Tiny grants, big hope in AIDS fight
Monday, August 21, 2006
In the Mashuru area of Kenya, a single woman with HIV who had no source of income now runs a small general store, is self-sufficient and, most importantly, is eating properly, thanks to a $140 grant from World Vision.
In the same region, a group of 15 women have
used a $1,400 grant from the humanitarian organization to expand a small business of rearing goats for sale at market, using the added profit to care for HIV orphans and vulnerable children in their village.
“What’s really crucial is to empower women to have a say in their lives so they can become less vulnerable,” said Carole Leacock, a HIV/AIDS program specialist with World Vision Canada, who noted that women in rural villages tend to be more stable, while men often travel to get work.
