The road ahead of many parents living with HIV and AIDS is bleak. The life of Michael and his family was cloudy, dark and unpromising. Michael, understanding that his time was short, lost hope in his future. CARE for AIDS worked with Michael, educating him on the choices he had before him. They showed him that there were paths to a brighter future and gave him hope. Hope not only for him to survive, but to live long enough to see his children and grandchildren grow up.

As Michael says, “When one gets hope, you have strength even to face tomorrow.”

CARE for AIDS’ clients face extreme poverty. Because of this, they rarely take part in Kenya’s national health insurance system. However, this insurance can help with medical issues faced by individuals with HIV. When you buy three bags of Cozzee coffee, you will help CARE for AIDS enroll HIV+ parents like Michael in Kenya’s national health insurance system by paying their premium for three months. During that time, clients will receive the physical, spiritual, social, emotional and economic support they need, positioning them to take on the monthly payments themselves.

CARE for AIDS partners with the already established local network of Kenyan churches to operate life transforming centers that serve the needs of men and women living with HIV/AIDS. CARE for AIDS’ goal is to empower parents living with HIV/AIDS, lengthening their lives up to 25 years with the hopes that they will raise and educate their children and have the opportunity to meet their grandchildren.

Since CARE for AIDS’ opening in 2008, over 4,000 men and women have graduated from their program. Those graduates represent over 15,000 dependent children who are no longer at risk of being orphaned.

For more on CARE for AIDS visit www.careforaids.org or www.facebook.com/CAREforAIDS.

Michael Mwara is a CARE for AIDS graduate, but you can still find him at the CARE for AIDS centers teaching current clients about beadwork and small business management.

During each weekly visit to the CARE for AIDS center, clients receive food rations to help supplement their weekly meals. These food rations help clients feed themselves and their families throughout the nine month program.

We know that every parent’s dream is to raise and educate their children, and we are helping make that possible. CARE for AIDS works with HIV+ parents to empower them to manage their disease and live long, healthy lives. We call it orphan prevention.

CARE for AIDS works to keep families together despite the rift that HIV can create between couples. Through holistic counseling and empowerment, CARE for AIDS clients learn all the skills necessary to manage their disease and live long, healthy lives.

Irene is 12 years old and lives with both of her parents in Kisumu, Kenya. Irene’s parents are HIV+, but thanks to the skills they learned in the CARE for AIDS program, they can manage their HIV and will live long, healthy lives.