GAVIN AITCHISON looks at a pioneering scheme bringing help and hope to one of the most remote communities in Kenya.

ON an unforgiving dirt track, a red motorbike roars through the mud.

It is ridden by Rogers Ochieng Otieno, an extraordinary ambassador for a life-saving initiative. He is welcomed, everywhere he goes, with open arms and radiant smiles, a beacon of hope for a people in need.

Rogers, 30, has been a community health worker for 11 years, but the motorbike has been a revelation.

Originally, he covered his vast patch on push-bike or on foot, meaning the work was tiresome and his time with clients severely restricted. Not any more. In 2007, Rogers became part of the Rural Transport Network (RTN), and he has never looked back.

The RTN is one of the great success stories in Kenya’s battle against HIV and malaria, enabling health workers to quickly access the most remote parts of Nyanza province.

It’s a remarkably simple initiative, a win-win for all concerned. The Anglican Church of Kenya’s Development Services arm (ADS) provides a motorbike to a rider for free and invites them to use it to earn a living, eg as a taxi driver or courier. In return, the rider spends half their time working in their communities, spreading healthcare and education where it is most needed.

Today, Rogers is visiting two women, both of whom he counselled ahead of their HIV tests, and both of whom are now living with the virus.

“When I was pronounced positive I was courageous, because Rogers had prepared me,” says Celestine, a widow. “Without him, I would have died because I would have been threatened and frightened.”

Rogers is not unique. There are 12 such motorbiking medics in Nyanza, partly funded by Christian Aid and Virgin Unite, and in the first nine months of this year, they revisited 3,700 households and made contact with 500 new ones.

But as with all such projects, resources are frustratingly finite. Three trained riders are awaiting bikes and, with more funds, the RTN organisers say, they could do much more.

Those who do have the bikes are warmly welcomed, aided by a culture which makes it taboo to turn away a visitor.

They raise awareness among elders, visit schools, set up support groups and teach about vital treatments such as post-exposure prothylasis (PEP), which can counter the spread of HIV if applied within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It is especially valuable, say aid organisations, when working with rape victims.

Demand for help is vast. Nyanza province, in western Kenya, has the country’s highest HIV infection rate, and the second highest prevalence of malaria. Health education and the provision of mosquito nets truly are matters of life and death.

“I had to empathise with my community,” says Rogers, when we ask what inspired him to act. “It was like a call.”

When he started in 2000, there was widespread ignorance of the causes of HIV, with many people believing it was a curse, or that it could be spread by shaking hands. But things have moved on.

“Our hospitals were full of sick people, because families could not care for them,” Rogers says. “Now I am very happy because the majority of people with HIV are up and can do their daily activities.”

That change can be traced to 2002, when the HIV crisis was declared a national emergency. People became hungry for knowledge and experts like Rogers were treated like prophets.

“I used to go to the schools and even the teachers did not know about HIV AIDS,” says Rogers. “Teachers and people would flock around me to hear what I had to say.”

People across the country are now becoming more responsive and responsible, says Florence Achapa, programme manager for ADS. “Through our projects they are able to understand our approach,” she says. “We do not do stuff for people – we empower them to take control of their relationships.”

And as Rogers sets off on his bike for his next visit, he is adamant that optimism is essential. “If you want to solicit for sympathy, then you will die,” he says. “When you have a strong spirit, you can go on.”

.....................

WHEN Rogers is not out on the bike, he works as a community paralegal in Usenge, focusing on victims of domestic violence. Last year, he tacked 117 cases; this year he had clocked up 104 by September.

He and his colleagues operate under the banner of SCODA – Support Community Oppressed and Discriminated Alliance.

“Our vision is to create a society that upholds human rights for all,” he says. “We have done a lot of work supporting widows and orphans. We wanted to help them have a voice.

“I saw my people being abused and women suffering from domestic violence. I felt it was very necessary that they have a voice and can say ‘stop’.

Gavin Aitchison travelled to Kenya with Christian Aid, to witness the charity's work with HIV victims and to meet those on the front-line in the fight against the virus.

York Press: Christian Aid logo

• Christian Aid’s Christmas appeal this year is focused on HIV, marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the virus.

If you would like to donate to the appeal, or would like to find out more about Christian Aid's work on health and HIV, visit christianaid.org.uk/christmas or call 0845 7000 300.