The National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) is a national Network that unites people living with HIV and those affected by TB and HIV/AIDS through post test clubs, support groups, community based organizations, non-governmental organizations and networks.

Registered in 2003, the Network’s mission is to promote greater and meaningful involvement of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the national response to TB and HIV/AIDS.

The overall goal of NEPHAK is to improve the quality of life of people infected/affected by HIV and AIDS. To reach this goal, NEPHAKs has a purpose which is to enhance the knowledge and skills of PLHIV and affected communities in Kenya to participate meaningfully in TB and HIV/AIDS response policy, decision-making, mainstreaming and programming initiatives.

 

PROGRAMS

As a membership organisation, NEPHAK has among its members small community based organizations of people living with HIV /AIDS from across the country. These CBOs are groups of PLHIV (women, youth, men, churches e.t.c.) at the village level taking care of orphans, providing home based care, psychosocial support among other essential services.

NEPHAK runs programme in the following broad areas:

 

Advocacy

Since the discovery of the HIV virus more than 30 years ago, the disease has grown from a purely health and scientific matter to become a social and economic concern. As such the manner in which we deal with its consequences has moved from the hospital wads and science laboratories to the houses, work places and even in our religious institution.

This development has meant that there needs to constantly be developed policies and legal framework that enables addressing issues of HIV in all spheres of society. Nephak has therefore been involved in advocacy at all levels to ensure that policies are in place to support an all inclusive war on HIV/AIDS.

While as a network we are comment the passage of the HIV Prevention and Control Act, we are disappointed by the failure by successive ministers to gazette the commencement of implementation of the law. It remains an advocacy issue for NEPHAK and other players who were instrumental in the in the passage of the act to ensure its implementation.

Nephak has constantly advocated for such issues as the right of PLHA, access to treatment and end to all forms of stigma and discrimination as well as involvement of PLHA in HIV AIDS programming.

 

Capacity Building

As a membership organisation, NEPHAK has among its members small community based organisations of people living with HIV AIDs from across the country. These CBOs are groups of women at the village level taking care of orphans, providing home based care, psychosocial support among other essential services.

The existence of NEPHAK was a response to the need to improve the capacities of this CBO’s to participate meaningfully in the fight of HIV. NEPHAK has been involved in building the capacities of the CBO’s in issues of community mobilisation, stigma reduction, treatment literacy, leadership and funds management, proposal writing, reporting report writing and project management.

 

Support to the effected and infected

HIV has affected many people both directly and idirectly. A part from advocacy and capacity building NEPHAK has also been involved in supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children, bedridden PLHAs and those within the community who need assistance. Through partnerships with such donors as Hope for African Child Initiative and the SLF NEPHAK has worked with our member CBO,s to keep orphaned children in school and provide nutritional support to the weak