community profile
Manyatta is the second largest informal settlement in Kisumu, Kenya. A majority of the residents in the community are experiencing extreme poverty- 77% of residents have to walk a considerable distance to access clean water and only 30% of households have access to electricity. The HIV infection rate is high, and CARE for AIDS has been working in the community since 2013.
center staff
Spiritual Counselor, Timon Elisha Kai
Pastor Timon has been serving with CFA since 2014 and wants to be a pillar of hope to people living with HIV/AIDS in my community and beyond.
Pastor Timon lost 4 brothers to HIV/AIDS and his family was greatly affected. He tells us, “I got inspired to pursue more knowledge in HIV related studies and a passion to serve people living with HIV/AIDS.”
MEDICAL COUNSELOR: Beatrice Obop
Beatrice joined the CARE for AIDS team as the Health Counselor at our center in Manyatta AIC in 2013. She is dedicated to serving our clients and loves working alongside her church to create change in the community.
center history
YEAR GRADUATES FAITH-DECISIONS ORPHANS PREVENTED
2013-2014 70 36 204
2014-2015 73 36 237
2015-2016 68 29 228
2016-2017 76 31 262
2017-2018 78 30 298
2018-2019 70 21 238
2019-2020* 76 30 210
2020-2021 TBD TBD TBD
*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.
Client profiles
EUNICE, 2021 CLIENT
Each time Eunice gave birth, her children would die before their first birthday. Her barrenness was considered taboo in her community, resulting in Eunice feeling the heavy burdens of stigma and loneliness, and eventually the loss of her home.
After her husband died in 2010 and she was forced out of her matrimonial home, she was dependent on church donations and a few kind people in the community for meals and support. At the time, Eunice saw no hope for a better future.
At the age of 35, Eunice is a widow, a mother of two deceased children, and now a thriving participant in fellowship and discipleship at the CARE for AIDS center in Manyatta. But when a hospital first referred her to the Manyatta center, she had recurring physical and mental health challenges, such as elephantiasis and epilepsy, in addition to being HIV positive.
With the help of a friend, Eunice relocated to the Kisumu region. And when a severe epilepsy episode caused her to fall on a burning jiko and sustain serious burns while preparing supper in her home in July 2021, the CARE for AIDS team at the Manyatta center was able to rush her to the nearest hospital for specialized treatment.
In the weeks following Eunice’s release from the hospital, the center’s team routinely completed in-home medical checks and wound dressing for her. Her wounds began to heal quickly and joining the CARE for AIDS program allowed her to access medical attention without cost.
The staff in the Manyatta center are incredibly proud of her physical and spiritual transformation. Eunice has started following Jesus, is an active member of the center’s discipleship class, and has restored her health and dignity through long-term counseling, pastoral care, and skill training. She earns income through a local contractor and has dreams of owning her own home and reuniting with her family members in the future.
LILIAN, 2021 CLIENT
After being married for over 5 years, Lilian, a 29-year-old mother of two, could not hold back her emotions while sharing the despair and anguish she had gone through.
Being a committed Christian and a member of the praise and worship team at her local church, Lilian believed that her marriage would last forever. But the unexpected happened—her husband had tested positive for HIV long before they got married and hadn’t disclosed his HIV status during their courtship. It took her 5 years to discover that she was living with an HIV-positive husband after she started developing health complications. She learned she had been infected and was now HIV positive too.
When she shared her HIV status with her husband, he became wild, intolerant, and acted innocent. She says hell broke loose in their house. After these incidents, her husband fled away with another woman to a far-off city, leaving her behind with a broken heart. She recalled feeling reduced “to a bag of bones.” Living in rejection and denial, she found it difficult to accept that she had contracted the virus and even refused medication.
Due to her stigma, she stopped going to church and vowed never to fall in love again due to her marriage trauma. She is currently receiving long-term counseling and support at our center. She is able to open up and share her secret ordeals and even how she attempted to take her own life on several occasions.
She accepted Christ into her life again. She now has a thousand more reasons to live and reconnect with the church. She keeps all her clinical appointments and her adherence has improved in terms of taking her medication, nutrition, and hygiene. She currently has a job to supplement her family's needs.
David, 2020 Client
David joined the CARE for AIDS program in 2019 during a desperate time in his life. He and his wife had separated and he was so sick that he was unable to work. He wanted to reunite with his wife and children but knew he needed to stabilize his health before he could reach out to them.
After months of one on one counseling and group therapy, David felt ready. The spiritual counselor at the Manyatta AIC center reached out to his estranged wife and offered to provide couples counseling. She agreed, and after a few sessions, she saw the change David had made in his life and wanted to reunite with him as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the program’s normal schedule, so David is still a client and is enjoying his extra months of counseling. We look forward to celebrating his graduation in 2021.
Jacinta, 2018 Manyatta AIC Graduate
When Jacinta joined the CARE for AIDS program in 2018 she was in denial about her status. She was struggling to put food on the table for her family and her health was quickly deteriorating. Once she joined the program, she realized she was not alone. She immediately began adhering to her medication and her health improved. She learned skills like beadwork, soap making, and basket weaving- skills she now uses to earn an income and provide for her children.
“For me, this program has been wonderful. I am now healthy and strong!” - Jacinta
Evelyne, 2016 Manyatta AIC Graduate
Evelyne graduated from the CARE for AIDS program in Manyatta in April of 2016. After the seminars on money management and business skills, she felt like she was prepared to start a small business, so she began by saving money - something she learned about in the program. When she had enough capital, she built a small grocer stall in front of her house and bought some produce to begin selling. Almost a year after her graduation, she is still going strong. She says business goes up and down, but in general, it’s going well and she is able to take care of herself and her family.