World AIDS Day 2007

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World AIDS Day
December 1, 2007



“I have set before you life and death…; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” – Deuteronomy 30: 19

By the end of 2005, 25 million people had died due to AIDS, 40 million were living with HIV, and an estimated 15 million were orphaned. This presents an immense challenge to the international community. But we are not without choices. We can “choose life”, mobilizing the necessary resources and political will to address the issues that contribute to the spread of AIDS.

The AIDS pandemic is an affront to the dignity of humanity made in God’s image. Silence is not an option. In our words and actions, may we “choose life” that all God’s people may live.
2007 is the 26th anniversary of the identification of “AIDS”-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Although 25 million people have died since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, it is not necessarily a death sentence for those living in the industrialized world.

Most of them have access to antiretroviral drugs that prolong life, as well as clean water, proper nutrition and a functioning health care system. People in the Global South do not have such access. In 2005, 1.5 % of HIV-positive North Americans died due to AIDS. In Africa 10% did.

AIDS is on the increase in most areas of the world. Women and children are the most vulnerable groups being infected. Poverty and profit prevents us from making much progress to stop this disease. Where there are high HIV rates there are high debts to the World Bank, causing severe obstacles to the provision of 2
life-saving health care and educational services needed to roll back the AIDS epidemic. Surely African countries qualify for debt relief.

Antiretroviral medicines prolong life for persons with AIDS. While they are not a cure, ARVs have ensured longer lives for people who have access to them. ARV treatment is expensive but it doesn’t have to be. Competition from generic manufacturers in India has caused the prices to be lowered. Now non-profit foundations are able to buy ARVs at a lower price. The bottom line is: profits get in the way of saving lives. There are drug patents and exclusive marketing rights that get in the way of drug distribution. Cheaper drugs do little for the poor in developing countries when they have no money. Even a few euros a day is often impossible.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with you. What can you do about the drugs being inaccessible to millions of people dying of AIDS?

You can lobby your government. Write a letter to the Prime Minister or President. Ask your MP,Councillors and those in Government why drugs are not available to all people

Leaders must be accountable for the commitments made for funding and support.

More than five out of six people who need antiretrovirals do not have access to them – that is 5.5 million people.

I repeat, silence is not an option. We need to speak out!

1,700 children are infected with HIV every day. 90% of newly infected children are babies born to HIV-positive women. The virus may be passed to the child during delivery, and may occur through breastfeeding. If drugs were provided to the mothers before delivery, this could be prevented. In North America these drugs are administered. Are African babies not as precious?

The HIV and AIDS crisis has a disproportionate impact on women and girls. They may be aware of the factors that put them at risk of infection, but have very little power to reduce their vulnerability. Their lack of economic power puts them at 3
risk for sexual exploitation and violence, and forces them into prostitution. Once infected, women face discrimination in public as well as within their families.
AIDS has completely changed family life.

By 2010, an estimated 25 million children worldwide will have lost one or both parents due to HIV and AIDS. Children living with sick and dying parents will be forced to drop out of school to work or to care for younger siblings. What is their future? They have no education and no money.

I have a story of Mary Nyhosa, aged 14. She now heads her household because her parents died of AIDS. Every day, Mary sees her younger sister and brother cry from hunger but there’s no money to buy food. When they are sick she cannot go to the hospital because they cannot pay the user fees. So Mary has decided to sell her body on the streets as a prostitute. This is how she makes money to feed her family. How soon will it be before she contracts AIDS?

There are children bringing up children. There are grandparents caring for numerous children, some of whom have AIDS. There are fields not being cultivated because there is no one to do the planting. There is no one with the skills of cultivating, planting and harvesting. They have died before they could teach these skills to their children.

God’s children are dying of AIDS. If you listen, you can hear the voice of a young African girl – a young girl with the AIDS virus. She is calling out, asking us to notice her, to hear her. She speaks for millions of others. Can you see one orphan after another trying to find food, to provide for younger siblings? Children are crying and there is no one to dry their tears.

