Keeping HIV+ girls in school in Kenya

Watch the full interview and vision

Through 'Painting for an Education' I want to use art to bring education to girls and women living with HIV/AIDS, to help them to attend school and receive an education. Today it’s a small venture, but most things start that way- I am confident.

 

My vision is to empower women, invest in their ideas and grow those ideas into long-term opportunities for those living with HIV and their children. Through my work, I have met the most amazing people whose resilience and strength are astounding. To make these dreams come true an education is essential because education opens doors, it provides knowledge and skills to make the best choices.

 

I sell my artwork and with the proceeds, I pay schools directly and make sure girls have a secure place for the year.  I work with NEPHAK (The National Empowerment Network of people living with HIV in Kenya).

 

Nancy Auma and Maureen Murenga work directly with me to pay the school fees directly, they stands up for young people living with HIV in Kenya and fights discrimination in schools, click here to hear Juliana's story which I capture on film in 2012 when she was just 19.

See some of my previous artwork that has been sold to support this cause and how I get inspired.

 

Art for Education

Use of a  talent to grow funds and work with the comunnities so all money is used for education

See current artwork for sale

 

 

Community Action

Engaging girls and young women and following their progress and providing support

See girls profiles

See Owen's page

 

 

Education for all

Education for all girls, to improve health, wellbeing for better life choises as they move through life with a chronic disease

See lessons learned

 

 

 

Why education matters

UNAIDS estimates that over 34 million people are living with HIV worldwide, the majority, however, are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite huge progress, there are still 400 children a day born with HIV. These are children that will live with the virus all their lives until a cure is found. Technological advances means that treatments are available that will allow these children to live and grow to be healthy adults.

 

Today there is still much stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Many families find it hard to find employment and many positive children end up living in a precarious situation with limited school attendance. Education is not free in Africa and families with low incomes find it hard to ensure that their children attend school. Education is key to women’s empowerment in all societies, it allows them to have better control over their lives and make a better decision about their health and welfare. Girls living with HIV are therefore twice as vulnerable without an education.

 

Good      

Education     

Leads to Independence,

Security and Empowerment

 

Be a Patron of the project for a small amount each month and help a Postive girl stay at school - see here Patreon

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