HIV and AIDS pandemic in Mathare

HIV and AIDS victim living in Mathare North

Rhema Slum Transformers Organization is situated in mathare north area three and it was started in the year 2007 with focus to work among the HIV and AIDS-affected people in mathare due to early death and stigma of parents out of the same scourge of HIV and AIDS. Rhema Slum Transformers Organization was founded under the leadership of Rev. Simon Owino Ogolla in collaboration of like-minded people.
On realizing that his HIV status was actually positive, Rev Simon attended several seminars and courses on HIV management and awareness through which he was inspired to come up with a forum on how to fight the spread of the same in his area and other regions within reach. He then started organizing seminars in mathare, huruma, kayole and mukuru Kwa njenga to train both the affected and the infected on HIV prevention methods and management as well. Through this, we managed to train many HBC/ home based care givers, who went around helping terminal patients in their homes. We also provided food, soap, detergents and clothes to victims in areas such as jangwani slums in mathare north and kiamaiko, huruma and john saga.

• In the process of our determination to assist the victims we have encountered several challenges, such as stigmatization: 79% of employers nowadays do not want to give employment to those who are infected with HIV and AID’S
• Donors who want to help the victims have also landed in greedy hands, that have always withheld help from the right people
• Other smaller organizations that are willing to help genuinely have no access to sufficient funds to do the job of helping affected people. This therefore has enhanced acute poverty among the victims.

Rhema Slum Transformers Organization has therefore thought of ways on how to come up with a special forum on how to get loan funds from willing partners, to provide means of starting some small scale business among the victims to approach NGO’S and the government to assist in the area of establishing some micro finance projects.
Rev.Simon Owino says that he has realized that this kind of operation will really help us to eradicate poverty, rather than just receiving food from well wishers. 68%  of victims are young parent with children go to school and families to take care of; therefore, they need sustainable income-generating projects. Statistics of the infected people in mathare show that out of every 10 adults 3 are infected and in every one year 20 children become orphans.
Rhema Slum Transformers organization therefore target

• To train more HBC providers to work in homes among the victims, since most of victims are left alone by the relatives to die
• Establish micro finance systems to help generate funds among the victims since many are out of work
• Conduct more seminars and courses on preventive and management measures

ARV drugs