Caregiver Kits - FAQs

Who receives Caregiver Kits?

Caregiver Kits are given to family members and local volunteers in developing countries around the world who are providing compassionate support to people living with AIDS. Hardworking volunteers offer physical and emotional support to affected households in their communities, while family members — many of them children — sacrifice everything to care for sick mothers, fathers, and other relatives. These courageous caregivers find it very difficult to come by the basic supplies they need to safely and effectively minister to the sick.

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How many caregivers are there and how many kits are needed?

To date, World Vision has trained and equipped more than 77,000 caregivers in approximately 20 countries. Our field offices have requested 350,000 kits to support caregivers this year.

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What is the purpose of a Caregiver Kit?

Caregiver Kits are filled with basic supplies that improve and prolong the lives of those living with AIDS while protecting caregivers and preventing the spread of infection. Each kit brings joy to a caregiver and has an immeasurable impact in their community.

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How long does a Caregiver Kit last?

On average, one Caregiver Kit last for two to three months, depending on how many clients the caregiver is treating at a given time. A caregiver often treats seven to 15 clients per week.

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How are the kits replenished?

Caregivers know how to make the most of every item in their kit. But to ensure that they have a continuous supply of the resources they need, four refill packs accompany each main Caregiver Kit. The refill packs are assembled at the same time as the main kits.

For example, a group signs up to assemble 500 kits. They’ll assemble 100 main kits and 400 refill packs — fully equipping 100 caregivers for an entire year!

New items to the kit include oral rehydration salts (replacing anti-diarrheal pills), water purification sachets (depending on availability), and an LED flashlight. The refill kit contents are placed in a soft-shelled drawstring pack, and the main kits remain in the orange hard-shelled kit case. See the content list for more information on each item that is in the kit.

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How do Caregiver Kits get to caregivers?

Kits are assembled by companies, churches, philanthropic groups, and schools. Once they are assembled and packed for shipping, World Vision schedules a pick-up at the event location. The kits are sent to World Vision’s distribution center in Denver or Pittsburgh, where they are prepared for international shipping; they are then trucked to a port and shipped overseas. After clearing customs, they are trucked to World Vision offices and distributed in the field. The entire process takes anywhere from three to six months.

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Why Caregiver Kits and not medical help or other assistance?

Caregiver Kits are one effective way that World Vision is helping those in need. These kits do not replace existing medical care and resources; rather, they allow assistance to reach the homes of those living with HIV and AIDS. Because the caregivers are volunteers, they reach into their communities to assist their neighbors — communities in which a clinic or hospital may be far away, and inaccessible to someone who is ill and lacks transportation. Caregivers provide not only home-based medical assistance but also help with basic household duties and provide needed care for children.

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Who trains caregivers to use the kits?

The caregivers are part of community care coalitions that have been established within their communities. World Vision staff and the national ministry of health both provide training to help caregivers effectively use the products in their kits.

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How can I be sure that the kits actually get to those who need them?

World Vision has a sophisticated supply chain structure, over 50 years of international program experience, and roughly 40,000 staff worldwide. Caregiver Kits are distributed through our existing supply chain, ensuring delivery to the intended recipients.

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What countries receive the kits?

World Vision is currently sending kits to countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in which there are networks of trained caregivers and which are able to receive gifts-in-kind (GIK). These countries include:
Africa: Burundi, DR Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia: Vietnam
Latin America: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras

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How much do the kits cost to put together?

The current per-kit cost is $28 plus local sales tax, but can fluctuate based on availability of product. World Vision will confirm the cost with your Event Coordinator at the time of event registration.

The cost is the same for main kits and refill packs, and the per-kit price includes all domestic and international shipping and handling. To keep prices low, we request that assembly orders be made in multiples of five, with a minimum order of 20 kits.

World Vision coordinates the bulk order of kit contents through our partnership with McKesson Corporation, a health-care services company. Thanks to this partnership, the total cost of the kits is substantially lower than retail pricing.

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How do we place an order and pay for the kit contents?

World Vision will place your order with McKesson about three weeks before your event. You will receive an invoice for the product after your event, and will have 30 days from that point to remit payment to World Vision. World Vision sends you a tax-deductible receipt after your donation has been processed.

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How far in advance does our event need to be registered?

Please register your event at least three weeks in advance of your assembly date so we have adequate time to coordinate the product order. Kit contents will be shipped directly to the location you indicate, ideally arriving two to three days before your event.

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Is it possible to designate our kits to the country of our choice?

Each of the countries receiving Caregiver Kits has requested a certain number of kits. World Vision will meet the greatest needs first and send kits to all of the countries simultaneously. For certain events at which more than 1,000 kits have been built, our Gift-in-Kind team may be able to secure approval to send them to a specific country. However, due to logistical constraints, we cannot always tell you exactly where your kits have been distributed.

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How long does an average kit build take?

This depends on a number of variables. Not including the time to write the encouragement card, one kit assembly takes an average of three to five minutes. We recommend that each person build at least three kits to make it a meaningful experience (more is even better!).

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Besides the kit contents and tables, what items will we need for our assembly event?

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How do I share what my group is doing with our local media?

We have a media team who would be happy to speak with you about this process. We can also send you a press release and a media Q&A document. Send us an e-mail at carekits@worldvision.org for more information.

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