community profile
The Nyalenda slum is the largest slum in Kisumu, stretching along the southern border of the city from the Nairobi Highway to Lake Victoria. Most of the community members live in temporary structures made of corrugated tin sheeting. There is little to no running water or electricity in the area. The majority of the residents in Nyalenda are from the Luo Tribe, which has an infection rate of over 20%- the highest tribal infection rate in Kenya. Luo cultural traditions like wife inheritance, along with poor health infrastructure, contribute to the high infection rate in the community.
center staff
Spiritual Counselor, Elias Majiwa Ouko
Elias grew up in a village called Kamugu, the last born in a family of eight. Today he is 33 years old, married and father of one child. He joined CFA in 2014. He says, “I didn’t have a good life. I lost my parents and endured a lot of hard times. I had to find what to feed on and love from parents. I prayed for God to give me an opportunity to give back to the community and CFA gave me the chance.”
HEALTH COUNSELOR: Josephine Mideva
Josephine serves as the Health Counselor for the Nyalenda center in the Kisumu region. She is caring for her clients’ physical health through medical intervention and adherence and educating clients on proper nutrition as a way of managing their disease.
center history
YEAR GRADUATES FAITH-DECISIONS ORPHANS PREVENTED
2010-2011 77 53 188
2011-2012 65 14 153
2012-2013 65 14 154
2013-2014 68 27 272
2014-2015 79 14 233
2016-2017 73 41 234
2017-2018 74 19 198
2018-2019 75 8 233
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
Risper, 2018 Nyalenda Graduate:
Risper is 20 years old. She is a single mother to two girls, one is 3 years old and the other is 1 year old. Risper was raised by her dad; her mother passed away while she was still young. When she was in form 2, or 10th grade, her dad took her to the clinic to be tested for HIV and the test was positive. She immediately began taking ARV medication. A year later, Risper found out that she was pregnant with her first born. Her boyfriend at the time left her after finding out about the baby. Sadly, the same thing occurred two years later and her new partner also left when she found out she pregnant with her second child. Thankfully, with the support of her dad, she was still able to finish high school and take her exit exams.
Early this year, Risper’s doctor told her about the CARE for AIDS program at Nyalenda center. She met with the staff and decided to join the program. “I used to be very stressed,” she said, “being a single mother to two young children and trying to make enough money to care for this is a big challenge.” Thankfully, the one-on-one counseling with our staff plus the support of the new friends she made in the program, Risper has learned how to better balance being a young mother while also pursuing her dream to one day be an accountant.
Risper is using the skills she learned in the program to make and sell things in her local community. She mostly focuses on beadwork, but also makes soap and bakes cakes. “Before this program, I didn’t have any skills like these,” she said. Risper has been able to save enough money to pay for a course in computer skills that she is currently enrolled in. “I used to feel ashamed,” Risper says, “I felt like a big disappointment to my dad. But now I feel proud of who I am and what I am able to do. I know God has good things prepared for my future still.”