"To find out how much you've truly been blessed with in terms of love, time, energy, talent, joy, abundance, confidence, intelligence, wit, or any other quality, substance, or dispensation... give of them. Then you'll know what boundless really means."
~ The Universe
TUT's Adventurers Club
August 2011 'Gifts from the Universe' Project:
HOPE Worldwide Kenya
Empowering Healthy Communities… ONE Dollar at a Time!
Their Mission and Work
Registered in 1999, Hope Worldwide Kenya (HWWK) works with hard-to-reach and at-risk populations, orphaned and vulnerable children, youth, poor communities, and the general public to improve their quality of life through responsive and innovative health programming, service delivery and capacity building in Kenya and Eastern Africa. They serve all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, culture, racial, or ethnic background.
Their community-based programs operate under these health pillars:
- HIV-Related services
- Community Strengthening and Economic Empowerment
- Children
Working closely with the communities they serve, and through partnerships, they develop innovative and lasting solutions to meet their needs by:
- Increasing community and individual capacity to earn a living and decreasing poverty levels and dependence on others
- Promoting gender equality
- Combating HIV/AIDS
- Promoting environmental sustainability
- Encouraging global partnership for development
Centers of HOPE and Comprehensive HIV Prevention Programs
At HWWK, their intention is to provide multiple services through the Centers of HOPE (including youth friendly resources and vocational training facilities) as well as act as a hub for community mobilization. The organization aims to deliver consistent services across the Centers by sharing best practices.
HWWK has adopted new strategies in HIV prevention in line with emerging national and international trends. The two most notable developments are the implementation of evidence based interventions (EBIs) and the increased focus on combination prevention approaches. Centers of HOPE are now service hubs through which behavioral, biomedical, and structural interventions are rolled out to the surrounding communities.
Children’s Programs
The most recent research findings on care and support for orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) continue to show that family environments produce better outcomes than institutional care. HWWC will therefore continue to support OVC using family and community structures. The focus on households is being accelerated and involves making them the primary entry and intervention units.
HWWK’s major challenge is in urban sites where community and extended family structures are much weaker Their work uses a child focused, family centered, community based approach. The challenges are bravely being undertaken in both rural and urban sites, and are strengthening household livelihoods through economic empowerment initiatives. These initiatives will continue to build on experiences gained by HWWK in this area.
To explore in further detail more programs and services offered to the communities of Eastern Africa, please visit their project website: http://hopewwkenya.org/
**A special THANKS to the entire team of HOPE Worldwide Ltd. and to Malinda Wheeler and team at HOPE Worldwide Kenya for helping us facilitate our monthly 'Gifts from the Universe' Project. Big THANKS for their continuous dedication and contribution to bringing the communities of the WORLD together and achieving the life they deserve!**
As part of our TUT's Adventurers Club mission, we have chosen HOPE Worldwide Kenya as our adoptive organization for the month. To reach our collaborative goal of support for them, please donate a dollar or more now at the link below.
Happy Giving!