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Kenya

Tales of hope, better future after fresh efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS

Soon after life got hard in Korogocho, Tasha, her younger sister and her mother had to take up casual jobs.

In total, they hardly made Sh200 a day. It was money used to buy food for nine people and save to pay rent at end of the month

“I started washing people’s clothes then my younger sister used to wash dishes at a neighbour’s. My mum was also washing clothes.

“I used to be paid Sh50. Our neighbour used to tell me there are few clothes sometimes I get paid Sh20. Sometimes I was not paid.”

According to Liverpool Voluntary Counselling Testing (LVCT) Centre Nairobi Regional Manager, Jane Thiome, Tasha is among the 1,600 adolescents and youths benefiting from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Korogocho.

“Children are exploited through rape. Some are forced into sex by circumstances – to have sex to have a livelihood. Some have sex for as little as Sh20. Sometimes they are promised and are not even given,” Thome explained.

Lillian Otiso from LVCT explained that such children are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

“These are children at the highest risk of HIV acquisition. We found out that it is those who have dropped out of school, orphans, street children, those using drugs, those heading households –they have to look for a way of sustaining households –they put themselves at risk.

“Some of them are actually raped. Others engage in sex work not necessarily that they know but maybe because someone has gone to wash clothes in someone’s house and they are raped. But they take that as normal.

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Through the support of PEPFAR and the Government of Kenya, LVCT identifies high risk children like Tasha and empowers them with knowledge to help them protect themselves from the dangers of contracting HIV as they make a living for their families.

Tasha hopes that through the support, she will achieve her dreams of becoming a nutritionist.

Supporting children and youth to achieve their career dreams should be the core of people and institutions according to Godec.

“They have their dreams and hopes despite going through terrible times. They see a future, before, they did not. It is extra ordinary to hear them talk about their dreams, they have a bright future, Kenyans and Americans and others should do what they can to support them.”

Godec believes that addressing the challenge of HIV/AIDS should go hand in hand with identifying factors that lead to people contracting the disease.

Interventions to prevent new HIV infections, reduce deaths and fight stigma, Godec said, are important and require concerted efforts.

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