The PEPFAR Community Grants Program started in 2009. [Photo/mygov.co.ke]
The United States President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, (PEPFAR) has granted Sh10 million to ten Kenyan community based organizations as part of its Community Grants Program.
The PEPFAR Community Grants Program’s mission is to assist communities with projects that promote prevention, care and support for those infected or affected by HIV. “HIV prevents Kenyans from working, providing for their children, and from paying school fees. It makes getting by in life hard. The impact of on national economies and overall development is devastating. That is why year after year, the USG through the community grants program provides funds to help communities at grassroots level. Ultimately, children will have better prospects of enjoying a normal life expectancy, missing less days of school, and aspiring to become a productive members of society,” said Ms. Nantongo Mirembe, the Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S Embassy, Nairobi. The PEPFAR Community Grants Program started in 2009. To date, it has given approximately Sh (approximately KSH 105 million) to community based organizations across Kenya and benefitting tens of thousands of people living with HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children.
The PEPFAR Community Grants Program provides one-time funding to expand, extend or improve existing community-based health care and programs for orphans and vulnerable children for twelve-months. Occasionally, a second round of funding is provided to a group that has done exceptionally well. Proposals must have viable sustainability plans. The PEPFAR Community Grants Program works closely with the National AIDS and STD Control Program (NASCOP), the National AIDS Control Council (NACC), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to support grassroots organizations in all 47 counties in Kenya.