EFFECTIVENESS OF RELIGIOUS INITIATED PROGRAMMES IN CURBING HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC IN KENYA: SOME SELECTED PROGRAMMES IN MERU SOUTH SUB-COUNTY

Abstract

HIV and AIDS pandemic has brought enormous burden upon the lives of many people throughout the world since the first cases of AIDS were identified in USA 1981. Since then, more than 70 million people are living with HIV and AIDS and more than 35 million people have died globally. As the burden of HIV and AIDS escalates, organizations are being formed to help curb its impact. Kenya has about 1.6 million people living with HIV and AIDS and in 1999 it was declared a national disaster.  It is in response to this that many development partners including religious organizations, came up with programmes to help combat this scourge, yet there seems to be little success as new infections continue to be reported. The Church in Kenya has not has not been left behind as far as fighting this scourge is concerned. She has initiated many programmes towards this course. This study assessed the effectiveness of Church based initiated programmes in curbing HIV/AIDS in Kenya.  We used the Church-based programmes in Meru South Sub-county, purposely selected because of the magnitude of the problem in this particular area.   These were Redeemed Gospel Church HIV/AIDs Programme at Chuka, Presbyterian Church of East Africa HIV/AIDS Programme at Ndagani, Salvation Army Church HIV/AIDS Programme at Chuka and Baptist Church HIV/AIDs Programme at Chuka. The target population was 1040 subjects comprising 1000 Church members and 40 beneficiaries. The Church ministers/pastors were our key informants. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedule and focus group discussions. Systematic random sampling procedure was used to select 100 Church members. The 40 beneficiaries were obtained using snowball sampling method. The findings were that the selected programmes provided services such as HIV prevention education, orphan care, support of people living with and personally affected by HIV and AIDS, prevention activities that involved campaigns, and caring for the affected and infected. The programmes were found out to be successful particularly in supporting the people orphaned by HIV and AIDS, reducing stigma, organizing training, seminars and workshops, conducting voluntary counselling and testing among others. They were found to be effective in curbing HIV and AIDS, though they face the challenge of lack of adequate funding. There was also lack of trained personnel which hamper the effective implementation of these programmes. If the government, Church, development partners and other well wishers support these religious initiated programmes the war against HIV/AIDS pandemic can be easily worn as they are effective.