Nilinde: Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Girls and Boys

s of 2015, 3.6 million orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya were in critical need of care. Forty-seven percent were orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS, and 90% lacked adequate medical, psychological, material and social support. 

What are we doing?

On this project, Plan International led a consortium that also included Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team, Childline Kenya and mothers2mothers. Known locally as Nilinde, or “protect me” in Swahili, the project worked to support at-risk children in Kenya by focusing on improving the welfare and protection of the most vulnerable households affected by HIV in Nairobi and the Coast Counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa and Taita Taveta. Nilinde worked with local partner organizations to increase household resiliency and support parents and caregivers to make investments that improve the health and well-being of orphans and vulnerable children.

Through the project, more than 20,000 households participated in village savings and loan groups, with savings and earnings often supporting household health expenditures. In fact, nearly 29,000 children benefited from family enrollment in the national health insurance program as a result. Nilinde also contributed significantly to the government’s goals of increasing HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression by exceeding targets and achieving a 96% viral suppression rate among the children living with HIV in the program, all of whom were receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Working at both local and national levels, Nilinde aimed to increase access to health and social services and support government efforts to strengthen child welfare and protection systems. The project’s holistic case management approach connected health, nutrition, HIV services, psychosocial support and education to economic strengthening services. Designed to graduate families out of program support, these services helped families to develop their abilities to grow and sustain assets, income and skills. 

Nilinde also worked with Kenyan government agencies to strengthen national monitoring and management information systems for orphans and vulnerable children and integrate information and communications technologies and social and behavior change communication campaigns across project interventions. At the same time, the project worked with governmental and nongovernmental partners to use data for decision-making and improve quality services to orphans and vulnerable children.