community profile
Bandani, meaning “Bright Light” is a community that was named after an iron sheet building built by an Indian entrepreneur that made car tires. There are approximately 14,000 people living in an 8.4 square mile site in East Kisumu. The area is poorly drained and floods regularly, destroying several houses every time there are heavy rains. A recent study in the area found that only three households in Bandani had electricity.
The CARE for AIDS center in the Bandani community opened in February of 2015 and operates in partnership with Deliverance Church Bandani under the leadership of Pastor George Omollo.
center staff
Spiritual Counselor, Bernard Wandera:
Bernard joined the CARE for AIDS team in 2015. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children and live in the Bandani community.
"I love working at CARE for AIDS because it allows me to help transform people's lives."
MEDICAL COUNSELOR: Betty owinga
Betty joined the CARE for AIDS team as the Health Counselor in Bandani in 2019. She studied social work in college and is thrilled to be using her education to serve the community.
CENTER HISTORY
YEAR GRADUATES FAITH-DECISIONS ORPHANS PREVENTED
2014-2015 70 32 301
2015-2016 72 44 269
2016-2017 70 27 242
2018-2019 77 33 234
2019-2020* 80 29 251
2020-2021 77 13 224
*The cohort in the 2019-2020 class was impacted by delays in the CARE for AIDS program caused by COVID-19 lockdowns and health precautions. To learn more about how we responded to the pandemic, visit this page.
graduate profiles
Eunice, 2020 Graduate
Eunice is a widowed mother of four beautiful children. When she joined the CARE for AIDS program in Bandani she was so weak she could barely walk. Her 15 year old son would walk with her everywhere she want to support her fragile body. As soon as she joined the program the center’s health counselor gave her high nutrient food to get her strength back. Eunice learned the importance of adhering to her ARV medication, and her health slowly improved. She recently started her own small business and can work to support her family.
Upon graduating from the program, Eunice had regained her full physical strength and was full of hope. She had saved enough money to send all of her kids to school and even had enough to open a small savings account to ensure her future and the future of her children was secure.
Polycarp, 2019 BAndani center graduate
Polycarp is a recent graduate of Bandani center in Kisumu. He is 52 years old and is married with seven children. Polycarp found out that he was HIV-positive in 2005, and immediately disclosed this information to his family. Thankfully, they all tested negative. A few years after his diagnosis, Polycarp learned about the CARE for AIDS program at Bandani. Through one-on-one counseling with Bernard, the spiritual counselor at Bandani center, Polycarp became a believer in Jesus Christ during the nine-month program. He has since become a member of Airport Deliverance Church, and he appreciates that the church embraces and accepts people the way they are. Through the church and CARE for AIDS program, Polycarp has learned what grace looks like and is now accepting of his HIV status and no longer lives in shame.
Polycarp is combining the beadwork and doormat making skills he learned in the program to generate a steady income. He is creating unique products like wall hangings and door decorations in addition to the typical jewelry items made with beads. Polycarp is thriving, and has committed to staying connected with his fellow graduates long after graduation. He and his family have found hope and community in the church and through the CARE for AIDS program.