Between 990,000 and 1.3 million Kenyans above the age of 15 were infected with HIV by the end of 2005. In that year 140,000 Kenyans died from AIDS. Most of these were young bread winners who left their families without financial support.

Currently there are 1.1 million AIDS orphans in the country. By 2010 this number will be in excess of 1.8 million. Majority of the orphans are under the care of older people. Many adults living with AIDS are also under the care of their ageing parents. Older people lack emotional and financial support to provide the necessary care to orphans and those ailing.

More than 50% of Kenyans are living in poverty despite the growth in the economy. Homes headed by older people are the worst affected. Many of them are in a state of disrepair and lack food, decent clothing, health care, educational materials for their grandchildren, and other basic needs.

AIDS makes older people poorer by straining the little money they have. With inadequate sources of income they grow poorer.

Aim

This EU funded project aims at contributing to the achievement of MDG’s in Western Kenya, particularly those of halving poverty by 2015, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and achieving universal primary education.

Activities

The project is expected to benefit 20,000 vulnerable people, particularly in older people headed households, and those caring and supporting dependants, among them people living with HIV/AIDS and/or orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Some of the activities to be carried out include:

• Construction and renovation of houses and sanitation facilities
• Distribution of agricultural inputs
• Distribution and monitoring of grants for income generating activities
• Improvement of access to education for orphans and other vulnerable children
• Improvement of HIV/AIDS community support systems for older people 
• Advocacy of key stakeholders to include older people in their development programmes

Achievements

The three year programme now in its second year has made substantial contribution towards improving the livelihoods of older people and their families through a range of interventions:

• Farm inputs have been distributed to 508 older people and their families to improve their food security
  
• Grants to start small businesses have been given to 282 older people
  
• Training in home based care has been undertaken with 154 caregivers, peer educators and counsellors. They have also received home based care kits
  
• Up to 90 older people and their households have benefited from the construction of houses and latrines.
  
• Advocacy in various fora has been undertaken among a broad range of stakeholders at national, provincial and district level forums
  

Future

Over the next year HelpAge International will support partners to strengthen their advocacy skills to lobby development stakeholders. The advocacy will focus on the inclusion of older people and their families in the anti-AIDS policies, strategies and programmes of key stakeholders.

The programme is expected to benefit additional older people headed households through shelter and toilet construction, and distribution of agricultural inputs and grants to support in income generating activities.

Additional peer educators and home based carers will be trained to improve home based care in the programme areas.