What we do

Nakuru

The KANCO regional office in Nakuru was opened in 2001 under the then FHI/IMPACT project with funding from USAID. During that time, the main activities revolved around promoting networking,capacity building for CSOs (Civil Society Organisations), Information access and documentation on HIV & AIDS issues (through the establishment of a resource centre)  thereby providing CSOs with timely and accurate information on HIV & AIDS. In order to reach out to the wider Rift Valley, KANCO partnered with the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) to have HIV & AIDS desks at the main provincial libraries in Nakuru and Naivasha.

KANCO, over the years, has also been involved in capacity building and networking for its member CSOs in the Rift Valley on HIV & AIDS related issues such as stigma and discrimination, human rights approaches, child to child approaches and resource mobilization among others. Currently, KANCO is implementing the Global Fund Round 7 project on HIV & AIDS which is targeting PLWHA (People living with HIV and AIDS) and their family members, youth peer education as well as high risk groups such as CSWs (Commercial Sex Workers) with information on the need for HIV counseling and testing, stigma reduction and disclosure in the region.

KANCO has a database of AIDS Service organization (ASOs) in South Rift region which has been developed since 2001. The database has membership of over 150 CSOs which has been printed into a directory of ASOs and has been instrumental in promoting networking. KANCO continues to collaborate with NACC (National AIDS Control Council) and  convenes quarterly network meeting for CSOs in the region.

Coast

KANCO Mombasa resource centre was established in the year 2001. The office is located at Tudor catholic pastrol centre, opposite St. Joseph Catholic Church. The centre has been coordinating activities involving HIV & AIDS and TB in the entire region, i.e. Coast province.

The centres Activities include:

  • Provision of up-to-date HIV and AIDS information through reference material in both print and electronic format
  • Promoting information sharing and updates through e-mail to the members and other partners in the region
  • Building the capacity of Civil Society organisations (CSOs) in documentation through training and mentoring processes as well as documentation of lessons learnt
  • Conducting needs assessment for community organizations and identifying the gaps
  • Capacity building of organizations and partners in areas of need
  • Monitoring and evaluation visits to organizations for follow-ups after capacity building
  • Recruitment of member organizations to form the consortium's membership
  • Facilitating the formation and strengthening of regional and district networks for example networks of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV)
  • Database management of the AIDS Information System (AIS) which holds organizational contact information
  • Sourcing for Information materials from various organizations and Government ministries
  • Community outreach activities for the Most-at-risk-populations (MARPs) through Global fund
  • Sensitization meetings for the PLHIV in the region
  • Supporting HIV counseling and testing services
  • Suporting TB activites and sessions in the area
  • Distributing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials

Western

Since the year 2002, KANCO Western region has been coordinating and coalescing community efforts in responding to HIV and  AIDS and TB serving Western and Nyanza Province. The Office is situated at Kholera House in Kakamega Town. The Resource Centre has been actively engaged in providing appropriate information base to support HIVand AIDS and TB interventions, coordination, community system strengthening and providing an enabling environment for networking and capacity building activities in the region. KANCO western region works within the KNASP (Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan) results framework.

The Major Resource Centre (RC) activities include:

  • HIV/AIDS Information services including needs assessment, processing information, acquisition and dissemination of HIV and AIDS materials
  • Capacity Building and system strengthening
  • Active participation and contributions during World TB Day, World AIDS Vaccine Day and World AIDS Day
  • Facilitating Regional Networking Meetings in Western and Nyanza
  • TB partners meetings, trainings and advocates outreaches
  • Technical support to KANCO Members
  • Technical support to RC clients accessing HIV and AIDS, TB and Reproductive Health Information
  • Strengthening networking, referrals, linkages and collaboration in the region
  • Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials Distribution
  • Global Fund Counselling and Testing Activities


KANCO western region has been actively engaged in intensifying efforts and works actively with other stakeholders, partners including Government of Kenya (GoK) and donors

RAY Drop-in-Centre (DIC), Ongata Rongai

The DIC targets the Most at risk populations (MARPs) in the category of Commercial Sex Workers using the Peer led Approach, Community Mobilization and Facility Based Approach. The core purpose of the project is to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV AIDS among young people through Comprehensive health provision geared towards behaviour change and Communication and Abstinence and Being Faithful.

The centre offers a range of services besides screening in treatment of  Sexually transmitted diseass (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. A comprehensive Care Centre for HIV positive clients was started in September 2009. The Tuberculosis (TB) Clinic began to operate in January 2010 with the support of Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and the Kenya Association for Prevention of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (KAPTLD) who have been consistently supplying us with Antiretroviral and TB drugs. Other services integrated include; Family Planning, Cervical Cancer screening, outreach  Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres (VCTs) besides the static VCT site. The facility has been identified as one of the TB Diagnostic and treatment centres in the Ongata Rongai region and thus it receives clients form other neighbouring health facilities which offers only one of these services.
Mlolongo

Mlolongo manages HIV and TB programs in the larger Machakos district that include Machakos, Kathiiani, Athi river, Kangundo Mwala and matungulu. The main objective is to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS among the youth. The following activities are done by the Mlolongo office:

  • In school youth outreaches - Trained youth peer educators provide education sessions in schools supported by KANCO staff.
  • Community youth outreaches - Youth peer educators sensitize community members on HIV prevention through community meetings. They perform drama, songs, skits and poems containing HIV prevention messages.
  • HIV counselling and Testing then referrals - Community members in villages and town centers are mobilized for HIV testing and those who need further follow up are referred to the nearest health facilities.
  • Most at Risk Populations (MARPS) - Reaching out to commercial sex workers (CSW) and long distance truck drivers with HIV education on prevention and services available.
  • People Living with HIV (PLHIV) - Reaching out to PLWHV and their family members on treatment, care, Positive living and adherence. This is done through organized education sessions done by trained facilitators.
  • Networking - Providing a forum through which KANCO members in the region meet and share experiences and ideas. Kanco also works in close collaboration with related Government of Kenya (GoK) line ministries.