Kasambya Community AIDS Support and Care Organization

Kasambya Community AIDS Support and Care Organization is providing free HIV testing and counseling services since January 2013, medical care to both PHA and infected OVCs for a year on a cost sharing basis within Kasambya Modern Medical Clinic, Training OVCs in apprenticeship skills in two Sub- Counties of Kasambya and Nabingola, AIDS continues to impose devastating effects to the majority of the people especially those living in the rural areas. Even though national reports show a decline in HIV prevalence, there is still a big vulnerable population that is already leaving with HIV/AIDS and OVCs as a result of HIV/AIDS who need assistance to cope with the needs and problems associated with HIV / AIDS.

The project area still has a large number of PHA and vulnerable AIDS orphans who even though can access free HIV testing and counseling, free medical treatment of opportunistic infections and ART in government health facilities and from the existing NGO’s like SUSTAIN, there are areas that need urgent attention in order to empower the targeted groups wholesomely and of the many we intend to address as follows in the next one year.

(i) Legal support and protection of OVC’s

(ii) Social care.

(iii) Strengthen preventive care services

(iv) Clinical care through timely treatment of opportunistic infection and carrying out glass root sensitization and,

(v) Strengthening referral

Kasambya Community AIDS Support and Care Organization catchment area has a weakened social, economic support structure due to the AIDS pandemic and this has made the indigent HIV / AIDS infected and affected population vulnerable to its adverse effects thus depriving them of the ability to attain a good quality of life and health living.

Even though some of the existing groups of sufferings OVCs had property inherited from their deceased parents, many of the property are being taken away or sold off by care takers without a direct body responsible for intervention yet the affected OVCs are always minors/juvenile. On that note therefore, the organization in its implementation strategy will;

• Strengthen legal support and protection of OVCs through community sensitization and enforcement of laws to save the directly affected OVC’s.
• Still under social care program, the organization wish to strengthen income generating activities to both PHAs and OVCs through animal husbandry and further trainings of OVCs in apprenticeship skills like carpentry, welding, hair dressing and motor-cycle repairing.
• In an effort to have a healthier, strong and stress free community, the organization will strengthen preventive care services and clinical care through timely treatment of opportunistic infection and carrying out grass root community sensitization by both organization staff and community health workers (CHW).

The organization’s major aim is to improve the livelihood and instill hope in PHA’s and OVC’s so as to be able to enjoy their social and economic rights to a meaningful life.