AIDS Education and Prevention Programme, Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, Kenya
The Catholic Diocese of Eldoret has a population of over 1 million people and extends to five districts. It is three hours by vehicle to the farthest parishes. Our AIDS program of prevention uses Education For Life, a behavior-change program which is faith-based, no matter what one's religion. It is a group counseling approach that allows participants to receive accurate information about the disease HIV/AIDS, explore their experiences in relation to it, and come to a new choice on how to prevent its spread in their own lives and the lives of others. It also encourages those already infected to live positively. Last year our program reached about 5,000 people.

A second component of the program is assisting about 60 orphans with educational needs. At the same time we foresee these orphans being assumed in the geographic area of a parish as all orphans are not Catholic. Each parish has been asked to establish a Parish AIDS Support Committee to assess the needs of the people in relation to HIV/AIDS, their resources, and then to communicate the gaps to the diocesan office.

The Government of Kenya has a strategic plan in relation to HIV/AIDS. At the moment the emphasis is on Care and Support. It is generally agreed that ninety per cent or more of Kenyans are aware of the disease but that statistics remain high for persons who are infected and affected.