Member Profile: Power Positive

The Power Positive Community Based Organisation (PP CBC) is a women-led community based group operating in Rachuonyo District and Nyanza Province. PPCBO seeks to improve the living standard of marginalized and poor people in the society including people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. As a member of GROOTS Kenya Association (a national network of self help and community based organizations), the group has received both technical and sometimes financial support to enhance its growth and development. Currently the group is implementing several activities and programs focusing on orphans, widows and community as a secondary beneficiary.

Since its beginning the group has continued to address water problems as it is a major area of focus in home based care. Especially in Kendu Bay area that maily rely on the Lake Victoria waters for both drinking and home use. There are many activities happening around the lake including fishing, farming and tuarism and also the grawth of water hayasin ( a plant that has threatened the water levels and safety) that lead contamination of water. As aresult, the group has conducted community forums and door to door campains to inform people on the importance of conserving water sources and water water treatment. A few projects icluding drilling of bore holes and establishment of water kiosk have been undertaken by various donors, government institutions with the participation of power positive group members but there has been very small success. In conclusion, the group has not received any direct financial support to implement water projects but has voluntarily promoted awareness on water and sanitation in the community.

The power positive group was formed by a group women living with HIV and AIDS in 1999, formalized in 2002 as a self help group and was re-registered as a community based organization in 2007. The group has more than 40 active members and also acts as an umbrella of 300 caregivers from 7 groups that the group has mentored to form. Power Positive group is a community based organization of women living with HIV and AIDS. The group began as a support group after some members and individuals from Rachuonyo distric met GROOTS Kenya and realised the power for collective organisung. Apart from meeting and encouraging each other, the group members with support from GROOTS Kenya began addressing the needs of other marginalised groups in the community including orphans and widows. This is because there was increasing number of bed-ridden people infected with HIV and AIDS, increasing number of childern orphaned by HIV and AIDS, many cases of early marriages for girls and wife disinheritance and many traditional beliefs that led to increased HIV infection in the community. The group which began as a self help group in a village has now developed to a community based organization covering the entire Rachuonyo district. To meet the needs of the mentioned marginalised groups, the group with financial and technical support from GROOTS Kenya is implementing four main programs targetting orphans, women and community environmental sanitation. They offer homebased care services to orphans and people living with HIV and safegurd the rights of women and girls to access and own property. During home based care the group has also participated in promoting awareness on water and sanitation, to educate people clean and make water safe for use. The greatest achievements are: the group has 50 trained caregivers supporting more than 300 households of orphans and people living with HIV. The group also has small scale projects for the members of the support group including poultry rearing and sunflower cultivation and businesses. Above all the Power Positive group has developed extremely good linkages with government officials like the provincial and local government and the community at large supporting in the implementation of the program. This year the group was privillaged to participate in the African Women and Water confernce where two women learned on various skills on water acess and sanitation. Hence a part from sharing information on water, the group has an opporunity to establish a project on water in the community to enhance women acess to clean water for drinking.