MAKINDU CHILDRENS PROGRAM

1. NUTRITION: Provide daily nutritional support to the OVC enrolled with Makindu Children's Program.
2. EDUCATION: Provide enrolled OVC access to education through high school or vocational training.
3. HEALTH CARE: Provide enrolled OVC and their caregivers access to health and mental care.
4. ADVOCACY: Provide enrolled OVC with advocacy, grief and/or trauma support, legal support and crisis intervention.
5. PSS: Provide enrolled OVC with psycho-social support and community bonding opportunities.
6. IGA: Provide enrolled OVC caregivers skills training on income generating activites.

1. NUTRITION: Daily meals are served at the children's center for the enrolled children who live within walking distance. Breakfast is a vitamin enriched porridge. Lunch is maize and beans, sometimes served with kale. Supplemental food, usually maize, beans and cooking oil, is delivered to households living outside walking distance to the center, so that the caregivers can cook hot nutritious meals in the home. At least one goat is provided to each household (2 goats for HIV infected households) for a daily supply of milk. A Minister of Agriculture sits on the Makindu board of directors and conducts training workshops on goat rearing and husbandry.

2. EDUCATION: Tuition and school fees are covered and uniforms provided to all enrolled OVC through the 8th grade equivalent. If OVC score 300 or above on their high school entrance exams, all tuition and fees will be covered. OVC scoring less than 300 have the option of attending a vocational program, with expenses paid by Makindu Children's Program.

3. HEALTH CARE: Enrolled OVC and their caregivers are issued vouchers for health care at the local clinics or hospital for minor illness and injury. HIV infected OVC and HIV infected caregivers receive vouchers for monthly medical care and anti-retroviral medications. If a child has a major health emergency, a social worker will accompany the OVC to a Nairobi hospital for care.

4. ADVOCACY: Trained community health care volunteers and staff social workers provide the care and advocacy needed in crises. Social workers will coordinate professional counsel, tribal engagement and community resources to enrolled OVC in crisis as necessary.

5. PSS: Makindu Children's Program hosts quarterly meetings and gatherings throughout the region, bringing together the enrolled OVC, their caregivers and other children living in their households, community leaders, tribal elders, and other officials to share experiences and expertise on a variety of topics including HIV care and support; teen relationships; child advocacy, and more. The OVC receive vitamin and mineral supplements, a hot nutritious meal, and community bonding with those in attendance. The OVC also get dewormed, weighed, and their heads shaved (for lice).

6. IGA: Caregivers are encouraged and supported to learn and participate in at least one income-generating activity. Goat rearing, soap making, cheese making, beekeeping, and a few of the popular activities.

1. NUTRITION: The Center receives some bulk food from the county government. Because we feed hundreds of children, Makindu Children's Program is able to purchase the remaining food needed at discounted prices. Two full time cooks prepare meals on 2 institutional biofuel saving stoves. The children's center also has a 1-acre garden, irrigated by a solar-powered borehole, that grows fresh nutritional produce to supplement meals. We have 3 dairy cows providing fresh milk daily to enrolled OVC who come to the center. Excess milk is sold to the community, with proceeds used to purchase more bulk food. Each household has received at least one goat, as well as training on how to raise and care for the animal, to provide access to daily milk at home.

2. EDUCATION: This is our biggest expense. We have a preschool on campus, with the older OVC attending schools in the community. We have contracted with one of our graduate dressmakers to construct mandatory school uniforms at discounted prices.

3. HEALTH CARE: Makindu county government recently began offering health insurance to households for $5 a year. Makindu Children's Program has the funds to buy this for all enrolled OVC for the first year. Caregivers have agreed to help with this cost in following years. Access to care will be available at local clinics. This will enable us seek better care for the more serious illnesses and injuries.

4. ADVOCACY: 301 guardians care for 565 OVC. The guardians are assigned to 1 of 27 guardian groups with whom they meet monthly. Each group elects a leader, a treasuer and a secretary. The groups collectively determine the priorities of need of their guardians. The leader communicates these needs to the community health workers (CHV) and/or social workers. The social workers then report to the Center Director. All households receive at least one home visit from a CHV as well as a visit by a social worker monthly. This communication web allows enrolled OVC issues to be identified, reported and acted upon to receive necessary advocacy and support. It also allows for quick comprehensive care and intervention with crisis management and trauma support.

5. PSS: Makindu Children's Program has strong support within the community. Local elders and government officials often provide experts to conduct trainings and workshops. The community of guardians is also strong and they make every effort to attend, so that they can stay connected, discuss concerns and share successes. The kids enjoy playing with their friends, learning new things, and eating a big communal meal together. The positive energy and regular gatherings keep everyone entertained, informed and solidifies their sense of belonging to the greater community.

6. IGA: Empowering the caregivers with income-generating activities gives them a sense of worth and independence. The guardian network ensures they receive the support necessary to learn and perfect their IGA skills.

1. NUTRITION: We estimate at least 500,000 meals have been served to OVC at the center since the program inception 20 years ago. 320 goats have been delivered to over 300 households. Dozens of kids have overcome malnutrition. No enrolled OVC is currently malnourished.

2. EDUCATION: Many of the OVC have graduated the program to become self-sufficient. Some are now lawyers, professors, engineers, hairdressers, dressmakers, social workers, accountants and governmental officials. For the past 8 years, the number of enrolled OVC who qualify to attend high school has increased. Of the current 565 enrolled OVC, only two suffer from truancy.

3. HEALTH CARE: The percentage of HIV infected enrolled OVC has declined every year for the past decade. Our HIV infected children are living longer healthier lives. Corrective surgeries have greatly improved the lives of 5 enrolled OVC. Eye glasses and hearing aids have greatly improved the lives of 6 enrolled OVC.

4. ADVOCACY: Thousands of birth certificates have been issued and recorded for our enrolled OVC, formally granting them personhood, and all the rights that come with being a legitimate human being. Three cases of defilement have been tried with the perpetrators receiving guilty verdicts and jail time. Though the HIV stigma is still high, all of our enrolled OVC have received counseling and are more comfortable talking about HIV and children's rights.

5. PSS: Thousands have experienced and benefited from community bonding at PSS events. Thousands have been dewormed and deloused. Thousands have shared a communal meal. Teens and younger children are communicating more openly about issues affecting them.

6. IGA: Economic empowerment has helped dozens of our caregivers raise hundreds of children, and has put smiles on many many faces.