The presentation discusses Feed the Children Kenya's work using sports to reach Maasai Moran youth with HIV prevention education and testing. Moran youth, who isolate during their 15-25 year initiation period, are at high risk of HIV due to cultural practices allowing multiple sexual partners without prevention information. Feed the Children Kenya held a javelin competition that attracted many Moran youth. During the event, they provided HIV education and testing, resulting in over half of attending Moran youth getting tested. The presentation recommends scaling up testing in the county and developing interventions specifically targeting at-risk groups like the Moran.

1. PRESENTATION BY
DUNCAN M. SAKIMPA
FEED THE CHILDREN – KENYA

2. Presentation Outline
Feed The Children – Kenya; mission, vision and program
work.
Kajiado County HIV status.
The maasai Moran's culture.
FTC Strategy – Reaching Morans through Sports.
Lessons learnt.
Recommendations and way forward.

3. Feed The Children – KENYA
FTC-K is an international, Christian nonprofit relief
organization founded in 1979 in Oklahoma City, USA.
FTC was registered in Kenya under the Non-
Governmental Organization Board Act in 1993.
Programmatic work and activities focus: Food and
Nutrition, Health and WASH, Education, Livelihood
and Development

4. Feed The Children – KENYA
cont….
VISION
Every child grows up in a community and environment
to realize their full potential.
MISSION
We exist to implement and promote community based
sustainable programs through advocacy, care and
protection, empowerment and capacity building.

5. HIV & AIDS Profile –Kajiado
County
Total population (2009 census) – 687,312.
HIV adult prevalence (overall) – 5% (UNAIDS).
 19,194 adults living with HIV.
22,196 adults plus children were living with HIV.

6. HIV burden in Kajiado
Total population (2009) 687,312 21
HIV adult prevalence
(overall)
5% 27
Number of adults living
with HIV
19,194 24
Number of children
living with HIV
3,002 23
Total number of people
living with HIV
22,196 24

7. HIV & AIDS Profile–Kajiado
County cont…….
The county had about 1,200 new adult infections in
2011. Kenya aims to reduce new HIV infections by at
least 50% in all counties by 2015.
In Kajiado County, approximately 34% of individuals
had their first experience of sexual intercourse before
the age of 15, an indication of early sexual debut.

8. Maasai Moran's

9. Maasai Moran’s
Maasai are indeed a truly independent and proud
with a culture more complex and interesting than
popular imagination would suggest.
Moranism is a stage which young boys between the
age of 15 to 25 years undergo after circumcision before
they become young adults.
The Morans through their cultural practices and
attitude isolate themselves from the mainstream
community.

10. Maasai Moran’s cont……
They are sexually active and have several sexual
partners and culture is silent on it.
Morans have got their own chosen leaders who
command respect within the cohort.
They interact freely with young girls during
traditional occasions and are allowed to sing and
dance throughout the night up to morning
(Osinkolio).

11. Maasai Moran’s
Due to their isolated nature, they don’t turn up for
medical camps, HTC sessions, integrated outreaches or
health talks to get HIV and AIDS prevention
information/Education.
The above factors predispose the Morans to HIV and STIs
new infections and have no access to HIV prevention
information.
Combined with high ego, they suffer in silence and there
is no known intervention that deliberately addresses them.

12. Reaching Maasai Moran's
through sports
FTC-K used sports (javelin) as a platform to bring on
board the cohort for a HIV prevention event.
Combination of a prize which has value to the cohort
enhances attendance and the urge to participate.
During the sports activities FTC provides education on
HIV and HTC services.
Through peer influence more than half of the Morans who
come out for sports also get tested for HIV.

16. Lessons learnt
Culture and sports can be combined to enhance a health
intervention.
There is need to design different interventions for
different cohorts.
Culture is complex, respect it, understand it and use it to
enhance intervention.
Culture friendly interventions /Sports has proved to be a
platform to reach out to hard to reach populations.

17. Recommendations and way
forward
There is need to come up with a deliberate
intervention to reach to such groups as Morans.
There is a need to scale up HIV testing in the county,
to counsel and reduce the risk for those who test
negative, and to link those who test positive to care
and treatment programmes.

18. In Conclusion
To accomplish great things, we must not only act,
but also dream, not only plan but also believe. –
Jacques Anatole Thibault (1844 – 1924)

19. Any Questions, Comments?
ASHE OLENG!