HIV/AIDS: Household Coping Mechanisms of the Poor in Kenya Slums

Abstract

The National silence and persistent global disinterest in HIV and AIDS is worrying! Is this an implication that a proper cure of this scourge is now discovered and readily in use? There is no doubt the World has achieved a lot of progress in control and management of this disease. However, the situation in Slum settlements in Kenya reveals centrally facts to the assumption that HIV and AIDS are no longer a health risk to the society today since ARVs are freely available. This book is an output of a study which focused on investigating how the poor in slum settlements in Kenya are affected by HIV and AIDS and their survival tricks in coping with those effects. It applied mixed research methods, where both qualitative and quantitative designs were adopted. It sought to respond to the question: How do the poor in slums cope with the effects of HIV and AIDS and how are they targeted in intervention programmes within the Government and other Public Benefit Organizations(PBOs)? Qualitative methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews guided by questionnaires, key informant discussions (KIDs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and observation were predominantly employed. Both qualitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were used where specific themes generated key findings which were presented in verbatim expressions to reveal the actual feelings as presented by the respondents. Quantitative data were presented in frequency tables, percentages, pie charts, bar graphs and histograms for comparative purposes. The study found that there is little presence of the government in slums in almost all aspects like development projects, social order and social security although administrative offices of assistant chiefs and in some cases chiefs camps exist. This abnormality makes life in slums sort(s) of anarchy leading to numerous illegal activities to exceedingly thrive beyond control since as they claim; The Government presence lacks). The poor who are affected by HIV and AIDS engage on different survival tricks like illegal brews, commercial sex work (exposing them to the same cycle of AIDS infections), small scale businesses and casual work in industries and households as revealed by 132 (67%) of the respondents. They live in abject poverty and inhabitable dwellings in the slum settlements (See pictorial presentation on appendix). Some have resulted in selling the ARV drugs to earn a living (they are used to accelerate fermentation of illegal brews). Theirs is vulnerable situation. Indeed, with easy availability of ARV treatment, AIDS is no longer a threat according to the inhabitants in the slums and therefore they do not care much as 168 (85.3%) in all the slums under the study observed. Some see AIDS as an advantage since they would be selected for support by PBOs, thus seek for infection as quick fix to desperate slum life as claimed 43 (22%) in Kibra slums in Nairobi. On the basis of these revelations, the study recommends a well designed proactive network and inventory of all PBOs and religious movements working in the slums since they are targeting the same clientele. This would help to avoid duplication of services and overlap of resource allocation to the same beneficiaries. There is need to clearly identify and empower HIV and AIDS orphans and grandparents who are overburdened in their old age. It would help if they were assisted to establish sustainable income generating activities to sustain their resource base as they take care of orphaned children. The youth should be targeted for technical skills based training which would not only empower them and reduce poverty but greatly address the social security concerns in slums and create harmony and peaceful co-existence of the slum inhabitants. The youth are virtually idle! This exposes them to substance abuse especially (Muguga) (Miraa (khat) leaves), violence and crime. If all the efforts in slums were genuine, these settlements would be transformed into middle class settlements. There is need for policy framework to deal with land tenure