USHERING IN A NEW HOPE
HOPE worldwide Kenya Launches VCT Centre
Sunday the 23rd of February 2003 was a landmark day in the short history of HOPE worldwide in Kenya. On that day, HOPE was able to launch its first VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) centre in Kenya, at a site in the Mukuru slum area that borders the busy Industrial Area.
There are already 115 such centres in Kenya and their role is pivotal in the ongoing fight against the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. The centre opened that Sunday is the first in this particular part of the city of Nairobi and is a venue from which people are able to get free HIV counseling and testing. But Malinda Wheeler (left) and Nicasius Kamani (right), HOPE worldwide Kenya director and community coordinator respectively, have a greater vision for this particular centre than merely a site for getting professional attention.
Malinda, who gave up a lucrative position as nurse-practitioner (clinical officer) at one of New York City's top health care facilities in order to come to Africa and work for HOPE, says, "Our aim is to add a community centre to the VCT centre. After that we want to establish a youth drop-in centre where youth can get information and where they feel safe. We also hope to empower the community to be aware of and to know how to effect behaviour change. We want the program to belong to the community."
Kamani, an architect at one of Nairobi's top architectural firms until he gave that up in order to work full-time with the needy, says, "We want to make our centre a place that people will want to go to. We plan to put up basketball, netball and volleyball courts and also to set up income-generating activities such as a tree nursery to benefit the local community."
On hand at the launch of the VCT centre was the Johannesburg-based director for HOPE worldwide Africa, Dr. Mark Ottenweller (centre in the photo below), and high ranking representatives from both the local community and from international organizations that are involved in HIV awareness and prevention projects in Kenya. These organizations have been key in helping set up the centre. Liverpool VCT and Care has technical experience and is committed to giving technical support for HOPE worldwide Kenya's VCT centre for a period of six to twelve months. The Center for Disease Control provides the funding for the centre. The community program at the centre is being facilitated by funding from Rotary International The Rotary Club of Nairobi East.
The guests of honour were the mayor of Nairobi, Joe Aketch (left in photo), and the American Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Johnnie Carson (right in photo), who both took time out from their extremely demanding schedules to participate in this event. Ambassador Carson spoke about how he has been involved in different AIDS awareness and prevention programs in Uganda and Zimbabwe, where he previously served as his country's ambassador. "Opening of VCT centres," he said, "turned out to be one of the crucial developments in stemming the tide of HIV occurrence" in Uganda. He added that, "HOPE worldwide is bringing services to people who otherwise cannot get them."
The mayor expressed how the Nairobi City Council wants to work with groups and organizations such as HOPE worldwide to make the city of Nairobi a better place, and urged the crowd, "love one another, work together."
Members of the Nairobi Christian Church who attended the function and who volunteer regularly in HOPE worldwide programs, were encouraged both by the significance of the opening of the VCT centre and by the ringing public endorsement that the centre has received from prominent public and diplomatic officials. Leslie Chemwolo, "It has been a great occasion. It is great to see this beginning and to know that this will grow to be a very big centre." Nick Omondi exclaimed, "It is wonderful to see the services of this centre being brought closer to the people of this part of the city."
Of the significance of the launch of the VCT centre Malinda states, "We have started moving in the right direction. The presence of high-profile people present as guests was more than we ever imagined." Both she and Nicasius point to and appreciate the volunteers. "They helped make the day a huge success," says Nicasius. "They are what makes this program different from so many others. Without them, so much of what we do would be impossible."
Let us pray for the success of the new VCT centre in Mukuru, that it may indeed bring hope, help and healing to the community that it serves. And let us always look to what we can do wherever we are, to be of service to those in need.
There are already 115 such centres in Kenya and their role is pivotal in the ongoing fight against the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. The centre opened that Sunday is the first in this particular part of the city of Nairobi and is a venue from which people are able to get free HIV counseling and testing. But Malinda Wheeler (left) and Nicasius Kamani (right), HOPE worldwide Kenya director and community coordinator respectively, have a greater vision for this particular centre than merely a site for getting professional attention.
Malinda, who gave up a lucrative position as nurse-practitioner (clinical officer) at one of New York City's top health care facilities in order to come to Africa and work for HOPE, says, "Our aim is to add a community centre to the VCT centre. After that we want to establish a youth drop-in centre where youth can get information and where they feel safe. We also hope to empower the community to be aware of and to know how to effect behaviour change. We want the program to belong to the community."
Kamani, an architect at one of Nairobi's top architectural firms until he gave that up in order to work full-time with the needy, says, "We want to make our centre a place that people will want to go to. We plan to put up basketball, netball and volleyball courts and also to set up income-generating activities such as a tree nursery to benefit the local community."
On hand at the launch of the VCT centre was the Johannesburg-based director for HOPE worldwide Africa, Dr. Mark Ottenweller (centre in the photo below), and high ranking representatives from both the local community and from international organizations that are involved in HIV awareness and prevention projects in Kenya. These organizations have been key in helping set up the centre. Liverpool VCT and Care has technical experience and is committed to giving technical support for HOPE worldwide Kenya's VCT centre for a period of six to twelve months. The Center for Disease Control provides the funding for the centre. The community program at the centre is being facilitated by funding from Rotary International The Rotary Club of Nairobi East.
The guests of honour were the mayor of Nairobi, Joe Aketch (left in photo), and the American Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Johnnie Carson (right in photo), who both took time out from their extremely demanding schedules to participate in this event. Ambassador Carson spoke about how he has been involved in different AIDS awareness and prevention programs in Uganda and Zimbabwe, where he previously served as his country's ambassador. "Opening of VCT centres," he said, "turned out to be one of the crucial developments in stemming the tide of HIV occurrence" in Uganda. He added that, "HOPE worldwide is bringing services to people who otherwise cannot get them."The mayor expressed how the Nairobi City Council wants to work with groups and organizations such as HOPE worldwide to make the city of Nairobi a better place, and urged the crowd, "love one another, work together."
Members of the Nairobi Christian Church who attended the function and who volunteer regularly in HOPE worldwide programs, were encouraged both by the significance of the opening of the VCT centre and by the ringing public endorsement that the centre has received from prominent public and diplomatic officials. Leslie Chemwolo, "It has been a great occasion. It is great to see this beginning and to know that this will grow to be a very big centre." Nick Omondi exclaimed, "It is wonderful to see the services of this centre being brought closer to the people of this part of the city."
Of the significance of the launch of the VCT centre Malinda states, "We have started moving in the right direction. The presence of high-profile people present as guests was more than we ever imagined." Both she and Nicasius point to and appreciate the volunteers. "They helped make the day a huge success," says Nicasius. "They are what makes this program different from so many others. Without them, so much of what we do would be impossible."
Let us pray for the success of the new VCT centre in Mukuru, that it may indeed bring hope, help and healing to the community that it serves. And let us always look to what we can do wherever we are, to be of service to those in need.