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Facts About Rabuor Village

Demographic Information

Rabuor Village is a semi-rural village of about 600 households located in the Nyanza province of western Kenya. Nyanza covers 16,162 square kilometers and has a population of 4,392,196 (1999). The predominant ethnic group in Rabuor and in the region is Luo. There are approximately 3 million Luo living in Nyanza province (Kenya Ministry of Health).

Rabuor is located about 25 kilometers from Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya with a population of over 322,000. Kisumu is the principal lake port of Kenya and the commercial center of the region. Commercial industries include refined sugar, frozen fish, textiles, beer, and processed sisal. The area in and around Rabuor is hilly and well vegetated and much of the land has been improved for agricultural and livestock activities.

Impact of HIV/AIDS in the Region

The western provinces of Kenya have experienced the highest adult HIV prevalence rates in the country with recent estimates for Nyanza province at 28-35% (Matinde TO, Kenya MoH). For the local area called Chulaimbo which includes Rabuor, rates are even higher. Data collected from Chulaimbo hospital, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) surveillance site, during the assessment indicate that the Chulaimbo area has an HIV prevalence of over 31% among the general population, one of the highest rates among all rural townships in Kenya.

It was evident during the recent assessment (March 2004) that there have been a disproportionate number of AIDS-related deaths among young men, leaving many women to support their families while they themselves are in many cases becoming ill. In addition, the number of children who have lost one or both parents has grown substantially although exact figures for both of these trends are not readily available.

 

Links to General Information About HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Global Health Resource Center at the University of Washington

"Caring for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Imposes Heavy Costs on Families and Nations" - World Bank Press Release, December 15, 2004

UNAIDS

Kaiser Family Foundation: HIV/AIDS

Washington Post article on widow inheritance

CNN Special Report: AIDS in Africa

DATA: Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa

UNICEF

allAfrica.com: AIDS news

 

Links to Like-Minded Organizations and Individuals

Village Volunteers, Seattle, WA

AIDS Is Knocking Multimedia Exhibit

Amanda Koster, Professional Photographer and RVP Collaborator