Who will help them?
Who will provide grief counseling?
Who will organize the funerals?
Who will nurse the sick and dying?
Who will teach the children to brush their hair?
Who will make their clothes?
Who will tuck them in at night?
Who will be trained as teachers, preachers, bakers, farmers, nurses?


We can no longer deny the reality, the truth, the Body of Christ has AIDS, and the global village has AIDS. The churches are living with HIV and AIDS. God’s children are dying of AIDS. As people of faith, we have done much, and yet there is much we have avoided.

I believe that the work we have started with St Sebastians over the past two years globally and the work that I as a priest in Gran Canaria that is openly working to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, and has experienced the heartbreak of a partner who has died from AIDS just 4 years ago, have broken the silence and worked on making this our problem, rather than their problem.”

Silence is not an option. May we “choose life” that all God’s people may live.

In the face of this, it is hard to believe we can make a difference. However, It is possible. Don’t let AIDS fatigue set in.

We tire of reading articles about the devastation. What do we do?
In the face of this disaster we feel small, powerless and hopeless. How does one person make a difference?

Remember, God’s love can transform human life into fullness. God is calling us to see more fully than ever before that we are one world family, one creation, brothers and sisters. Our lives are interwoven. We must see a vision of hope, and a God who longs for us to open our eyes and work together.

We must work to change laws so medicine can be made affordable and available worldwide. We must speak for justice as we educate others about AIDS. We must be a window through which God’s love can be seen.

It is time to accept that even one AIDS related death is one too many.

Inclusive churches have responded by acting out of compassion and for justice. This includes education, fundraising, and advocacy. We must act, we must pray, and we must give.


I believe that as a growing international Christian Communuity we should be creating a specialist fund aimed specifically at supporting programmes that will make a difference. The objective is for a generation without AIDS.

There are programs and partners in Mozambique , South Africa , Kenya and Tanzania ,

They include HIV and AIDS centers, educating young people on trains, training centers for home-based care workers, teaching about nutrition, and the organization of a Credit Union.


As I read another chapter in “Race Against Time”, written by my hero, Stephen Lewis, he showed me a glimpse of what might be.

“I believe to the depths of my being that Africa will one day rejoice in a time when families are whole and funerals are rare. It’s just so bitter that such multitudes of lives are being lost along the way. It’s hard not to be in a near stupor of anger. And yet I’m sustained, as so many Africans are, by the memories of what the continent used to be, and the conviction that the present will one day reunite with the best of the past.”

On this World AIDS Day, in this season of Advent, God grant us and our world the courage to open our eyes, reach out our hands, and speak of God’s mighty works.
Amen

Social Capital: Links defining it

Here is an important list that could help us understand social capital taken from http://www.masternewmedia.org/2004/05/06/what_is_social_capital.htm. Social capital is an impotant concept in building a social entreprise.

