NEW! 
Written by Administrator | 
HIV/AIDS prevalence has becomemhigh among economically-mproductive adults, and as a result, many of them are either incapacitated or have succumbed to the pandemic, thus leaving behind a large number of orphans. Older people mostly aunties and grandparents who may not have the strength and means are now assuming the care giver’s role for their sick family members.
The journey doesn’t end there; they also assume the responsibilities of taking care of the orphans left behind later after the sick has departed. Perhaps the most trying thing is that of educating these offspring. However, not all hope is lost. Fanis, a 12 year old Girl in Kibera slums is living positively in a situation that many still don’t understand, and with vigour, she still wants to pursue her education until she becomes a community Nurse to help those women who are living positively in the slums. A worthy dream indeed.
Fanis was Born 12 years ago here in Nairobi,and four years later, she lost both her parents in an incident that she herself doesn’t know of up to date. According to the Patron of the Orphanage centre where Fanis stays, she was adopted by one family and lived with them for a while after her parents died in 2003. However, things were not as good as she struggled to acquire an education while living with the new family that had adopted her in Kibera.
As if not enough tragedy to afflict the 12 year old youngster, in 2007, the post election violence that erupted in the country left the people she could call mum and dad dead. They were brutally attacked and killed by the gangs as people protested the election results. It was at this point that she got confused but was luckily found and rescued by a Good Samaritan. Unfortunately, she had nowhere to take her therefore; she decided to dump her outside Makina Community Development Project (MACODEP), a community Clinic and an initiative that helps orphaned children in Kibera.
She could not say even a word, so the clinic management took her to the centre where they gave her food, clothes and. With time, the little youngster adopted her new situation
with others like her. She later narrated the ordeal that had happened to her to the project patron who then put her under medication. This was prompted by the fact that she by now ailing frequently.
The test results showed that Fanis was HIV positive. This issue mired the efforts of the clinic to help her, but still they persisted and finally she was recovered. Living with HIV/AIDS virus doesn’t mean that one has reached an end to life and this is Fanis’s message to other young people who are living positively. She later joined a local private school with the help of the MACCODEP management and now she is in standard four. At standard four, Fanis performs excellently and is very willing to pursue her nursing career
in future.” I’m really, happy because were it not the efforts of MACCODEP, I could not have reached this day, I know and I pray that God help and keep me alive until I become what I want to be.”
Over the years, Aids has continued to cut down great visions of young and potential bright individuals who could be the future of this Nation. But despite all these efforts by some community initiatives to educate children with cases such as Fanis’, the government has been slow in doing something about the situation. Well, what can we do in order to safeguard these visions of our nation before they perish?
There should be a framework which the government can put in place to ensure that this kind of children achieve their academic goals. With perhaps the Kenya National Aids Control Program in place, there should be an equal share of the aids fund which includes the drugs and education materials to help mainly young children who succumb to the virus to achieve their academic goals.
Unlike the older people, this younger generation needs much attention in order to achieve their targeted academic goals. This is because they are still young and energetic and have time to grow and serve this nation with full potential while the older ones are approaching their sunset years and have less vigour to pursue their life goals.
The government still has a lot to do and must readily recognize these young positive young Orphans and put policies and programs in the national policy framework aimed at mitigating the consequences of HIV/AIDS in families and the society at large.
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