Nyaweri (Nyanza Western Rift Valley) Deaf VCT Centre

The office exists since 2004, founded by Dr. Peter Oracha Adoyo from Maseno University. Its main office is Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment under which Nyaweri is working. Right now six people are running the office, five are deaf and one is hearing, who are trained on counseling and testing. The main reason of the formation of this office is to help educate hearing impaired people on HIV/AIDS, so that they are able to make informed decisions and carry out testing. Deaf people have to face many challenges when it comes to HIV/AIDS.
Myths and prejudices exist about the deaf and in combination with HIV/AIDS it is even harder for them to lead a normal life. Another big problem is the lack of information and awareness on HIV/AIDS especially for those who are living in the rural areas. Language barriers among the education level are a big challenge and it is really hard for them to acquire appropriate information about HIV/AIDS. Poor access to VCT services, Stigma and discrimination are three other challenges for a deaf person when he or she has been tested positive.
After the counseling and the result, it is important to prepare for the future and to create a surrounding atmosphere where he or she can feel understood, accepted and comfortable.
Another part of the VCT office is the outreach program. Employees are going out into the fields closer to the people who might not have time and the opportunity to get access to the VCT, and because of transport problems, and also lack of knowledge.
This is one option to provide the VCT service to people in rural areas.
Also workshops are offered for many different topics, e.g. some of them focus on the right of women and the problems of gender inequality. The workshops are organized by different associations like Handicap International, Kenya National Association of the Deaf etc.
When it comes to HIV/AIDS the employees of Nyaweri are hoping and wishing that this place will always play a big role in terms of improvement of knowledge and knowing of the HIV/AIDS status to reduce more infections among themselves and development for this special group which the hearing does not give much attention. They want to reach as many deaf as possible to provide awareness and information about HIV/AIDS and other health related issues.
A lot of things have changed over the last years. The workers at Nyaweri hope it will continue this way and they are always trying to extend this important kind of work.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) sessions and examples

VCT for HIV usually involves two counseling sessions: one prior test known as "pre-test counseling" and one following the test when the results are given, often referred to as "post-test counseling". Counseling focuses on the infection (HIV), the disease (AIDS), the test, and positive behavior change.

VCT has become popular in many parts of Africa as a way for a person to learn their HIV status. VCT centres and counselors often use rapid HIV tests that require a drop of blood or some cells from the inside of one's cheek. The tests are cheap, require minimal training, and provide accurate results in about 15 minutes

Until recently, the primary model for providing HIV testing and counseling has been client-initiated HIV testing and counseling - also known as voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) - in which individuals must actively seek an HIV test at a health or community-based facility. But uptake of client-initiated HIV testing and counseling has been limited by low coverage of services, fear of stigma and discrimination, and the perception by many people - even in high prevalence areas - that they are not at risk.

Many people are taking a HIV test on a regular basis now. Women and men-from young to old- go to the VCT office every three month because the HI-Virus needs up to this time psan to be detectable in the blood. The process is quite fast and easy to undergo. People come without an appointment to a place that offers VCT and after a short period of waiting they are being taken to a seperate room and the counseling starts. The testing itself takes a couple of minutes and the results of the first test (depending on the outcome of this test two additional tests can be taken) takes about ten minutes.

To secure that the testing stays anonymous, tested people don’t use their names but a number or letter code like the name of their mother. These codes are important for the statistics to see how many people use the VCT. It also helps to find older results when people come more often to use the VCT. But it is not a must to use the same VCT place for testing. Actually a lot of people change the VCT setting very often.

Sadly it is not possible for some people to participate in such an important development. Deaf people haven’t had the chance to use a VCT office for a very long time.

