Organic Health Response for HIV/AIDS in Kenya

On December 1^st, 2010 the Ekialo Kiona Center hosted its 3^rdannual World AIDS Day celebration. Hundreds of guests gathered to hear speakers from all over Mfangano, with special messages from the Mfangano East Chief (below), Mfangano’s public health official, representatives from FACES and the Ministry of Health, along with other area chiefs, clan elders, church elders and community members.

Youth representatives from various villages performed poems, songs and plays, informing and challenging their peers to avoid risky behavior, to stay informed and to know their status. Twenty people were tested and counseled, helping to bring the Ekialo Kiona Center’s total number of people tested to 776!

The 2010 Year in Review:

2010 was a monumental year for OHR, and we could not have done it without your support. Below are some of the year’s exciting milestones. We:

• Established OHR as a Colorado-based 501c3 non-profit
• Completed initial construction of the 10,000sq-ft Ekialo Kiona Center, featuring %100 local labor and ferro-cement materials locally donated
• Established the Ekialo Kiona Sisterhood Exchange Program, training over 25 local HIV+ women in crafts, income generation and business skills
• Celebrated Mfangano’s first Annual Earth Day event, featuring an open forum and discussion panel and the hosting debut of EK’s Community Radio Committee
• Hosted 8 UCSF medical, nursing and public health students through the freshly established OHR Volunteer Program and Home Stay Network on Mfangano
• Trained and hired 20 local interpreters, community health workers and data analysts to complete the Mfangano Health Baseline Study regarding disease, HIV risk, nutrition, income and water security within the Ekialo Kiona catchment area
• Officially opened the Ekialo Kiona Center for EK Members! EK Members now register through individualized HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) sessions with OHR's onsite VCT counselors
• Established a streamlined referral and follow-up system for HIV/AIDS care and treatment, in partnership with UCSF Family AIDS Care and Education Services
• Celebrated our 3^rdAnnual World AIDS Day
• Installed a 300Watt solar system, 3 Inveneo low-power workstations, with a Safaricom Internet Router to successfully provide free internet access to all EK Members
• Became the leading VCT center in enrollment for all of Suba District within the first 3 months of operation

What a year! To date we have over 700 members, and EK is currently the only active stand-alone VCT center on Mfangano Island. Special thanks to all our partners and all of you for continuing to make our mission possible.

Links:

• www.organichealthresponse.org