World Connect

BUILD PLAYGROUND FOR TEEN CLUB AND HIV/AIDS INFECTED CHILDREN AT NKHORONGO HEALTH CENTRE IN MALAWI

Year: 2019

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Health

Project Investment: $750.00

Project Launch: 5-10-19

With an investment of $750, Action for Sustainable Development (ASUD) plans to build a playground for the Teen Club and HIV/AIDS Infected Children at Nkhorongo Health Centre in Malawi. There will be jungle gyms and playground equipment for children as well as huts for teens to play board games and gather. This will attract children to the center and reduce the high default rate on Antiretroviral (ARV) treatments among children and teens. It will also increase peer to peer interaction, improve children's physical and mental development, and further expose them to the center which offers sexual and reproductive health education and other useful materials.

Project Update: 8-30-19

Three months after funding, this project has installed playing materials such as see-saw, swings, ladders and a slide to create a playground for children as they conduct meetings at Nkhorongo health center. The project is also constructing a summer hut that will provide enough room for the children to discuss important issues regarding their health. The project seeks to reduce the number of children defaulting taking their ARV drugs by giving them a chance to interact with their friends and health personnel who provide the drugs at the meetings.

Final Report: 10-9-19

In June 2019, Action for Sustainable Development (ASUD) received $750 in Accelerator Grants Funding to build a playground for the existing HIV/AIDS infected children and teen club at Nkhorongo Health Centre in Mzuzu City in northern Malawi. Five months after the start of the project, the Health Center has seen a drastic increase in average attendance per counselling session from 25 before the project to 48 young people living with HIV/AIDS. The rate of default in receiving and taking ARV drugs by children has dropped from 20% to 15% as a result of health education that is provided at regular meetings. Through this project, demand for ARV has increased leading to the need for a larger area to provide services at the Health Center.