Agriculture and Nutrition for HIV/AIDS Orphans in Africa

Kathryn Barrera, from the Mothers' Welfare Group, opened the second day of ECHO’s 2007 Agricultural Conference with a presentation on her group’s agriculture and nutrition programs for orphans affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Nigeria.

Some of the children in her program lost one or both parents to the virus and 70% are themselves infected with HIV/AIDS.

Barrera discussed the importance of nutrition in any program targeting individuals with HIV/AIDS. Initially, she said, the group focused on delivering antiretroviral medication to infected children and ensuring that the medicine was taken properly. They soon realized, however, that without proper nutrition, the pills were doing more harm than good.

The group began focusing on agriculture and nutrition, growing soya and peanuts in a community garden run by the children at the orphanage. From their crops, the children roast and process peanut butter, an excellent source of nutrition.

Mothers' Welfare Group also emphasizes reforestation, growing a variety of indigenous trees and plants, many from ECHO seeds. Barrera, originally from Washington State, talks about her love for trees – beyond their practical uses – and tries to instill this feeling in the children at the orphanage. The younger generations, she said, have begun to develop an appreciation for forests and plant fruit trees and shade trees in an effort to halt the desertification rampant in that part of Nigeria.

Barrera concluded her presentation by emphasizing the importance of working on a small scale, using local products and knowledge, and focusing on low input, high yield programs. She finished by highlighting the significance of HIV/AIDS in the third world. “If you’re in the developing world, HIV will affect everything you do.”