HIV treatment

HIV is an uncommon type of virus called a retrovirus, and drugs developed to disrupt the action of HIV are known as antiretroviral drugs (ARV). They come in a variety of formulations designed to act on different stages of the life-cycle of HIV.
The AIDS virus mutates rapidly, which makes it extremely skilful at developing resistance to drugs. To minimize this risk, people with HIV are generally treated with a combination of ARV drugs that attack the virus on several fronts at once.
The introduction of ARV drugs in 1996 transformed the treatment of HIV and AIDS, improving the quality and greatly prolonging the lives of many infected people in places where the drugs are available. Nevertheless, ARV drugs are not a cure. If treatment is discontinued the virus becomes active again, so a person on ARV drugs must take them for life.
Although the price of ARV drugs has fallen significantly in recent years, the cost remains an obstacle to access in the developing world. Moreover, the health infrastructure required to deliver antiretroviral therapy is lacking in many places.
Access to drugs depends not only on financial and human resources. It depends also on people who need them being aware of their HIV status, knowledgeable about treatment, and empowered to seek it.
Thus public information and education are important elements in widening access, alongside efforts to build or strengthen the health services. The campaign for universal access to life saving drugs for HIV and AIDS, started originally by grassroots AIDS activists, is today a major focus of attention of UN agencies and others influential organizations at national and global levels.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT)

Counseling and testing (CT) is one of the most rapidly expanding HIV program services in the world. Appealing the increased demand is the recognition of CT's role in both preventing new HIV infections and increasing access to care and treatment (including antiretroviral therapy).
Family Health International has supported CT since 1997 with tools, strategies, and technical documents, technical assistance, and program implementation. In more than 25 countries, FHI's current CT programs support in-country counterparts and communities, including people living with HIV or AIDS, to develop culturally appropriate and client-centered services. It works with local government organizations and NGOs to establish and expand services, and providing global guidance on how to tailor services in different settings for different objectives. Regardless of the model or approach, FHI believes CT services must be provided within a human rights framework.

Essential policy actions for HIV prevention

1.) Ensure that human rights are promoted, protected and respected and that measures are taken to eliminate discrimination and combat stigma.

2.)Build and maintain leaderships from all sections of the society, including the government, affected communities, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the education sector, media, the private sector and trade unions.

3.)Involve people living with HIV in the design, implementation and evaluation of prevention strategies, addressing the distinct prevention needs.

4.)Address cultural norms and beliefs, recognizing both the key role they may play in supporting prevention efforts and the potential they have to fuel HIV transmission.

5.)Promote gender equality and address gender norms and relations to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls, involving men and boys in this effort.

6.)Promote widespread knowledge and awareness of how HIV is transmitted and how infections can be averted.

7.)Promote the links between HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health.

8.)Support the mobilization of community-based responses throughout the continuum of prevention, care and treatment.

9.)Promote programmes targeted at HIV prevention needs of key affected groups and populations.

10.)Mobilizing and strengthening financial, human and institutional capacity across all sectors, particularly in the health and education area.

11.)Review and reform legal frameworks to remove barriers to effective, evidence based HIV prevention, combat stigma and discrimination and protect the rights of people living with HIV or vulnerable or at risk to HIV.

12.)Ensure that sufficient investments are made in the research and development of, and advocacy for, new prevention technologies.

STOBBEHOLZE NEL DEAF AND DEAFBLIND CHILDREN CENTRE

1. BEGINNING OF THE CHILDREN CENTRE:

The idea of starting the centre was found in our work-motto that is: “TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE LIVES”. This was in July 2009, when the project was formed as a Community Base Organization [CBO] dealing with deaf and deafblind children. It is run by people who volunteer to help and support deaf and deafblind children who suffer a lot in Kenya.

2. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES:

Kenya is one of many countries in East Africa where many people with a disability are not given an opportunity to enjoy health care, education, housing, or an opportunity for a school graduation like other children.
There are only a few orphanages and centres for children across the country which give hope to many orphans and access to food, clothes and a proper medical care system.
None of these orphanages keep a place in their centre to accept children who are deaf and deafblind.
One reason for this is the problem of misunderstanding. For example some orphanages think that including deaf and deafblind children will give them a bigger burden.
Some centers also think that this inclusion could have bad side effects for the other children who are not deaf and deafblind.
You can find deaf and deafblind orphans everywhere in the streets. So many of them live under hard conditions as there is nobody to take care of them and to show that they are being loved.
Most of those deaf and deafblind children are AIDS orphans. They don’t have any family members, and those who have relatives face many prejudices as they think that deaf and deafblind children have no place to belong to and that they are a big burden for the society.
It’s sad to see that most of those children who get little support from their relatives get half way education and have nowhere to go and get food, clothing, and housing. And especially they don’t have any place to go when the school is closed for holiday. For this reason the STOBBEHOLZE NEL CENTRE is now the only orphanage centre in Kenya that will support deaf and deafblind orphans.

