Background Information

Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) is the non-state Principal Recipient (PR) for the Global Fund HIV Grant, running from July 2021 to June 2024 (NFM3). The goal of the grant is to contribute to the attainment of universal health coverage through comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care for all people in Kenya while the objectives is to reduce new HIV infections by 75%. reduce AIDs related mortality by 50% and reduce HIV related stigma and discrimination to less than 25%.

Despite the strong national and international legal frameworks and commitments to the protection of human rights, Kenya still faces challenges. There remain human rights, gender and age-related barriers to HIV and TB services in Kenya

The Constitution of Kenya (2010) contains a comprehensive Bill of Rights. Article 43 guarantees all Kenyans their economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights. It asserts the “right for every person to social security and binds the State to provide appropriate social security to persons who are unable to support themselves and their dependents.” This right is closely linked to other social protection rights, including the right to healthcare, human dignity, reasonable working conditions, and access to justice. Article 21 establishes the progressive realization of social and economic rights and obligates the State to “observe, respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights.”Kenya’s HIV program is premised on making health services available, accessible, and acceptable through the removal of human rights and gender-related barriers to access to HIV services, including through stigma and discrimination reduction. Despite all the efforts, barriers to service access still exist, and therefore continued advocacy efforts need to be sustained.

Stigma and discrimination, across multiple different settings and relating to people living with HIV and TB, key populations and adolescents and young people persist as deep-rooted problems which remains a barrier to access to healthcare. Access to justice is a fundamental right, as well as a prerequisite for the protection of all other human rights. The success of HIV prevention efforts is dependent on protecting and promoting the rights of those who are socially excluded, silenced, and vulnerable. This will enable groups that are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV infection, such PLHIV, KPs and AYPs to recognize rights violations, assert and defend their rights through individual and collective action. Strengthening access to social and legal support services requires several steps, including educating people about their legal rights, building the capacity of communities and linking legal and social support services. Many people suffer because they lack access to legal and social services and their rights are routinely violated,

Introduction

SOCIAL SUPPORT

Social protection is recognized as a core and essential public service, alongside other services. The national social protection sector comprised three pillars which includes;

Social assistance, which offer ‘direct cash transfers to poor and vulnerable people over their life-cycle’ and, in Kenya, are financed either from general government revenues or by donors.
Social security, which is financed by contributions from individuals and employers and aimed to offer ‘retirement schemes to informal sector workers and to increase the range and adequacy of NSSF benefits.’
Health insurance, which was also financed by contributions from individuals, employers or government and aimed to offer all citizens access to health services including health and education.

LEGAL SUPPORT

Several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya provide legal services yet these organizations lack the resources and capacity to take such services to any meaningful scale. Individuals seeking legal services face a host of barriers—lack of information, poor proximity to courts, lack of faith in the justice system, corruption, and economic disempowerment—that can and should be addressed through targeted and integrated interventions.

. Strengthening access to legal and social support services requires several steps, including educating people about their legal rights, building the capacity of both governmental and traditional legal structures, linking legal services to opportunities for economic empowerment, and supporting partnerships between community-based legal services and national advocacy campaigns against corruption, gender discrimination, and other systemic abuse.

Rationale for digitalization of community referral directories

Digitalization the referral directory will enhance knowledge on the rights of people living with HIV(PLHIVs), adolescents’ and young people (AYPs), Key populations (KPs) and other vulnerable populations to understand where to access social and legal support services as well as improve access to justice in real time.

The focus will be on provision of social assistance, access to economic, social support and provision of livelihood support to individuals. The specific support includes and not limited to the following;

Cash transfers and conditional cash transfers, Food Subsidies, Direct Feeding Programs, School-Based Food Programs, social Health Insurance (NHIF&NSSF), Microfinance.
Foster home for children with disability.
Nutrition, Reproductive Health, WASH, Livelihood and Child sponsorship,
Shelter and care, Child protection and Education and rescue centers
Household Empowerment strengthening
Psychosocial support Counselling and referrals including for FGM related issues.
Safeguard and protect the rights and welfare of children.
Orphans and vulnerable populations (OVC) support, young girls’ empowerment and child sponsorship.
Health services for OVCs and Mental health support.
Scholastic support for vulnerable children.

The legal support structures include provision of legal information, linkage and referral for legal support, link to pro bono services, legal counselling, litigation and legal representation. This includes but not limited to;

GBV prevention and responses initiatives.
Integrated services for SGBV survivors
Support for GBV survivors, psychosocial Support
Linkage to safe house and, temporary shelters for GBV survivors.
Rehabilitation of non-custodial offenders.
Harm reduction referrals.
Collection of specimens for screening for GBV.
Alternative Community dispute and conflict resolution.
Support for legal aid and litigation