Andrew Masinde: Business grants for Viral load suppression

Andrew Masinde is a caregiver aged 54 years. He hails from Masasuli area in Lwandeti Ward. Andrew is a widower who lost his wife in 2009. Andrews’s household is affected by HIV where 3 members of the household live with the virus. This includes the 2 adults and one child. All the 3 members take their drugs at Matete Health Centre. Andrew and the household were enrolled in the OVC project in 2012 and were among the members who transitioned to the MWENDO project.

Andrew served as a school gateman at a nearby primary school called Masasuli where he received a salary of Kes 2,500 per month. Andrew and the family did not afford their basic needs such as food to say the least other needs. Andrew and the 2 other household members who were HIV infected had high viral loads of around 123,067 copies which were quite alarming. ADSW administered a case conference for the OVC and it was evident that there was a lack of food, treatment support, timer, and a balanced diet as a result of poverty. Interventions were put in place to support the OVC with a timer and pill box, and allocate Andrew a treatment.

Andrew made a decision to start a small business that included selling sweets, Mandazis, and sodas at the school. This enabled him to improve his monthly income to Kes 12,000 enabling him to buy food and meet other households’ needs. He engaged in saving 500 in 2020 and by 2021 his savings accumulated to 15,790 monthly in a SILC group where he borrowed 2 times his savings and bought iron sheets, a door, and a window that he used to raise his kiosk. The Kes. 5,000 he received as a grant was used to boost the kiosk stock including other products for sale such as sugar, tea leaves, cooking fat, Royco, Bread, and Soda. Through this Andrew was able to even support his child with transport to a health facility.

Viral load for the OVC was taken after a period of 6 months and the results were at Lower Detectable Level (LDL)