Aids, WR Clinic, Slums, Church and Red Cross IPD Camps

This is Lydia. She is 13 years old and HIV Positive. She has been taking medicine for some time, and her prognosis is positive. Both her parents died from AIDS several years ago. Her aunt took her in. She is showing me her math workbook; she had excellent scores and excellent hand writing. She is seen 1-2 times a week by the local AIDS clinic set up by World Relief, as shown below.
This is an AIDS clinic setup and administered by World Relief in Faraja. It has a wonderful staff of nurses, volunteer doctor, and a local pastor that teaches about AIDS prevention as well as helping them set up 'microfinance' type little businesses so they can make their daily living.

The clinic cares for 1500 patients that are HIV Positive in home visits and in this one examine room; note the 'pharmcy' through the closet door.

City streets and slum areas of Faraja















(below)This is a church ran IDP camp about 40 minutes out of Nairobi; at its max they had 276 people; it now has 176. This church (a plant of Nairobi Chapel) has decreased the camp by church families 'adopting' families; providing for them; getting them home; taking them in, what ever is needed specifically for each family. Happy faces were everywhere...unbelievable joy in a horrible situation. But the camp was organized, clean, happy, and full of hope as people told us their stories.




The ladies preparing their families' next meal




RED CROSS CAMP:

This little girl's expression captured for me the difference in the church ran IDP camp and the Red Cross Camp where she is. At its max they had 2,000 people; it currently has around 800; Red Cross provides the basics...that's it. Churches are again showing up with help and taking families in slowly but surely.

(below) My buddies; the little one with his arm on my shoulder never let go of me; there are many kids there with NO family; I couldn't find anyone who knew about this little boy...he was just there.


(below) Red Cross Camp

(below) But the church provides again; this is the home of Beatrice; she purchased this at the end of December, worked hard painting and decorating for it to be a hostel for university students. She attended Nairobi Chapel for the first time at the end of January. She heard Pastor Oscar ask for families in the church to take in IPDs from the camps. She has now had 40+ transition from the camps to her home, and 30 of them are now back home. the 10 living there now do not know where their husbans/fathers are. But Beatrice is being Jesus to them. The hostel will just wait, she said. What a beautiful lady. That is the church at work.



I saw, smelled, heard, and touched more than I ever wanted to today. Not a whole lot more to be said.