Definitions of Social Capital (also referred to as Social Cohesion/Social Support) on the Web:
This is a term developed by social scientists to describe social networks and contacts. Social capital theory argues that strong social capital is ...http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=0&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=OYsCDl_3hdDslgWuyS9_wg&q=http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do%3FpageId%3D80939&usg=AFQjCNFeBRA5ry-eqtRBQYYeHb6HLtPx4Q
The networks of relationships among persons, firms, and institutions in a society, together with associated norms of behavior, trust, cooperation, etc., that enable a society to function effectively.www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/s.html
People, their capacity levels, institutions, cultural cohesion, education, information, skills, and knowledge.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=2&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=ts87Vafte4-K6yT1IaAMhQ&q=http://www.smarte.org/smarte/resource/sn-glossary.xml&usg=AFQjCNGQPozilJfE0JfvxUzcTl7GXuYPNg
The individual and communal time and energy that is available for such things as community improvement, social networking, civic engagement, personal recreation, and other activities that create social bonds between individuals and groups. ...0-www.cdc.gov.mill1.sjlibrary.org/healthyplaces/terminology.htm
A "composite measure" which reflects both the breadth and depth of civic community (staying informed about community life and participating in its associations) as well as the public's participation in political life. ...mapp.naccho.org/mapp_glossary.asp
is the attitude, spirit and willingness of people to engage in collective, civic activities. Over time, social capital builds what may be termed as social infrastructure, a key item discussed in the Strategic Social Plan.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=5&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=kM8bNhPpUyHnvLv2wWds6Q&q=http://www.envision.ca/templates/profile.asp%3FID%3D56&usg=AFQjCNFHQMp3WInyaPUTjwTTg0cnhDOkdQ
Networks, understanding and values that shape the way we relate to each other and participate in social activities.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=6&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=In6eAPCJt-Jd8GBYKQnyMA&q=http://www.cpa.ie/povertyinireland/glossary.htm&usg=AFQjCNH9-erqhP8T5KeNJP4JsToxXGHLZw
The value and cooperation created through social human relationships or networks.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=7&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=eAVRluhtF1YVKgS_DKfKVQ&q=http://www.pfc.ca/cms_en/page1112.cfm&usg=AFQjCNFe1NgncHju4wBjOEoO3aW-keDenA
The degree to which a community or society collaborates and cooperates (through such mechanisms as networks, shared trust, norms and values) to achieve mutual benefits. There are many definitions and discussions about social capital, for more information see Robert D. ...http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=8&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=gNxRyCbbq_OhLTjAhKNZfw&q=http://www.icfdn.org/publications/blurredborders/40definitions.htm&usg=AFQjCNGpf4EUEQVbKZfULO_kWD_vjwUmUg
Physical or real capital that is owned by the public sector rather than by private firms.globaledge.msu.edu/resourceDesk/glossary.asp
the networks and connections between people that contribute to social cohesionhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=10&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=jCTvmKJL9PCXmLLveueyLA&q=http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/integrative/coastal/glossary.html&usg=AFQjCNE9vCoSJjtlFCWDulUXpvugrDAiWQ
is defined as “the social resources…developed through networks and connectedness, membership of more formal groups, and relationships of trust, reciprocity and exchange’ (Phillips 2001). ...http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=11&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=1ANA194aGlU_ZAAi-u9bvw&q=http://www.wmin.ac.uk/builtenv/maxlock/KTweb/Report/Annex5.doc&usg=AFQjCNE4v9TYBBAOzut26ZYRFgi9cAnBRA
The total stock of a society's productive assets, including those that allow the manufacture of the marketable outputs that create private-sector profits, and those that create non-marketed outputs, such as defence and education (Bannock et al., 1992, 396).poli.haifa.ac.il/~levi/res/dicpe.html
The value of social networks that people can draw on to solve common problems. The benefits of social capital flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks.450.aers.psu.edu/glossary_search.cfm
Human life and values can be defined as social capital. Defining the biological demands of human life also falls under the discipline of human ecology.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=14&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=MyxsuTE4QUWLCyz0g2PshA&q=http://www.foodshedproject.ca/glossary.html&usg=AFQjCNEiq0kFDYbXhVtGYa2CooXRQWKFkQ
Social capital is a core concept in business, economics, organizational behaviour, political science, and sociology, defined as the advantage created by a person's location in a structure of relationships. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social capital
Defined by the OECD as “…networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings which facilitate cooperation within or among groups”.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=16&oi=define&ei=_y8NR62cF4mY-gL516ha&sig2=mi4P3ugi-OPJWSR2dtwRUQ&q=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm&usg=AFQjCNH5L6eudn3DcoGs8-ctoGg5LQQnsg

