By Tiffani Crippin | Project Coordinator
Let me begin by thanking each and every one of you for your support over the years.
Thanks to donors like you, the Nutrition and Peer Support programming for people living with HIV in Bamako, Mali has continued to grow. The Nutritional Support Program was created in 2008 in response to concerns about patient adherence to HIV treatment as food insecurity was negatively impacting patients’ ability to correctly take medications. This is especially important for an HIV+ pregnant woman who needs additional nutritional support during the pregnancy.
This program aims to reduce hunger while also battling the large amount of misunderstanding about HIV in Mali. The program deliberately practices the traditional Malian style of sharing a meal together where participants all sit around a communal bowl to eat in order to reduce stigma and restore trust.
The meals are prepared by the HIV+ women of the Sikoro Hope Association whom also provide a critical support system for new patients suffering the initial shock of the HIV+ diagnosis. They share their personal experiences, emphasize the importance of preventing further transmissions, and distribute condoms donated by GAIA.
At a time when Mali is experiencing political unrest and the consequential exiting of international aid, your support is imperative to continue improving the lives of generations of women and children in Mali. Moving into 2019, GAIA plans to provide the association with many standard needs (food, wood, cooking tools, storage cabinets, tables, and stools), but also hopes to help construct an improved space for the association to expand their programming.
Thank you again for your support!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser