About the Company: The Serena group of hotels and lodges is run by the Aga khan Development Network. Serena owns and operates seven hotels in Kenya, six in Tanzania, six in Pakistan, one in Mozambique, one in Zanzibar and will soon be opening another in Kampala, Uganda. The group currently employs 1,200 people in Kenya alone.
HIV/AIDS in Kenya: Although Kenya has been hit hard by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there have been signs of reductions in prevalence at the national level. In its 2005 epidemic update, the joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), reported a prevalence rate among adults of about 7%, down from an overall prevalence of 10% in the late 90s. According to UNAIDS, the most dramatic drops in prevalence have been among pregnant women in urban Kenya, especially in Busia, Meru, Nakaru, and Thika from a prevalence of 28% in 1999 to 9% in 2003. But UNAIDS also warned that the death rates could be higher than the rates at which new infections are occurring.
HIV/AIDS Action Plan: Serena has developed a comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace and community program with a well defined strategy and objectives. Activities have been identified to achieve each objective. An HIV/AIDS policy, developed with guidelines from the Federation of Kenya Employers, guides the implementation of the program.
The program objectives as outlined in the policy are to: reduce the vulnerability of all employees and their families to HIV infection; lessen the adverse impact of HIV/AIDS on those affected; empower individual employees and their families to respond to AIDS; and eliminate stigma and discrimination against employees infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Implementation of the HIV/AIDS program is spearheaded by the group’s human resource function in conjunction with HIV/AIDS coordinators at the different units (hotels and lodges).
Serena operates clinics at almost all of its units. Each clinic is run by a nurse who also doubles as the HIV/AIDS coordinator. Although the program has only been implemented in Kenya, plans are under way to introduce it in the Tanzania, Zanzibar and Uganda operations.
Education and Prevention Programs: Serena has done a lot to facilitate HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention among its employees. A total of 120 employees have been trained as peer educators and charged with the responsibility of promoting awareness, education and behavior change among their fellow employees. HIV/AIDS videos and other literature are provided for use by the peer educators and employees.
In dealing with problems of burn out, drop out and inter unit transfers of peer educators, Serena undertakes frequent retraining and replacement, and provides incentives aimed at enhancing morale. The incentives include free time off and trips to attend AIDS seminars with accommodation, registration and transportation fees fully paid for by the company. In addition, free condoms supplied by Family Health International (FHI) are distributed to the employees at each unit. The HIV/AIDS policy has also been circulated to all employees.
Care and Treatment Program: Serena has an extensive care and treatment program for its employees. The company works with the Nazareth hospital a Mission hospital in the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to provide its employees free medical services including anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for those who are HIV positive and require treatment. Out of the 65 HIV positive employees who have been identified, 44 are on ART. There has been a dramatic drop in AIDS related deaths from seven employees per year before the workplace HIV/AIDS program started, to five employees in the last three years combined.
While prior to the implementation of the HIV/AIDS program Serena experienced a high rate of absenteeism, no case of absenteeism has been reported among the HIV positive employees on ART, confirming that their productivity has been maintained. “Our staff is very happy and they look at this company as one that really cares,” says Mrs. Catherine Waruhiu, the group human resource manager. “They have become good ambassadors who speak to other people about our organization.”
Community Engagement: Serena has a strong community program whose activities include provision of subsidized medical services at the company operated clinics, training of community peer educators, and distribution of free condoms. Community members who access clinical services at the Serena clinics receive free consultations and only pay for the drugs. Nurses at the clinics conduct HIV/AIDS information sessions and video shows at the local churches and schools.
Partnerships: Working with partners is a key element of Serena’s HIV/AIDS program. The group has partnered with FHI and the National Organization of Peer Educators (NOPE) to provide HIV/AIDS training for peer educators and nurses who run the company clinics at each unit. With technical assistance from FHI, Serena has worked with NOPE in conducting a needs analysis whose results have been used to enhance both the workplace and community programs.
NOPE is also assisting the company in the delivery of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services to the employees. To ensure a steady and cost effective supply of anti-retrovirals, Serena is working with Phillips Pharmaceuticals and Pharm Access Africa limited, in the private Sector, who have agreed to provide the drugs at cost.
Future Plans: In moving ahead the HIV/AIDS program a number of activities have been planned. Training for senior managers is planned with help from IFC Against AIDS. Another plan is to hire a full time HIV/AIDS coordinator for the entire program reporting to the human resource manager. Also, plans are under way to contract NOPE to do a survey of the employees’ knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to HIV/AIDS and gauge the impact of the program to date.
NOPE will further assist Serena in monitoring the peer education program. This will be done through monthly supervisory meetings at the unit level, and bi-annual coordinators meetings at the national level. An evaluation will be carried out after two years to assess the impact of the program. Serena is looking at a co-investment venture with the Case Foundation, a US based non governmental organization, to set up a VCT center for employees at the group’s lodges in Amboseli and Samburu.
Lessons Learned and Applications to Clients:
- Partnerships are critical in the implementation of an HIV/AIDS program.
- Providing ART is an important vehicle for driving HIV/AIDS prevention programs, avoiding disruptions, maintaining productivity, the “normal” operating structure and employee morale.
- A good HIV/AIDS program brings about a positive impact on the company’s reputation.
