By Dr. Pasquine N. Ogunsanya | Executive Director and Founder
Alive Medical Services (AMS) has long recognized the importance of providing access to balanced and essential nutrients as an essential component to comprehensive HIV/AIDS care. This fall UNAIDS released a document confirming this: saying that food security can help end the AIDS epidemic. Nutrition support is particularly important for people living with HIV for three reasons:
However, despite the well-known importance of good nutrition for HIV/AIDS care, many people living with HIV are not able to access appropriate nutrition due to economic constraints. This is why AMS is committed to providing free, well-balanced nutrition support to clients. We know that providing access to healthy food is essential for our patients’ success and we believe that all people deserve access to healthy, nutritious food. As the famous Hippocrates’ quote says: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
With support from generous donors like you, we are expanding the AMS nutrition program in a way that provides double-pronged support to our clients! First, we are providing clients with access to more fresh produce, which benefits their health and well-being. Second, we are purchasing this fresh produce from AMS clients that participate in our Organic Gardening income generation group! This means that your support is helping to keep AMS clients healthy and self-reliant!
Alex is one of AMS’ many patients who has benefitted from comprehensive HIV care, including nutrition support. When Alex first arrived at AMS she was sick and very weak from HIV. Having already lost one child and her husband to HIV, she was struggling to financially support her three remaining children. However, through the support that she received at AMS, she began to recover physically, emotionally, and financially. Alex relied on AMS nutrition support and the P&G safe drinking water program offered by AMS to help provide for her children and stay healthy. As she regained strength she also joined AMS’ income generation groups, initially making African jewellery and handicrafts and eventually joining the organic gardening group. It is amazing to see patients like Alex regain their strength and hope – because these benefits impact their entire family! Now, Alex and her children are strong and healthy again. In fact, Alex has become such a successful gardener, that she not only grows fresh produce to feed her own family but also sells produce to others in her community. “I feel so proud that I am also now an outstanding member of the community. I get consulted on how to do gardening, school, etc. Thank you AMS for the empowerment and helping me sustain myself.”
AMS is committed to providing full support to our clients, enabling them to re-establish healthy and thriving lives. Thank you for continuing to share this vision with us and for supporting the growth of our nutrition and organic gardening program!
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