Tree Of Lives

STRENGTHENING THE AFRICAN FAMILY IN OUR SHARED BATTLE AGAINST HIV/AIDS AND POVERTY

JOY CHILDREN'S VILLAGE ORPHANAGE THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 59 CHILDREN UNDER CARE AT JOY VILLAGE, INCLUDING THE 7 NEW CHILDREN WE WELCOMED IN 2023. ONE OF OUR JOY VILLAGE MAMAS RETIRED, AND THE HOUSES WERE REARRANGED TO PLACE THE CHILDREN IN HER HOUSE WITH OTHER MAMAS. THERE ARE NOW 10 STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING 4 MAMAS, 3 AUNTIES, THE JOY VILLAGE DIRECTOR, JOY VILLAGE COORDINATOR, AND ONE GROUNDS AND MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR. ABOUT HALF OF THE CHILDREN STILL LIVE ON THE COMPOUND, WHILE THE OTHERS ARE AT QUALITY BOARDING SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SPEND HOLIDAYS AND BREAKS EITHER WITH FAMILY OR AT OASIS CENTERS WHERE THEY RECEIVE SKILLS TRAININGS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTRUCTION AND LEARN TO MAKE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES. SINCE MANY OF THE CHILDREN ARE AWAY AT BOARDING SCHOOL, WE WERE ABLE TO COMBINE HOUSES TO BRING IT DOWN TO 4 HOUSES. ALSO, ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL MAMAS RETIRED IN 2023. WE HAVE 36 JOY VILLAGE CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR SCHOLARS PROGRAM AND 7 OF OUR JOY VILLAGE KIDS - KIDS NO LONGER - ARE ENROLLED IN POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS TO PREPARE THEM FOR THEIR CAREERS. FOR THE CHILDREN STILL AT JOY VILLAGE, TUTORS COME REGULARLY TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR STUDIES. SEVERAL OF THE CHILDREN REQUIRED SPECIALIZED MEDICAL CARE, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE, INCLUDING ORTHODONTIC WORK, GLASSES, AND HEARING NAZARETH HOSPITAL WE PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR 331 PATIENTS, BOTH IN- AND OUT-PATIENT MEDICAL PROCEDURES, THROUGH THE TREE OF LIVES CHARITY ACCOUNT. THIS ACCOUNT ENABLES THE POOREST OF THE POOR TO OBTAIN TREATMENT FOR LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES, SUCH AS DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, AND CANCER, AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THE ACCOUNT ALSO COVERS EMERGENCIES, SUCH AS CAESAREAN SECTIONS. PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING WAS PROVIDED BY TWO COUNSELORS FOR OVER 1,400 PEOPLE, THOUGH THE EXACT NUMBER IS UNCERTAIN BECAUSE THE COUNSELORS DO NOT INCLUDE RECORDS OF STAFF, STUDENTS, AND GRIEF COUNSELING FOR CONFIDENTIALITY REASONS. THE PASTORAL COUNSELING PROGRAM AT NAZARETH CONTINUES TO BE THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN KENYA. IN 2023, THE PASTORAL CARE COUNSELORS IDENTIFIED TWO UNITS THAT REQUIRED SPECIAL ATTENTION, THOSE BEING THE CHEMOTHERAPY AND RENAL UNITS. IN THE CHEMO UNIT, THEY ESTABLISHED A SUPPORT GROUP THAT MET MONTHLY. THEY ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO PATIENTS EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ADDICTION, GRIEF, AND SELF-HARM IDEATION. HOLY FAMILY CENTER THE WORLD AIDS DAY PROGRAM ORGANIZED BY THE YOUTH MENTORS IS NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR. THIS YEAR IT REACHED OVER 11,000 PEOPLE - MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS MORE THAN QUADRUPLE THE NUMBER FROM THE YEAR BEFORE THAT - AND 8,000 OF THEM WERE YOUTH. 914 PEOPLE GOT TESTED FOR HIV, OF WHICH EIGHT WERE NEWLY IDENTIFIED AS POSITIVE. OF THOSE EIGHT, FIVE ARE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY ENROLLED AT HFC FOR FOLLOW-UP CARE. FIFTEEN OF THE YOUTH MENTORS PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT, VISITING A FLOWER FARM, UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, AND BUS STOPS. SINCE YOUTH MENTOR PROGRAM STARTED, VIRAL SUPPRESSION AMONG PARTICIPANTS HAS GONE FROM 76% TO 93%. HFC CURRENTLY HAS 4,433 PATIENTS ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART), AND SUPPORTS PATIENTS NOT ONLY AT THE MAIN FACILITY BUT ALSO AT 4 SATELLITE CLINICS. 5,430 PEOPLE WERE TESTED FOR HIV IN 2023, 223 WERE NEWLY IDENTIFIED AS POSITIVE, AND 202 WERE NEWLY ENROLLED IN THE TREATMENT PROGRAM. THE OVERALL VIRAL SUPPRESSION RATE AMONG PATIENTS ENROLLED IN TREATMENT AT HFC IS 97%, WHICH SURPASSES THE COUNTRY-WIDE GOAL OF 95%. TOGETHER, THE MAIN FACILITY AND THE CLINICS HAVE 56 HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND 41 COMMUNITY HEALTH VOLUNTEERS. FOR THE 11TH YEAR IN A ROW, HFC'S MOTHER TO MOTHER PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV FROM HIV+ PREGNANT WOMEN TO THEIR CHILDREN, HAD A 100% SUCCESS RATE. THE PROGRAM USES COUNSELING, NUTRITION, AND MENTORSHIP TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION. IN 2023, 48 PREGNANT MOTHERS WERE NEWLY IDENTIFIED AS HIV+ AND ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, AND 42 BABIES "GRADUATED" FROM THE PROGRAM AT 2 YEARS OF AGE, ALL HIV NEGATIVE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MANY COUNSELING SESSIONS WERE ALSO HELD FOR THE MOTHERS. THROUGHOUT 2023, HFC CONTINUED THEIR DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD PACKS COMPRISED OF PORRIDGE FLOUR, MAIZE FLOUR, AND BEANS. THESE ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR HIV+ PATIENTS WHOSE MEDICATION MUST BE TAKEN WITH FOOD. THEY ALSO PROVIDED FORMULA TO NURSING MOTHERS WHO ARE HIV POSITIVE AND CANNOT THEREFORE NURSE THEIR CHILDREN THEMSELVES. THROUGH OUR BOXES OF LOVE FUNDRAISER, 200 FAMILIES AT HOLY FAMILY CENTER WERE GIVEN RICE, FLOUR, SOAP, OIL, SUGAR, A TOOTHBRUSH, AND A SCHOOL BAG TO HELP SUSTAIN THEM FOR 8 WEEKS OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON. ALLAMANO SCHOOL AND SCHOLARS PROGRAM THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM NOW HAS 145 STUDENTS, 36 OF WHOM ARE JOY VILLAGE CHILDREN. TWO SCHOLARS ARE IN UNIVERSITY, THREE IN COLLEGE, THREE SAT FOR THEIR FORM FOUR NATIONAL EXAMS, AND 12 SAT FOR THEIR GRADE EIGHT NATIONAL EXAMS. FOURTEEN STUDENTS ALSO SAT FOR THEIR GRADE SIX NATIONAL EXAMS. TEACHER GEORGE CONTINUES TO PROVE HIMSELF ADEPT AT MANAGING THE PROGRAM.