Nutrition and peer support for HIV+ patients

Throughout the implementation of the Nutrition and Peer Support Program, GAIA Vaccine Foundation has been working to support HIV-positive men and women in Bamako, Mali, while also helping prevent HIV and other STIs by educating young people about safe sex and family planning. 

In recent years, Mali has faced tremendous challenges: ongoing security crises in the Sahel, two coups d’état (2020 and 2021), and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has deepened poverty across the country. In November 2022, Mali banned NGOs funded by France, and with the recent closing of USAID-funded activities, many Malians now struggle to access basic food and health services. In response, GAIA has stepped up to provide nutritional, filling meals to members of the Bamako community and their extended families. 

These weekly meal times are about more than just food. They bring doctors, patients and community members together, creating a safe space where the stigma of HIV/AIDS is reduced and  peer support flourishes. 

Many of our patients are widows who have lost their spouses to AIDs related complications. On average, they are caring for between three (3) and nine (9) children. Thus, this program not only provides a nutritious meal, but also a vital source of relief, helping ease weekly burdens.

To continue serving our patients and expanding our reach, we need your help. Here’s how your support can make a difference:

• $10provides a weekly meal for one HIV+ patient 
• $30 provides a weekly meal for one mother and her three children. 
• $100 provides a weekly meal for 25 HIV+ patients. 

We are deeply grateful for your ongoing generosity. Together we can continue to prevent and fight the stigma of HIV/AIDS and restore hope in Mali.

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An essential aspect of forming a support network is to come together as a community. Our Nutrition and Peer Support Program provides this opportunity for our patients and their children: creating a positive environment where folks can come together to cook and share meals with one another. 

Each Friday, patients, peers and medical staff come together to share a meal prepared by the patients and shared amongst the wider community. Coming together in this way reduces the stigma around being HIV+, and provides a well deserved break for widowed mothers. The average Malian family has 3-9 children, so a night where caretakers do not have to shoulder the burden of a meal is beneficial, especially  when many have  lost their partners to HIV related causes. 

The impact of our program would not be the same without the help of our incredible donors. With a donation of $10, you would be providing a weekly meal for one HIV+ patient. With a donation of $30, you would be providing a weekly meal for one mother and three children- providing not only physical sustenance but also a much-needed relief from the maternal mental load. With a generous donation of $100, you would be providing an entire nutritious weekly meal for 25 HIV+ patients. We are so grateful and thank you for your continuous support of our ongoing programs!

Links:

• Visit our website!
• Check out our Facebook page:
• Check out our Instagram!