Soteni Inc

Programs: Soteni kenya: soteni international si provided resources to build the capacity of both the staff of soteni kenya and the staff and local leaders of the three soteni villages of hope. As a major indicator of such capacity building, the soteni people on the ground in kenya either managed or obtained 6 project grants from a variety of funders during this period. We continued the soteni- children's safe drinking water project, which enables in-home purification of drinking water for about 2100 people living with hiv/aids. Funded by one of our partners, the procter & gamble fund of the greater cincinnati foundation. Si also strengthened support for the dispensary at svh- mbakalo, which provides essential medical services, including a laboratory, child wellness services, deliveries of newborns, family planning services and hiv testing, to an underserved area near a rural slum in western province.

soteni aids barefoot doctors abd: with si's continued support, the aids barefoot doctors program continued in three svhs, mituntu, mbakalo and ugunja. Abd are trained community health workers who support people living with hiv/aids plwha. Financed through a variety of grants, the abd also have provided health-related services and education to the wider community. Since 2006, the abd make home visits to people living with hiv/aids and conduct public forums and other education sessions on family planning, prevention of mother to child transmission and good nutrition. The abds faciliatate support group session where they are distributing waterpurification sachets to households with plwha and others, and are offering lessons on hiv/aids health information and group management at the group meetings. As of the end of this period, 17 abd and 3 abd supervisors were deployed.

sponsorship: si continues its sponsorship program by supporting 9 orphans and vulnerable students in their quest for education. The support typically includes tuition, fees, uniforms, clothing, health care, food and psychosocial support. Students are matched up with sponsors from outside of kenya whose annual sponsorship fees help to cover these expenses. The program promotes cultural interchanges, with sponsors receiving letters, updates, and photos from soteni and the students.

bridge: this program seeks to help bridge the gap between the developed world and kenya while demonstrating the principle of interdependence. In this time period, 4 volunteers worked in kenya and 7 more worked in si's cincinnati office. Bridge interns are college students, professionals and others. Those who travel to kenya work side by side with kenyans to achieve the goals set by the three villages of hope while learning about the rich cultures of kenya and sharing their own gifts, experiences, and insights. Interns in cincinnati work on projects that advance si's strategic goals. Projects can include fund-raising, volunteer management, grant writing and other administrative functions. Si's goal is to enable interns to experience working closely with a non-profit organization and the day to day operations and program support. For those that travel to kenya we offer the opportunity to work closely with the leaders on the ground on projects and to also lern of a diffeerent culture. We hope they will become aids prevention advocates here in the usa and in kenya. Soteni clubs: si works with high school student-run clubs with educational information about hiv/aids, soteni, and kenya. Clubs raise money, collect clothing, and acquire medical supplies to send to the villages of hope. Si offers this experience to give students a vehicle in which to work locally.