Improving nutrition needs for 250 HIV+ children.

The COVID 19 pandemic was a global shock as it almost brought the entire world to a shutdown. Panic was increasing every other day in all perspectives not sparing politicians and health practioners. Rapid restrictions to control the spread were instituted leading to total local down in various countries including Uganda. The restrictions however did not only affect the economic status of the locals, but negatively affected many of the risk groups such as children leaving with HIV/AIDS. Transport to collect drugs become challenging during the lockdown, with no single income from their caretakers after the businesses had been shut leading to poor nutrition. Cases of starvation, poor drug adherence, domestic violence among others rocked the national news in Uganda. It’s on this background that PaCT a Humanterian Organisation in Uganda responded through different interventions including food relief to save the lives of the affected children.

Approach

By running her campaign through GlobalGiving for the first time, PaCT managed to raise resources that were used to improve the quality of life of 50 HIV positive children through food relief. Focus was put on healthful feeding such as maize flour, beans, rice and silverfish. The children were identified through the ART clinic at Mityana regional referral hospital and food was delivered by PaCT team to their respective homes. During the same period, PaCT was delighted to attract another partner (Blood: Water Inc) who contributed support towards 120 HIV+ children under the care of The AIDS Support Organisation. This support was regarded very essential as it drove the children through the hard waves until the government started easing the restrictions.   

A Story of Restored Hope

"Am a resident of Kiggwa village in Butayunja sub-county, Mityana District, a widow living with HIV and a mother of six children with Rashid of 6 years living with HIV/AIDS. Before lockdown I used to be hired by people to work in their plantations where I would get money to support my family. Problem came when COVID19 hit Uganda and the whole country was locked down, and I stopped getting employment opportunities since people didn’t have money and others feared hosting people at their homes. It is those simple jobs that used to give me a living from which I would get transport to pick ARVs for myself and my HIV+ son at Kitongo Health Center III. Transport went from becoming very expensive to totally unavailable. Feeding for the family especially my son and the entire family become extremely challenging as I could not even afford a kilo of maize flour. We fed on the little food we had in our backyard garden until it got finished. Although am also on ART treatment, it always worried me more giving my son drugs without having an appropriate meal, as a result, the rest of us resorted to having a single meal late in the evening so that we could save a little more for Rashid. Having a single meal was a real disaster for me as I had to walk almost 10kms to the health centre to pick our drugs. However as God never forgets his people, as I watched myself getting to the darkest corner of life, I was rescued by PaCT when they delivered bags of maize flour, beans, rice and silverfish (Mukene). The team that delivered food got confused when I got overjoyed and instead started crying, this was indeed a miracle happening in my life that I will always live to tell. The food took us for about two months and as it was starting to get finished, I had started getting small jobs again. I wish to extend my gratitude to God’s people who gave us food through Partners for Community Transformation. We are delighted that PaCT team continued following us up to see how we are fairing and they have now trained us to establish a perfect backyard garden."

Story by Ms. Peninnah

Links:

• Partners for Community Transformation