AFRICANEWS

Kenya

Home of Peace for AIDS orphans

Chilrden

The founding of an AIDS orphanage homein the country is one noble way that a Fr D'Agostino, a missionary and a professional psychiatrist has decidedtodevotehis life.

One of the consequences of the AIDS epidemic is the birth of children born with the HIV virus. Most of them were either abandoned or left to die slowly by their families. It is this unfortunate situation that moved Fr. Angelo D'Agostino, a Catholic priest to found a home to cater for such children. Though its official name is Children of God Relief Institute, the home, located in the Langata area of Nairobi is popularly known as Nyumbani Home of Peace.

It caters for all HIV positive children , many who have been abandoned by their families thus termed orphans. The main objective is to provide feeding and treatment of ailments related to HIV. For the children to be admitted in the home they have to be under twelve years of age. And this admission is based on recommendations by doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital, Maternity homes and other Child care homes in the country. Since it was founded in—— the home has admitted 133 children. Of these 37 have died while 30 of them have turned HIV negative. At the moment has 66 children under fulltime care.

But the idea to found such a home had sprang nine years ago. That is when Fr. D'Agostino took three AIDS orphans under his care in the first home in Westlands area of Nairobi. The number increased first to six then to twelve. This is when the home moved to its current location in Langata in 1995. D'Agostino, a trained psychiatrist established Nyumbani with the co-operation of well wishers who had the same dream but needed committed individuals to take responsibility.

In an interview Fr. D'.Agostino said: "The main aim of establishing this home is to help save the three out of four normal infants who are born HIV positive and to provide humane care for those who remain positive with the hope there will be a cure in future." The home has confirmed, not all children labelled HIV positive, are positive. Three out of four children before eighteenth month of birth develop antibodies that destroy the existence of the viral load by gradual reduction. Relatives have reclaimed those whose HIV stigma has been eliminated while willing individuals have adopted others both locally and internationally.

It has reduced health problems with proper care of HIV positive babies. It has attracted a lot of attention in the care of the orphans. Children attend public schools as to curtail the level of discrimination against them. People who visited the house received informal education about the virus. Despite struggles, misconceptions of outsiders about goals and aspiration continue to retard its. Kenyan citizen and residence alike should embrace this opportunity and appreciate the effortlessness of the contributors.

The disease which has become a borne of contention in the world introduced a lot of dis-harmony to our community. The United States government has financed a project that cater for 200 children in Kangemi, a project fostered by Nyumbani Community based group. The government of Tanzania recognized the project and requested the group sets a similar in the country. The government has allocated 20 acres of land and is ready to finance the project. At the same time it has asked for qualified personnel from Nyumbani based programme.

However, the effective start of the project was delayed by the recent death of Julius Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania.

AIDS orphanage is a necessity for countries faced with the virus endemically, otherwise abuse of children commence when they are left to dissolution after the death of their parents.

Asked whether he has planned the project beforehand he said: "No. I am a Psychiatrist specialist and I have my office in town." But in response to the need created by the AIDS epidemic, which no one in the country seemed to take notice, D'Agostino responded to the need without an idea or an experience "but with the aid of people all over the world, I am able to establish the largest Institution taking care of HIV orphans." he said.

D'Agostino didnt have much money when he started the home. The only he had been borrowed from friends. The Kenyan government did not assist with any finances. With the money he bought the plot where the home is located. Other donors helped to set up the first buildings. These included the Japanese Embassy in Kenya, the Swiss foundation and Caritas Italiana. Foreign individual donors also came in through three groups referred as Nyumbani benefactors in the US, Britain and Italy. They are business persons and willing individuals who aimed at raising fund for Nyumbani Project.

According to the treasurer of Nyumbani – US board, Bob Burke the American board was started seven years ago as ' a body to finance the project and aims at raising money annually for the survival of the home.' Same as the other benefactors from all around the world. Most of the volunteers come from different countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Britain and the US. There are also the local volunteers who, according to observers have done a tremendeous effort.

Nyumbani is a Kiswahili word for home. In this set-up, there are trained single mothers assigned to each cottage to develop the role of mother and uncles for grown up boys. There are six cottages of whose 'mums' run the four of them. There is also a medical Doctor who comes in three times a week to attend the sick ones. There are two registered teachers and nurses who live on the compound as nuns. The gown-up children attend Schools outside while the younger ones of age study in a school environment on the compound.

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