Summaries of HIV/AIDS Projects in Africa
Working with LWR Partners

Kenya—Institutionalizing and Responding to HIV/AIDS among KELC Congregations

Partners: LWR and Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC)

HIV/AIDS is ravaging Kenya and other parts of East Africa. Although church communities initially denied that the highly stigmatized disease could directly affect their congregations, in recent years increasing numbers of church members and clergy have been infected, orphaned, and/or died as a result of HIV/AIDS. KELC estimates that 3000, or 14%, of its 22000 members are now living with HIV/AIDS, but church members often do not acknowledge their association with the disease due to the stigma, or a simple lack of information. In addition, some church communities in the region still uphold traditional practices such as wife sharing, female genital mutilation, circumcision, ear piercing and tattooing, all of which exacerbate the risk of infection.

GOAL: To reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and serve those already infected. This project will strengthen KELC’s capacity to offer physical, psychological, and spiritual support for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the project seeks to provide HIV/AIDS education and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease.

OBJECTIVES: LWR’s partner, AMREF will:

• The church will have the staff, equipment, and materials needed to conduct HIV/AIDS outreach and training for church members and leaders.

• KELC will incorporate information about HIV/AIDS into church liturgies and sermons, translate HIV/AIDS literature into local languages and encourage formation of peer groups to deliver HIV/AIDS education locally.

• KELC will establish HIV/AIDS counseling centers and peer support groups within all congregations, encourage HIV/AIDS testing, and offer training in order for home-based caregivers to provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Total LWR Support: $168,430 through 2005.


Projects : Burkina Faso Cameroon Ethiopia Liberia Madagascar Mali Namibia Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zimbabwe
Other African Projects

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