Kitchen Garden to suppliment nutritional needs of PLHA

April 6, 2009

Dear Forum

People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) require an additional 20-30% of nutrition

food for their healthy living. Many of these PLWHA will be unable to afford this

due to health, socio-economic and livelihood deprivations.

Due to this cause most of the PLHA are suffering from the Opportunistic

infections and sick. It is decreasing the confidence levels of PLHA and thereby

increased the death rate in People Living with HIV/AIDS.

VMM is a voluntary organization working in HIV/AIDS sector has introduced the

kitchen garden intervention to HIV affected families in order to reduce

incidence of Opportunistic Infections, malnutrition, to increase their lifespan

and improve their livelihoods. June to February during the monsoon is the right

season for the kitchen garden in Andhra Pradesh, India.

An additional water facility will be used to ensure that these kitchen gardens

are operating the whole year. It needs less money, manpower, technical skills

for PLWHA to cultivate. It requires small open place at houses or near to

houses. Few of the families were to the place for small lease and doing the

kitchen garden in their own villages.

VMM has mobilized by providing vegetable and fruit seeds to affected families

during the monsoon. All the family members were supported each other and taking

the good food and earning the money.

A few families are cultivating it as an income generating activity, earning INR

1500 - 1800 per month. These families are sharing their produce with each other.

It has reduced food insecurity, malnutrition and reduced incidence of

opportunistic infections. In addition it has increased self confidence, the

lifespan and their participation of PLWHA in HIV programmes.

Challenges: Need community sensitization to reduce stigma and discrimination,

because community is not supporting the families at the time of cultivation as

well as selling. Marketing facilities is very less for the production because of

their health problems they are not ready to go out for marketing and family

member's involvement to be increased.

With Best Regards

Abraham Mutluri

Programme Officer

VMM – CHAHA

Andhra Pradesh, India

e-mail: <abraham_msw@...>

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