This programme focuses on assisting children from poor households by strengthening the traditional and existing coping strategies available in the communities. HIV/AIDS is taking its toll on the communities. Traditional mechanisms have worked remarkably well so far, and in many places still do, however, with 2 million orphans expected in Kenya alone by 2010, resources are being stretched beyond their capacity and we need new ways of responding to the crisis. The orphans in Bondo district where this programme is located are increasingly susceptible to malnutrition, poor health, psycho-social deprivation, absenteeism from school and migration. This project aims to respond to the crisis by tackling the three facets of power and control which undermine the traditional coping strategies within the communities. These are 1) access to valued resources 2) ensuring participation and self-determination (for sustainability) and 3) facilitate competency and self-efficacy (for success). Six carefully selected communities have been identified for this programme. The communities have proved their commitment to orphan care and support and are all registered with the department of social services as community organisations. Through their existing structures, WVP Kenya will train a minimum of 45 orphan care givers from each community. These care givers, predominantly elderly widows, are likely to take on leadership roles within the community and will make excellent role models to other care givers present in the community. Each of the six communities will identify between 65 and 85 orphans to benefit from this programme. Each of the six communities will be asked to write up action plans that address some of the difficulties they are facing in providing orphan care and support. These action plans, through our facilitation and monitoring, will be implemented by the communities - each community will receive a total of £4,000 to implement these activities. The remaining £1,000 of the project will go to transport and training costs. WVP Kenya covers salaries and other logistical overheads. We are currently implementing this type of programme with funding from a Dutch NGO whose external consultants have congratulated us for the success of this type of communty development.