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 Photos and text: Sara Cameron, UNICEF Kenya

Florence Kangai age 11 brewing early morning tea in her grandmother’s kitchen near Pepo la Tumaini Jangwani (Wind of Hope in the Arid), an HIV/AIDS community support group in Isiolo. Florence is HIV positive, both her parents are dead from the disease. She is often abused by her grandmother who is an alcoholic.  She would like to leave her grandmother’s house and Pepo La Tumaini Jangwani is trying to help find her a placement elsewhere in the community. UNICEF supports Tumaini with nutrition supplements – 10kgs of UNIMIX per vulnerable child/family member per month – and equipment and training  and training  for home-based care. Florence Kangai (left) sits with two friends outside her grandmother’s house near Pepo la Tumaini Jangwani. Florence is HIV positive, both her parents are dead from the disease. She is often abused by her grandmother who is an alcoholic. She would like to leave her grandmother’s house and Pepo La Tumaini Jangwani is trying to help find her a placement elsewhere in the community. 

 

Florence Kangai leads other children in a protest song about HIV AIDS, at Pepo la Tumaini Jangwani.

Florence Kangai eats a bowl of maize and beans during lunch at the primary school started by Pepo la Tumaini Jangwani eat lunch of  beans and maize. The food is provided by the Government of Kenya through a nutrition support programme backed by the World Food Programme. The food is vitally important for Florence. The disease makes her highly vulnerable to malnutrition and without food she suffers terrible side effects from ARVs.  Florence lives with her grandmother, an alcoholic who frequently abuses her and does not provide sufficient food for Florence at home. She would like to leave her grandmother’s house and Pepo La Tumaini Jangwani is trying to help find her a placement elsewhere in the community.