Who We Serve

We are currently serving orphans and vulnerable children from Amilo Village/Nyando district in Kenya. Like most other rural areas, there is a large orphan population in this area due to the high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Why did we start with these children?

AVFP wanted to involve the community in identifying their own needs right from the beginning as this is their project. The organization then carried out a needs assessment survey with the villagers. Through this assessment, it became apparent to AVFP that the community felt that the issue of orphans was a high priority.

Both primary and secondary data were used for this needs assessment. An action-oriented approach was used to collect data in the community. A baseline needs assessment was carried out with the villagers in July, August, and September 2005 to identify needs and interventions. Sets of surveys were used to assess community needs including: household and community economics, agricultural practices, basic environmental conditions, energy, water, infrastructure conditions and use, gender and education, and health.

A series of brainstorming sessions were also held with village elders, key opinion leaders and local officials from other surrounding villages neighboring Amilo village in August and September 2005. There were also focus groups with village elders, church leaders, women (particularly midwives), key opinion leaders, youth, Amilo Primary School principal/headmaster and teachers and guardians of all the orphans identified.

Key general issues identified out of community interviews were : inaccessibility of health services, poverty, lack of drugs, school dropouts, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, lack of school facilities, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, malaria, infant mortality, drought, lack of school fees, lack of co-operation between community members, political interference on development projects and aging problems.