1. By Christine Nabiryo TASO, Uganda
Ensuring continuity of access to food after food support ends; an Experience from Uganda By
Christine Nabiryo
TASO, Uganda

2. Presentation outline Background of Uganda and TASO
Justification for food support to PLHIV
Framework for longer term food security
Examples of efforts to establish longer term food security
Challenges
Recommendations

3. Uganda High burden of HIV/AIDS First cases detected in 1982
High morbidity and mortality affecting the country’s socio-economic gains

4. HIV Prevalence by Region
2.3%
8.2%
3.5%
Uganda total: 6.4
5.3%
6.5%
6.9%
8.5%
Kampala – 8.5%
Percent of men and women who are HIV positive
5.9%

5. Impact of HIV/AIDS Health outcomes of individuals Orphans crisis
Agricultural productivity
Economic productivity of Households, individuals and nations
Erosion of gains in economic development

7. TASO Context NGO established in 1987 to respond to the epidemic
Compliments national health system efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS
Core business in psychosocial support, medical care and community capacity building for HIV prevention, care and support

8. TASO Context Psychosocial Needs ranking: Health Food Security
Support for their children – education
Sustainable Livelihoods

9. Justification for food support
Average household size of PLHIV (7 members)
Beneficiaries mainly yrs ( productive age)
36 % could not afford a morning meal
76% unable to make savings in last 3 months

10. TASO Context 70 % of TASO clients are female
50% of the females are widowed (need to emphasize property ownership in context of gender)
80% of clients are unemployed earning less that a dollar a day

11. Children looking after children

12. TASO Food Support beneficiaries BMI Ranges 2007 N =1876

13. Short and Long term food security
Food security and nutrition needs of clients have led to emphasis on Food, Nutrition security and livelihoods programming
Nutrition, Food and Livelihoods programming is linked to partnerships e.g TASO/WFP and other livelihoods focused partnerships

14. Impact of Food support and ART on new clients Registration at TASO

15. Moving Up: A Holistic Approach
SUSTAINABILITY
LOANS and SAVINGS
CONDITIONAL
MICRO-GRANTS:
TRICKLE UP
CONTRACTS
MARKETING
SKILLS TRAINING
AGRO-BUSINESS:
HEIFER PROJ. INTL.
ACDI/VOCA
FOOD SECURITY
COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
JUMP START
FOOD AID
FOOD SUPPORT / SOCIAL WELFARE
Clients will always need TASO counseling and medical care, but they may not always have to depend on food support or welfare. Imagine if poor clients could graduate from social welfare as they move towards economic independence.

16. TASO Sustainable Livelihoods programming
Goal : To empower TASO clients to be self reliant in their livelihoods
6000 beneficiaries

18. Demonstration garden at a TASO center

19. Clients representatives training in backyard farming

20. Members of a clients group in their demonstration garden

21. A client supported by a partner agency ( FADEP) in farming

22. Family support system
For the success of SLP, family support has been encouraged. Clients are encouraged to involve their children and other family members in all the activities they do. This enhances sustainability in family projects and support especially when the client is weak.

23. Family involvement

24. A herd of goats belonging to one client – A success story
Aidah - Client at TASO Jinja:
Has 1 cow -12 L of milk/day
49 mature goats
36 local chicken layers
1st born child at University
2nd born child in Secondary school
Other 4 benefiting from UPE

25. Challenges Differing sustainable livelihoods needs amongst clients
Few partners to support program-huge demand
Taking the efforts to scale
from jump starts to effective sustained family projects at individual level
Reaching all 80,000 active clients

26. Challenges Seasonality – climate change
Organizational development capacity for beneficiaries
Need to diversify projects per beneficiary
Limited focus on nutrition and food security as a priority in HIV programming

27. Dilemmas Nutrition vs food security (individual Vs Family support)
Equity – communities affected by poverty
When to stop ( 6, 8, 12, 18 months ???)
Rising food prices

28. Recommendations
Sustainable livelihoods needs to be included as a component of comprehensive care for PLHIV
Partnerships and resources for PLHIV livelihoods needs to be mobilized
Advocacy to address exclusion of PLHIV from some development programs

29. Recommendations
Any short term food support programming should incorporate longer term nutrition sustainability planning to be communicated from start of project
Need to incorporate gender programming in sustainable livelihoods programming

30. THANK YOU