labourers, and thus the HIV/AIDS rate is high. There is an OVC program at this site as well. SHIGAAP is in an urban slum, therefore KAIPPG rents the land on which they grow their food. KAIPPG also rents the building for their school. The beneficiaries at SHIGAAP are more willing to talk about HIV/AIDS than at the other project sites.

Ketimoto Women's Group
Ketimoto is a group that started because of the desire to affect change for their lives. As they slowly grew to ten members, they decided that they would all contribute 120 KSH so that they can use the money to help each other out as the situation arises. When the group reached fifteen members, they decided to register with the Department of Social Services.

However, they still needed help in improving their economic status, and that is when they approached KAIPPG. KAIPPG provided the group with information about income-generating activities, proper farming and nutritional techniques, as well as information about HIV/AIDS prevention.

Some of the challenges that the organization faces are lack of funds, lack of an office, and inadequate information. All of these challenges have a severe impact on the development of the community. The lack of funds gives them inability to run activities, and to open a bank account.

Since Ketimoto is not located close to a market town, they are unable to sell their produce, which would provide them with a greater income base. The lack of an office prevents them from being easily contacted, and as a result they are not able to access information easily, or get help when they need it. KAIPPG is providing them with certain kinds of information (health and agricultural), but we need more support to give it at the level of their need.

They have started a sweets-making project, and would like to ensure that it is a success. The group members are also trying to understand which crops grow the best at which planting season. Therefore, they have grown their crops in both seasons and at the end of the year they will conclude their findings.

Another challenge that the community faces is the flooding of a local river. If there are heavy rainfalls, the community members are not able to even weed a field. Their future plans are to become economically sustainable; to create linkages so that their children can have better lives; to buy a grinder; address the flooding situation; and to find another form of income.

New Vision
New Vision is a clinic in the Teso District. It was established because of the need for a clinic in the area. Due to the community's socio-economic status, members were unable to seek medical assistance when needed, thus the need for a clinic. However, the clinic does not have a laboratory, and thus cannot always diagnose the true health challenges of its patients. The clinic also houses a pharmacy where its patients can receive over-the-counter drugs, though these are in very short supply. KAIPPG would like to ensure that the clinic is adequately stocked with essential medicines.