Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
May 30, 2013Washington, DC
Protection: Household Production Contributing to
Resiliency for the Poor Kirsten Weeks, DAI
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Household Production – What do we mean?
– Includes household gardening, agriculture, livestock and horticulture, micro-business support, understanding markets, vocational training – linked to job placement.
– Increase productive assets – Helps household smooth income and
expenses and promote asset growth– Help households increase productivity
and income.
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
• Program Experience - Urban Gardens Program (UGP) – Ethiopia– Introduced household, community and school
gardens across 136 Community garden sites; 188 school garden sites.
• Program Experience as a technical assistance provider IMARISHA – Tanzania; and HICD/R - Rwanda– Providing technical assistance to PEPFAR
supported home-based care and OVC partners
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
UGP Approach • Blend of: Participatory,
training and learning “Garden Dialogues” to promote agriculture; Technology: (drip-kits, grow-bags/plasic boxes); and group savings.
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
UGP Challenges • Push for high targets and rapid
graduation of participants – one year of support
• Challenges of land tenure• Gender inequities
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
UGP Lessons Learned through Implementation
• Need to adapt technology and approach– Grow-bags due to land insecurity – evolved
into plastic box solutions. – Drip-kits – seen as “the answer” evolved
into a potential tool for water management, but not “the tool.”
– Need to modify traditional farmer-field school model to be more female friendly and peer-oriented vs vertical extension approach
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
UGP Results• Improved horticulture knowledge • Improved land management (from an access
perspective) – Increased land access for participants, as well as a 2012 Urban Agriculture Policy and Implementation Plan for Addis Ababa
• Reduced Self-stigma and increased reported self-confidence among participants
• Increased reports of dietary diversity among program participants
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
UGP Post-Project Lessons • Community gardens continued
• School gardens did not continue without ongoing support
• Need to extend the time of support for participants to ensure uptake of learning
• Need to improve soil management
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Technical Assistance Experience: Lessons
from the Data
• One solution alone isn’t part of the answer, but agriculture is part of the solution
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Challenges Facing HBC / OVC Implementers
• Push for high targets and rapid graduation of participants
• Gender inequities• Unclearly defined approaches to economic
strengthening and agriculture in particular • Understanding home based care and OVCs
doesn’t always translate to understanding agriculture or economic strengthening
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Lessons Learned through Implementation
• Need for ongoing rather than one-off support
• Need to move beyond output to outcome monitoring for agricultural behaviors
• Need to be realistic of the results we promise.
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Questions for Group Discussion
• How should we define results of integrating household agriculture within HIV programming?
• What factors do we need to consider to design more effective household agriculture activities for HIV programs?
Harnessing the Power of Cross-sectoral Programming to Alleviate HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity
Questions for Group Discussion
• How can we better leverage non-health resources to support cross sectoral programming for HIV and food insecurity?