MACODEP: About Our Work

Makina Community Development Project (MACODEP) is a socio-economic agent of transformation at the grassroot level.

We are located in Kibera, Nairobi, the largest slum in Africa. Kibera is home to one million people with little access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare, or other services.

We were founded by Andrew Otieno, a Kenyan who grew up in Kibera. He remains the director to this day. Our board is made up mostly of Kenyans, but we are grateful for the support we have received from people of good will all over the world.

We focus on improving the capacity of the disadvantaged members of the Kibera slums via the provision of Health care, HIV/AIDS intervention, environmental sanitation and above all empowering the community economically.

Our current activities include a health clinic, laboratory testing services, a home-based HIV/AIDS care program, and a home for orphaned children.

Voluntary Counselling and Testing

Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is an important strategy for prevention of HIV / AIDS .It is a powerful weapon in the fight against HIV / AIDS since it is associated with behaviour change that reduces HIV transmission and serves as a point of entry into care for those testing positive.

MACODEP has embraced the community based approach VCT in which other social services are integrated. This approach offers good opportunities for widespread scale-up at the grassroot.

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission

Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV has become an important intervention in the prevention and control of HIV / AIDS, with a commitment being made to improve maternal and child health and survival.

MACODEP has adopted both mother-to-child transmission and the prevention to care continuous as follows:

Primary Prevention of HIV / AIDS in Adults

• Behaviour change communication including education and involvement of partners, families and communities, life skills and other programs targeted to youth.
• Knowing one's HIV status through voluntary counselling and testing for HIV (VCT) or counselling and testing in the ante-natal clinics, prevention and prompt treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Promotion and provision of condoms.

Core Interventions for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission

• Comprehensive MCH services (ante-natal, post natal and child health).
• Counselling and testing of pregnant women.
• Optimal obstetric care.
• Short course anti-retroviral (ARV) prophylaxis for the mother and infant.
• Improved breastfeeding and alternative infant feeding counselling and practices.
• Family planning.

Care and Support.

• Postpartum care for mothers (including family planning)
• Postpartum care for infants (Including identification, treatment of palliative care for AIDS -related conditions).
• Social support for families affected by HIV / AIDS, especially orphans and vulnerable children.