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Kitui, April 04, 2005

The First Lady and the Catholic Bishop of Kitui Rev. Boniface Lele dance to the tune of a Kamba dance with a Migwani traditional dancer during the dedication of Nyumbani Village a model settlement for HIV-AIDS orphans in Kwa Vonza location in Kitui District.

First Lady roots for the care of orphans and destitutes

First Lady Mrs Lucy Kibaki has called for concerted efforts to address the looming orphan crisis noting that preserving family life remains the most ideal way of providing care to orphans and destitute grandparents.

"The need to preserve family life demands that measures are taken to strengthen the capacity of families to care and protect, the infected and affected," Said Mrs. Kibaki.

In this regard she appealed for adoption of programmes that will help in keeping parents living with AIDS alive and healthy as long as possible while at the same time improving household's income capacity and providing children and their caregivers with financial, psychological and other forms of support.

Mrs Kibaki said it is imperative to step up measures that will adequately cater for children and elderly people deprived of care and support by the AIDS scourge.

The First Lady was speaking yesterday at Kwa Vonza, Yatta Division in Kitui district where she inaugurated Nyumbani Village, Kitui.

She pointed out that Nyumbani village represents an ideal way of providing care, skill and hope for the future of the children and affected elderly people.

Said the First Lady, "This is the first project of its kind in the country and join hands to ensure it is completed in time inorder to help the needy people".

The First Lady said that HIV/AIDS epidemic is devastating families, leaving millions of children and elderly people without guidance, protection and support.

"In sub-Saharan Africa, this problem, particularly as regards orphans has reached crisis proportions," Said Mrs. Kibaki.

Noting that parents infected with HIV do not get access to life prolonging treatment, Mrs. Kibaki said there will be approximately 20 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2010, adding that the total number of orphans in the region is expected to be over 40 million.

The First Lady also said, despite efforts being made to fight HIV/AIDS through prevention, treatment and education, the number of orphans and elderly people affected by the scourge has been increasing steadily.

Pointing out the need for the relevant arm of the government to be more aggressive in addressing the orphans crisis by conducting situation analysis, establishing national coordinating mechanisms for responding to the orphan crisis, developing and implementing national action plans so as to effectively address the issue.

Emphasizing the importance of providing education in responding to the orphan crisis, Mrs. Kibaki said it would empower children with the knowledge and life skills needed to earn a livelihood and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other risks.

The First Lady also stressed the need to redouble efforts in combating the social stigma and discrimination that marginalizes orphans and children who are affected and infected.

On politics, the First Lady called on all elected leaders to stop wrangling and concentrate on serving Kenyans.

Saying the country cannot achieve its development goals if leaders continue engaging in petty squabbles, Mrs. Kibaki urged them to focus their energies in mobilizing wananchi to participate in development matters in their local areas.

" Members of parliament should be visiting their areas regularly and mobilize wananchi to participate in development issues as one way of accelerating development," Said the first Lady.

She added that wananchi should be actively involved in the running of the affairs of the country, saying the NARC government has guaranteed them freedom of expression.

Mrs Kibaki asked the provincial administration to ensure it propagates government policies to wananchi through public rallies and also help them tackle the social economic problems facing them.

The first lady blamed the troubled afflicting Kenyans on the lack of visionary leadership saying a lot of time is being wasted on politicking instead of engaging on development activities.

"We only hear of them critising the government and instructing the president to sack their colleagues who are keen to see the president succeed in delivering what the Narc government promised wananchi," Said Mrs. Kibaki.