community profile
Mtwapa is known in Mombasa and throughout Kenya for its sex industry. It is located on Malindi Highway in Mombasa, and has an estimated population of 100,000. The HIV infection rate is currently at 5.4%. The population is growing at a rapid rate because of the tourist industry and an influx of big business (Coastal Bottlers, a Coca-Cola bottling plant is located in town). These factors combined with the prevalence of Islam have created a difficult environment for many church leaders.
center staff
Health Counselor, Hildah
Hildah joined the CARE for AIDS team in 2017 and serves as the health counselor in Mtwapa. She is passionate about serving the community and she is well-loved by the clients for her gentle spirit and genuine care for them and their families.
Spiritual Counselor, Nimrod Kalama Tsuma
Nimrod began serving the Mtwapa center in 2017 as spiritual counselor. His favorite part of the job is giving hope to the hopeless, especially when preaching to them during seminars and counseling clients. His dream for each client is to see them transformed and empowered, practice the skills that they have learned.
center history
YEAR GRADUATES FAITH-DECISIONS ORPHANS PREVENTED
2016-2017 64 9 280
2017-2018 64 10 227
2018-2019 63 13 215
2019-2020* N/A N/A N/A
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.
Graduate Profiles
Eunice Atieno, 2019 Graduate
Eunice grew up in the Western part of Kenya near Kisumu. She is a single mother of four children and relied heavily on her family support system to raise her family.
Unfortunately, as is the story for so many, Eunice learned she was HIV+ and her life changed completely. Having been abandoned and stigmatized by her family, Eunice had no choice but to leave her hometown and search for employment in a bigger city.
She ended up in Mtwapa, Mombasa, but instead of the opportunity she hoped to find there, she just found more difficulty.
Without employment or a support system, her health quickly failed. Eunice developed multiple opportunistic infections including Tuberculosis and a skin condition that left wounds all over her body. By the time Eunice was referred to CARE for AIDS, she had all but given up on herself. She had a very hard time trusting people and was suspicious of the program and the staff at first. She was very bitter and in constant physical pain from her skin condition. At first, she refused to speak with the center counselors. She often lashed out at other clients in bitterness and anger- she had been so hardened by stigma she couldn't function as part of a community.
Over time, though, Eunice began to soften. Consistent one on one counseling helped her see that she could heal both physically and emotionally for her wounds. With some simple medical interventions paid for through the CARE for AIDS Medical Endowment Fund, she was able to get the medication and treatments necessary to heal her skin and end her battle with TB.
Now, Eunice counts the Mtwapa center counselors as her new family. She has also started to implement some of the economic empowerment skills she learned in the program and is earning a living through selling beaded bags. We are excited to see how Eunice's life continues to change in the final months of her class at Mtwapa.