Food, Agriculture and Livelihood
RAPIDS understands that building sustainable rural livelihoods is a critical response to HIV/AIDS. Empowering communities to achieve food and nutrition security and resilient income sources can significantly reduce the vulnerability of poor rural populations to HIV/AIDS.
RAPIDS agriculture and livelihood support is a holistic package of services and support designed to restore household food security and sustainable community livelihood.
The program promotes improved nutrition for OVC and PLWHA through training that is provided to caregivers who then go on to train the families that they visit. Nutrition education to promote improved nutrition practices, nutritional diversification and awareness of nutritional requirements of OVC and PLWHA is an effective and low cost intervention which results in desirable changes in eating habits. Vulnerable households that do not have adequate food are identified during home visits and linked to the World Food Program.
RAPIDS long term goal is to improve household food security through increased livelihood options that can increase household food production, nutrition and income. This goal is achieved with the following interventions:
• Provision of seeds and planting material to support production of safety net crops -- Sorghum, Millets, and open pollinated Maize varieties as well as seeds for high protein crops (beans, soybean, and cowpeas).
• Vegetable production support for off-season gardening to provide improved household nutrition and income generation.
• Livestock restocking and production support for both food- and income-generation.
• Provision of agricultural equipment including ploughs, rippers and small-scale drip irrigation to address labor constraints and improve production.
• Training to improve overall farm practices.
RAPIDS agriculture and livelihood support is a holistic package of services and support designed to restore household food security and sustainable community livelihood.
The program promotes improved nutrition for OVC and PLWHA through training that is provided to caregivers who then go on to train the families that they visit. Nutrition education to promote improved nutrition practices, nutritional diversification and awareness of nutritional requirements of OVC and PLWHA is an effective and low cost intervention which results in desirable changes in eating habits. Vulnerable households that do not have adequate food are identified during home visits and linked to the World Food Program.
RAPIDS long term goal is to improve household food security through increased livelihood options that can increase household food production, nutrition and income. This goal is achieved with the following interventions:
• Provision of seeds and planting material to support production of safety net crops -- Sorghum, Millets, and open pollinated Maize varieties as well as seeds for high protein crops (beans, soybean, and cowpeas).
• Vegetable production support for off-season gardening to provide improved household nutrition and income generation.
• Livestock restocking and production support for both food- and income-generation.
• Provision of agricultural equipment including ploughs, rippers and small-scale drip irrigation to address labor constraints and improve production.
• Training to improve overall farm practices.
