Urban Agriculture Program for HIV/AIDS affected Women and Children

The Urban Nutrition Program for HIV-Affected Children and Women is an urban gardening program in high

HIV/AIDS prevalence areas supporting low-income women and children. This activity teaches simple micro-

irrigation and gardening techniques at household level that reduce land, labor and water needs to increase

food production for poor household in selected urban areas of Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Dessie,

Adama and Awassa. The project aims to improve the food security status of households affected by or living

with HIV/AIDS. As a result of training, beneficiaries have acquired skills enabling them to increase

production, family income through sales of surplus, and alternative livelihoods.

The drip irrigation systems use 50% less water and labor than normal gardens, allowing the sick and elderly

to participate. Beneficiaries receive drip irrigation kits, training in gardening, how to use/maintain the kits

and are eventually linked to markets for sale of surplus produce. Beneficiaries, especially OVC and their

guardians living with HIV/AIDS, have conveyed an improved sense of self-reliance and connectedness with

the community as a result of urban gardening. The activity helps minimize stigma and discrimination and

leads to social acceptance of the children and the female household heads. The provision of alternative

income is particularly attractive to women engaging in transactional sex to survive as well as former

commercial sex workers. Both represent a significant segment of program participants. The program

envisions expanding in needy communities throughout Ethiopia to address HIV prevention and care,

especially in terms of nutrition and income security. The possible obstacle for expansion of the program

could be availability of land and water as these are always scarce resources. Average household income

generated by urban gardening is sufficient to cover monthly housing rent.

This activity had reached 10,482 of the targeted 11,000 beneficiaries as of June 2007 and is on track to

achieve the target by the end of September 2007. Household garden activities have provided not only food

but also income for urban gardeners. Approximately 60% of produce is consumed and the remainder is

sold, providing 60 Birr (about $7) per month on average to participating households. DAI coordinates the

Urban Nutrition Gardening Program with a network of NGO operating in the same target areas with the

same populations to achieve comprehensive services. Partnerships are established with 22 sub-grantees in

all program areas with successful HIV/AIDS care networks, and/or successful urban agricultural and market

development activities in the target communities. The program has a respected presence in high HIV

prevalence areas and serves as a referral entry point within the PEPFAR network of HIV/AIDS prevention,

care, and treatment.

In COP08, the activity will increase outreach to households with HIV/AIDS-affected orphans and vulnerable

children, particularly female and orphan-headed households and those who engage in transactional sex.

Expanded partnerships with other PEPFAR and non-USG programs will help improve outreach to OVC.

COP08 activities will include the identification of new OVC households through linkages with existing

PEPFAR OVC programs and health facilities. DAI will continue to extend technical assistance, training, and

capacity building to community partners in drip irrigation and farming. DAI will help local NGO partners to

deliver training to target households and communities (areas of training and technical support to cover site

selection, installation, use and maintenance of drip irrigation systems, and gardening skills). DAI will

continue to advocate and coordinate with the government at national, regional and local levels as well as

private landlords concerning access and use of urban land for long-term sustainability. The program will

also identify and develop markets to support income-generation so beneficiaries are able to sell their

produce.

This activity will continue to collaborate with other PEPFAR Ethiopia partners working in OVC care and

support, ART and PMTCT to expand referrals. ANC 6th report, Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

(EDHS) 2005 and USG Ethiopia mapping data will be used to direct OVC services in areas of highest

prevalence. Sub-grants in the gardening program are for one year. The local NGO will continue to provide

technical support to households after the DAI direct support ends. Beneficiaries are trained to be self-

supporting after twelve months. They will produce vegetables by themselves with ongoing technical support

from the GOE Agriculture Department and local NGO extension staff.