In 2009, fresh drinking water in SOTENI Village of Hope (SVH)–Mbakalo became minutes away, rather than miles away, thanks to the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board, the Gender Sensitive Initiatives organization, the Kenyan Water Services Fund Trust, and SOTENI Kenya. SVH–Mbakalo managed the project. The massive project brought 20 hand-pump wells and 20 spring-water pipes to the area, as well as 15 three-door latrines and 12 rainwater-harvesting tanks to its local schools.
P&G Clean Water - In 2010 we started a partnership with P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Program. This program has been implemented in all three of SOTENI's Villages of Hope. The main goal of the project is to provide clean drinking water to people who are HIV+ thus minimizing opportunistic water borne illnesses. In 2017 Round 4 was started reaching around 141 groups and 2000 households.
The packets for cleaning the water are distribute during monthly support group meetings. The ABDs provide each member with an average of thirty P&G Purifier of Water Packets, varying depending on family size, at each meeting to provide them with clean water up until the next scheduled meeting. Every meeting contains an educational component varying from HI/AIDS prevention & transmission, family planning, prevention of mother to child transmission, group management, nutrition, and water and safety and hygiene.
The Improving access to Family Planning Project in SVH- Ugunja began in 2015 and was implemented by the ABDs in that area. The overall aim of this project, supported by the Positive Action for Children Fund, was to spread family planning information and increase the uptake of family planning and other Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services among rural women living in SVH Ugunja. This included providing integrated HIV, SRH, and reproductive rights services through outreaches, home visitations, and linking women to health care in order to access family planning at a subsidized cost. There were 3743 direct beneficiaries.
SOTENI has started another family planning project being implemented by the ABDs in SVH-Ugunja. The name of the project is STAREHE (Strengthening Agriculture and Resources for Health). It is a 2 year project focusing on family planning, prevention of HIV/AIDS and supporting vulnerable women in training on agriculture. Men and women of reproductive age are screened and enrolled in group family planning sessions. STAREHE also provides counseling, HIV testing, additional family planning services, seedlings, and agricultural training. The target is 5500 direct beneficiaries.
SVH–Mbakalo opened a dispensary in early 2005 to provide essential medical services to an underserved area that includes the largest rural slum in the Western Province. The eight-person staff includes a two clinical officers, a nurse, nurse's assistant, lab technologist, accounts clerk, watchman, and cleaning person.
Between 200 and 300 people visit the dispensary each month, often walking miles to receive care. Most require anti-malarials, antibiotics, analgesics, or antihistamines. With the assistance of a government health center, the dispensary also offers immunizations. Despite having no electricity, the dispensary is thriving. In fall 2008, SOTENI purchased a solar refrigerator to store vaccines and medicines.
In 2011 SOTENI was able to build a simple structure on the 2.25 acres that was donated by the community to SOTENI. In 2017 the original structure had a complete upgrade. There was new layout to better use the interior space, which included new walls, flooring, lighting and upgraded solar back-up. The renovation project was funded by individual donors.
In October 2007, SOTENI Kenya (SK) was awarded a $105,000 two-year grant from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) to help local women in SVH-Mituntu through a Women's Empowerment Project. SOTENI implemented the project in partnership with the Forum for International Cooperation (FIC) and Community Relief and Concern, a Kenyan organization. In July/August 2008, 24 Kenyans were selected to become "trainers of trainers" and underwent extensive education. Since then, more than 750 women from 60 women's groups have acquired new knowledge and skills in business management, entrepreneurship, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and empowerment.
Because of the success of the first phase of the program, in 2010 DANIDA awarded SK a three-year $350,000 for a second phase initiative in SVH-Mituntu. The grant will enable many more women's groups to receive the in-depth training and offer guidance and assistance to individual women and women's groups that have started their own businesses.
In June 2009, SVH–Mbakalo launched the Flo DeWitt Women Empowerment Initiative, a microfinance program providing short-term loans of 30,000 Kenyan shillings (~$400) to local women's groups. These loans finance income-generating activities and help the groups achieve greater self-sufficiency. The women work on projects ranging from beekeeping to crop development.
Before receiving the loans, the women received training on how to effectively manage their capital, maintain active membership, develop a sustainable project, and repay the money.
Mary Kibor Community Empowerment Center
Located in SVH-Mbakalo, the Center includes a library, a meeting hall, and a business center to serve the community. As of 2018, the library has over 600 books with an emphasis on books for school. The meeting hall may be rented out or used to show soccer matches on TV to earn income for the Center. The business center sells stationaries and provides copying, laminating, and other services. SOTENI hopes to open a computer lab by early 2019. A major goal of the Center is to empower community members and children to learn year-round, beyond the traditional school year.