The Baobab Home has been cooking breakfast in Bagamoyo since 2005. We’ve served over 200,000 cups of hot, energizing porridge (uji) made from corn, soy, rice, millet and peanut. From 2005 to 2009 we served orphans and other vulnerable children in one of the poorest areas of Bagamoyo. In 2009 we moved the program to the HIV/AIDS clinic at the government hospital. These days we serve about 1600 cups of uji per month, to all adults and children coming to get the monthly medicines that keep them alive. Many people travel a long distance to receive their medicine. They are hungry and the wait is often half a day or more. We make sure that they have a full stomach so that they can listen to the doctor's advice. Being full also helps people to relax and talk to their peers. Stigma around HIV/AIDS is still so prevalent, but at the clinic, people can speak freely.
The program is sponsored by friends of Ken Russo and Michael MacIntyre who work tirelessly on behalf of the HIV community in Bagamoyo. Ken has been positive for 30 years himself. His humor, longevity and boundless energy are an inspiration here to young and old. More help is needed however, so if you are interested, please write to us.