Micro Finance for Reconstruction of Post Conflict Countries

There are several examples in which micro finance has been used to bring reconstruction to post conflict countries. One example is the Sudan Micro finance founded in 2004 by the Chemonics International through a USAID funding. This micro finance project assisted South Sudan in various ways as follow:

• Establish a monetized economy
• Strengthen the capacity of local entrepreneurs
• Encourage the repatriation of entrepreneurial skils
• Provide returnees with capital to start businesses
• Peace building and reconciliation through trade

So far, this program had great impact in South Sudan in 2004 to present. It also is paving way for the creation of several commercial banks and ultimately the central bank of Sudan. South Sudan has always been a unique case as it uses several currencies: Ugandan, Kenyan and Sudanese.

Certainly, we shall write more in this area in the future. In Rwanda too IRC and Catholic Relief Service is also doing much in this area.

Social Economy and Local Development: European Case Studies

Istituto Per Sviluppo Professionale dei Lavorati (ISFOL) or The Equal National Support Structure in Italy has painted a good picture of the contribution of the social economy in Europe in their 2006 paper entitled How Can Social Economy Contribute to the Local Development? The Paper documents various proceedings of Equal Development Partnership (EDP) countries workshops that brought practitioners from Italy, Poland, Finland, Sweden, UK GB, Germany and Belgium.

Social entrepreneurship is acknowledged in Europe as a priority in the national employment strategies and the promotion of sustainable growth. It is also acknowledged for innovation on issues of the social economy and linkages with local processes and policies. There are common problems calling for the development of the social economy in all the EDP countries include, improving the availability of services to the sections of the communities not accessing them easily, raising the potential of employment and job creation, encouraging policies on integration strategies, the development of areas affected by social, territorial or economic setbacks and which could benefit from new professional profiles and services.

The third sector (social entrepreneurship endeavours are also referred to as the third sector. Other players in the economy include the Government and the corporate sectors) organizations in Europe have a deep knowledge of the local needs in their areas of their operations and have thus contributed to innovations and modernization of the social welfare systems. This sector has become extremely pertinent in the integration of the disadvantaged people within the mainstream, and encouraging new models of social responsibility. Apart from service provision, local development, they also advocate for the disadvantaged populations and encourage new models of social responsibility.

The third sector also experiences great obstacles as follow:

Finance: The third sector organizations find it difficulty to access financial resources due to their nature of operation and the demand for collateral and concrete guarantees from the financial resource providers. This constrains their growth.

Markets: The main consumer of the SE’s among the EDP countries is the public sector. The demand of the public sector is politically rooted and its evolution is difficult to predict.

Human Resource: Conventional managers do not possess all the abilities required by a social enterprise. An inappropriate Human Resource may dampen the quality of the services provided.

Legislative environment: Lack of recognition of the contributions of the third sector in building of the overall economy. Proper legislative environment would provide a good environment that allows for innovations and hence the thriving of the sector.

So far from the third sector in Europe we could derive many lessons; some of them being:

Finance, demand, skills and the legal environment are partially the external obstacles to social enterprises. These sectors are seen as both political and organizational obstacles. The social enterprises could only solve problems associated with these obstacles by carrying out their services and solving the obstacles as they arise.

There is a great challenge on “becoming entrepreneurial but remaining social,” a caveat needs to be observed: social enterprises must never lose their distinguishing feature and that is their social nature. Social enterprises may utilise social accounting and auditing methods to measure and report their quality and impact.

The main aim of the social economy is to change people’s minds and to transfer values. Knowing why people are in a particular state is important than know how. Technical skills are important but they have to be complimented with trust, mutual respect, confidence and passion.

Failure is the starting point for the third sector. Failing to solve the needs of the local people, or discrimination of a particular group is the cause for the emergence of the social enterprise. Demand is expressed by the unsatisfied community. Designing new ways of supplying services is the innovative part.

The public authorities should ensure that their procurement practice includes social objectives (i.e. employment of disadvantaged people) which should be included as selection criteria and not as award criteria.

