Kenya ranks 6th in the world in the number of annual HIV/AIDS-related deaths. Within the last decade alone an estimated 1.5 million Kenyans have died of AIDS, leaving behind some 1.6 million children who now live without one or both of their parents. These children struggle to survive, stretching to make ends meet whether living on their own, with a single parent, or often in the care of elderly grandparents.

Working with six local partners, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with The Father's Table Foundation, is supporting 16,350 of these children and their caregivers through The Children Behind project (TCB). Through community-based assistance from the project, orphans and other vulnerable children are receiving the physical, medical, emotional and educational support they need to live healthy, happy lives.

Eric's Story: From a program recipient to a CRS partner, supporting and caring for orphans

As a young sixteen year old Eric Okoth watched as his father, his father’s three wives, and all his uncles (except one who had left the village), die from AIDS within 5 years. Eric, the eldest child at 21, was then left to take care of sixteen of his nuclear and extended family members, the youngest only two years old. “I had no clue where I would start since I was still in school,” he says. “I was forced to drop out at Form 3 (university level) so I could take care of my younger siblings.”

Two years later, after a long struggle with his family, Eric met a representative from a local implementing partner for The Children Behind Project. Through TCB Eric was able to first ensure his family had enough to eat – a big challenge for Eric by himself. The project also helped him with school fees for the younger siblings in Secondary (high school) and ensured those in Primary school received the required school uniform and scholastic materials.  While Eric was enrolled in vocational training and a course in entrepreneurship, TCB also covered the medical care of the family and ensured they received timely treatment whenever ill. To ensure food security at the household level, Eric was trained by the project on Agriculture and supplied with seeds to enable him to become independent of relief food from the project. With experience from his vocational training, Eric now runs an outside catering business and works as a small-scale farmer to feed his extended family.

Currently, Eric runs a community-based organization known as Blue-Cross Nyatike Development Programme, which cares for 1,000 AIDS orphans and receives support from Catholic Relief Services. The organization now also receives support from USAID for another extra 1000 children. Blue Cross not only cares for and supports orphaned children but also campaigns for female child education and the underprivileged in the community.

Eric has been able help others the way he was helped and he is very grateful for the support that he gets from Catholic Relief Services. “Thank you Catholic Relief Services for the positive impact you have made in the lives of many underprivileged people globally.”