Boresha – Prisoners, Children and Healthcare Workers living with HIV
From 2010 to 2013, Mildmay Kenya and Mildmay Tanzania delivered 'Boresha', a bold multi-country initiative supporting vulnerable groups affected by HIV in Kenya and Tanzania. The programme was part-funded by the European Union.
‘Boresha’ means ‘to make better’ in Swahili, and the project lived up to its name.
We worked with three groups: prisoners, healthcare workers living with HIV, and children. The aim was to improve access to comprehensive home‑ and community‑based support.
For prisoners, we established support groups that provided cell‑based care for sick inmates, first aid, counselling, and ongoing care and support. Crucially, these groups challenged stigma and discrimination within prisons and encouraged HIV testing.
The initiative extended to include prison guards, which improved relations between prisoners and staff and set a positive example across the prison community. Over three years, we reached 14,330 prisoners—more than double the original target of 7,000.
Prisoners were a highly underserved population, receiving limited attention and support, despite prisons being significant settings for HIV transmission.
For healthcare workers living with HIV, we formed ten peer support groups that provided continuous medical education, speaking opportunities, and mutual support—motivating and encouraging a workforce that often experienced heightened stigma and discrimination.
For children, we created 150 support groups for Children Affected by HIV and AIDS (CABA). These offered safe spaces to play, receive counselling, and develop life skills.