In concluding, the experiences shared in these workshops were shared in the light of social cooperatives in Italy, social foundations in Poland, Social enterprises in Sweden, development partnerships in Germany and social organizations in UK GB. These give practical examples of social enterprises that have done tremendous work to respond to the community needs such as social inclusion of the disadvantaged people, job creation and the development of areas affected by a set of setbacks.

Social Entrepreneurship as a Survival Strategy for NPO's

Several Non Profit Organizations (NPO's) are rising up in Kenya day in day out. They are in the form of organizations that would like to offer a solution to a particular problem facing the society. A common problem is that most organizations find themselves in difficulties after sometimes because of various factors and finacial resources being part of them.

When organizations start they do so with the hope that they will find secret resources stashed in some place. However after starting the reality becomes totally different; they find that they have to look for innovative ways to provide resources that will ensure that they are able to sustain their missions. In most cases when after a year you happen to ask these organisations how they are surviving, the common answer your are bound to receive especially in the Kenyan context is "by the Grace of God." Now, for our case it is important to know how these organizations survive... It will help us to understand in very practical ways what social entrepreneurship is in our own societies today. In 2006 during the World Social Forum a booklet of Street Children Activities and Projects was launched and in it there was a profile of 124 Street Children initiatives in Nairobi. One important observation was that most organization about 50% and over were operating with a budget of Kshs. 500,000 to 1,000,000. When asked about their sources of funds, it was found that over 60% of the 124 homes were self financing. How were they able to do this? This is not only peculiar to street children projects but many projects in Kenya today.

Secondly there were many projects that could not survive. Borrowing a leaf from the projects that were able to survive we ask ourselves were there other factors other than the ability to generate finances that made some of these projects not to be able to survive? And our answer was yes. Some projects failed as a result of disagreements, others as a result of weak leadership,
others as a result of unclear vision and others as a result of lack of transparency and lack of honesty. The list is endless. Do all these have any relevance for the success of a social entreprise! Of course they do! A social entreprise requires as much discipline as the corporates do!

We welcome ideas on failures and successes of projects and any other ideas which do support or challenges our proposal above which suggests that "Social Entrepreneurship could be a Survival Strategy for NPO's in Kenya or elsewhere!

The Enterprise of Employment and Wealth Creation

Statistics have placed the poverty incidence at 56% in Kenya. This figure has remained constant over a period of 5 years. These statistics could simply be translated to mean that people have little or no income at their disposal and hence may not be in a position to purchase what they need or even be able to access needful services.

Kenya is a diverse country and each region has different economic activity taking place. The entire North of Kenya is generally considered to be semi arid region and the people of these places generally engage in pastoralism as their main economic activity. The challenges in the Northern Region include water, animal rustling, severe dry spells amongst others. These challenges in many cases have contributed to severe negative repercussions on the economic livelihood.

The Western Kenya is made up of the Nyanza and Western Province regions. These regions are mainly agricultural areas. The Nyanza Province is endowed with the Lake Victoria and hence has booming fishing activities save for the recent hyacinth problem. Some areas of Nyanza experience floods time and again. Whenever these happen people’s activities are affected negatively. In Nyanza there are also tea plantations.

The Coast is famous for its touristic attractions. The natural beaches, coral reefs and the vast Indian Ocean are quite a resource. This extends from Mombasa to Lamu and Malindi. As one proceeds further North there is Garsen and Tana River areas. These areas are also prone to floods amongst other problems.

The Central Kenya is made up of mainly agricultural activities. It is believed that this region has a big contribution to Kenya’s economy. The Rift Valley Region on the other hand is believed to be the place that Feeds Kenya i.e. the Granary of Kenya.

