MKUKI
Orphan Care and Capacity Building Initiative
Himo, Tanzania
Background
MKUKI is a local community-based NGO started in 1993 by a group of concerned volunteers who saw HIV/AIDS striking every aspect of their community. MKUKI works closely with Canadian Support of Rural African Initiatives (CSRAI), a non- government organization and registered charity in Canada.
MKUKI is based in Himo, a rural town on a major transport route, a location which has caused an accelerated spread of HIV in the region. The current estimated incidence of infection is at 16% of the adult population -- well above the national average of 8%.
Over the last 10 years, MKUKI has provided a broad range of important services in the face of innumerable hardships and the unrelenting impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. But their responses have been more reactive than strategic, due in part to the lack of other service options for their community. It is vital that they now acquire the capacity to develop a more focused response based on a systematic analysis of needs and options.
The timing for this critical capacity-building initiative couldn't be better. International support is finally arriving for treatment services, and organizations are approaching MKUKI to help them deliver the treatment. In addition, the Tanzanian National HIV/AIDS Action Plan has just been completed and there is now a significant amount of documentation available, from researchers and large international NGO's, which can provide important insight into best practices for African settings.
The Project
With the help of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, MKUKI will develop an effective management framework to ensure the capacity to deliver support to orphans; prevention education; support and empowerment to guardians; and support to persons living with HIV/AIDS. A participatory process will be established focusing on two consecutive workshops: the first with a range of MKUKI stakeholders and the second with a focused MKUKI planning team. Each phase will include significant training components.
In addition, the Stephen Lewis Foundation will provide funds towards MKUKI's key activities, which include:
- Conducting HIV/AIDS prevention and education outreach activities that address specific needs based on gender and age in rural Tanzania, in particular the Kilimanjaro region.
- Providing support to persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- Increasing the self-sufficiency of children orphaned by AIDS in rural East Africa.
- Providing income generating training and opportunities to caregivers of orphans.
- Ensuring the sustainability and quality of the range of prevention, support and empowerment programs provided to the communities in rural Tanzania.
SLF Ref#: MKUKI.05.01