3. The HOME:

STOBBEHOLZE NEL deaf and deafblind children centre is located in Western Kenya next to Kisumu along Kisumu-Busia road. The place is called Lela market in Maseno, half a kilometer from Maseno University.


4. WHAT WE WANT TO DO:

1. To educate and enlighten deaf and deafblind children on different the issues about the society.
2. To put up a rehabilitation centre for the deaf and deafblind in the community.
3. To create awareness in the society to accept deaf and deafblind children as part of our society.
4. To establish a sign language and tactile sign centre in order to promote communication between deaf, deafblind and the community.
5. To create awareness on rights of the deaf and deafblind children.

5. VISION:

An orphanage centre of excellence where deaf and deafblind children get the opportunity to reach their great potentials.

6. PRINCIPLES:

Deafness and Deafblindness are unique disabilities. The children must be treated with understanding, patience and love.

7. MISSION:

We want to improve the health and education system and create a better life for the deaf and deafblind children.

8. OUR CHILDREN:

Our children are orphans. Many of them were abused physically and have lived under horrible conditions. They are seeking for love, care, education, health, food and a place they can call their home. They need to grow, learn their culture and get the feeling to become a needed citizen.
The children are between 16 and 20 years old.
After leaving the centre and primary school they can go to high school, vocational training, while others will (hopefully) go to university.

9. HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1) Sponsor a child
Both deafness and deafblindness require a learning and understanding environment. It is important that their education takes place in a boarding school starting from nursery.
We invite you to experience the difference a sponsorship can make in the life of a child. Whoever has the possibility to sponsor a child should take this opportunity seriously. The rewards are greater than words can express. Your contribution will go towards paying their school fees, provide food, clothes, medical provision etc.
Your support will protect his or her future.

More things:
-Welcome letter from the STOBBEHOLZE NEL CENTRE.
-Picture of the child.
-Personal history of the child.
-Annual school progress record of the child.
-Personal letter from the child.
-The opportunity to visit the child at the STOBBEHOLZE NEL centre.
-To know that you are making a big difference in a child’s life.


2) Sponsor a STOBBENHOLZE NEL’S development project:

STOBBEHOLZE NEL has not yet a permanent donor to help working on projects like building houses for the centre. We rely on well-wishers, friends, members who want to contribute to help building classrooms, dormitories, an electricity system, water accessions etc.
We have almost succeeded to pay off the land. Then we will start to build permanent houses so that we are able to accommodate more deaf and deafblind children who are still suffering in the hands of the society.
We appeal for help and support. Well-wishers, friends, churches, and other organizations are welcome to help and work together with us.




TO THE CHURCHERS YOUR RELIGION COMMUNITY HAS A TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AN INVOLVED PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL TRULY CHANGE THE LIVES OF SOME OF THE THOUSANDs DEAF AND DEAFBLIND ORPHANES. BY WORKING WITH US THE MEMBERS OF YOUR CHURCH WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ENRICHING EFFORT THAT HAS A SPECIFIC GOAL.

In Nehemiah’s words “come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach” [Nehemiah 2:17”] that gave us the motivation for laying down the foundation for protecting and improving the conditions of the deaf and deafblind children.
With this concern in our minds we remember how the Lord Jesus healed the deaf the people brought to him as shown in the bible. [Mark 7:32] in turn it is our duty to bring these kids deaf and deafblind children into personal relationship with GOD IN RESPONSE TO THEIR NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS. SO PLEASE JOIN US TO HELP THEM AT THE STOBBEHOLZE NEL’S CENTRE.
REMEBER THAT YOUR GENEROUSITY WILL QUICKLY BEGIN TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF DEAF AND DEAFBLIND ORPHANS WHO ARE IN GREAT NEED!


10.WHERE CURRENT HELP IS NEEDED:
1. Building dormitory, hall etc.
2. Fixing the electricity system.
3. Digging bore holes for water.
4. Fixing a permanent fence.
5. Sponsoring children.
6. Food provision.
7. Safety arrangements.
8. Preparing for a self-sustaining environment.


11. CONTACT:

1. In Germany
Project patron: Nele Gabriel
EMAIL: kidsofmaseno@gmail.com

2. In Kenya
Project Coordinator: Austine Otieno
P.O.Box 11,
Maseno. Kisumu –City
EMAIL: elizipem@yahoo.com


Thank you very much!
Austine Otieno