The Government in a bid to reduce poverty aims at creating 100,000 jobs per year. There are many challenges entailed in job creation and hence ultimately in trying to reduce the poverty incidence in Kenya. Looking at the diversities prevalent in each Kenyan region it becomes evident that each region has strengths which can be reinforced and weaknesses that need addressing in order to ensure that entrepreneurship finds fertile ground to grow in all these regions. The government strategy for job creation therefore should aim at the entire Kenya. Looking at the possibilities of providing people with employment in their own localities.

The corporate sector in Kenya is only able to absorb less than 10% of the employable population in Kenya. This leaves out so much of the employable finding themselves jobless. Despite the gravity of this situation, something positive has emerged and that is people have started developing simple efforts and technologies to occupy themselves constructively and secondly to provide them with a means of livelihood. It is important that these small initiatives are assisted to survive if we are to create a sustainable economy and to create jobs and ultimately wealth.

The biggest challenge faced by Kenya today is to ensure that the entire economy is geared towards wealth creation. How can a subsistence economy create any wealth at all? How can it generate an aggregation of surpluses when all that is generated today is all consumed and in essence cannot be in a position to provide for all the needs in the economy? Wealth creation as has been explored above is an accumulation of an economy’s savings over a period of time. Wealth can be seen in the form of capital investment, improved infrastructure, improved access to social amenities etc. Linking this aspect of wealth creation to community based endervours means that much has to be done. It is a fact that the community based made by the poor are not able to transcend community boundaries and ultimately enter into the economic and the political arena. This is also experienced in Kenya where self help groups started to address a specific community need hardly survive a year. How possible would it be to create strategies that would make these initiatives survive and ultimately contribute to this problem of wealth creation for the nation? The fact is that these initiatives are barely able to meet the subsistence needs of their members and therefore find it difficult to survive in the long run. A pure situation on the ground is that these initiatives accumulate deficits over a very long period of time. This situation depletes their working capital and ultimately the ability to accumulate wealth. Initiatives that are able to survive the capital depletion problem, may find themselves in heavy reliance to injected resources from a particular donor. These types of resources do not permit for wealth creation as they encourage 100% amortization during a particular financial period. The resources may also not be invested in any other place when idle.

It is a fact that the needs in Kenya are quite varied and there is a big need for entrepreneurs who look beyond profit appropriation to themselves but who see their role as providing for solutions for the socio economic plight facing our communities. These are the types of entrepreneurs who will concentrate on providing social benefits on one hand and ensure that the initiatives they have built survive on the other. So far, there are already many institutes surviving in this way in Kenya today. KARDS is one of them, many street children homes in Kenya (Undugu, Koinonia, KipKeino etc) and Projects addressing HIV/AIDS (Hands of love, Zindua Africa etc) also survive through their own internally generated resources amongst many. These initiatives need to be encouraged in various ways. A collaboration between the government, the corporate sector and the civil society will be important to provide a conducive atmosphere for the survival of these initiatives. It is important to note that when the public is empowered through job creation; the purchasing power improves, more wealth is created in the economy, through enhanced ability to save

The Face of Poverty

Poverty makes you humble and and actually demeans you!!! Makes you feel that you are lesser than other human beings!!

Poverty condems you to incredible suffering more than what the best writers on poverty can ever imagine and express. Poverty has made the poor lose their faces and made everybody else think that they are better than the poor. Of course, others could be better than the poor because they are leaving a better life, have better access to schools, medication, employment, better governance and better working systems.

Poverty is more than the ugly pictures of starvation, disease outbreaks and the hopelessness that is in our communities. It is a death that the poor experience when they are still alive. It is a feeling that you have no control over your own life and your own self.

And that is why we must devise strategies to resurrect the poor and give them some reason to hope, to rise a new each day and to begin feeling that they can make important decisions about themselves!!

As can be seen from the feelings expressed above, an introduction of social entrepreneurship must address the issue of the death of the poor. It must give them a voice and must enable them to at last develop the ability to be self confident. In essence be of service, advocate for and accompanying the poor.