BEYOND HOMESTEAD BEYOND HOMESTEAD GARDENSGARDENS

Presented by:Presented by:

Ntsie Edwin TlaleNtsie Edwin TlalePO

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Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

LRAP started with homestead gardening as an initial LRAP started with homestead gardening as an initial intervention on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into food security intervention on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into food security programmingprogramming

Over time, realised that food gardens are an entry point for Over time, realised that food gardens are an entry point for dealing with the impacts of HIV and AIDS at community dealing with the impacts of HIV and AIDS at community and household level. Lead to growing interest in positive and household level. Lead to growing interest in positive livingliving

Lesotho “Know your status” campaign and increasing ART Lesotho “Know your status” campaign and increasing ART availability provided an enabling backdrop for LRAP’s work availability provided an enabling backdrop for LRAP’s work on food security and nutrition as part of positive livingon food security and nutrition as part of positive living

LRAP has provided training to government and local NGOs LRAP has provided training to government and local NGOs on positive living and developed materials – on positive living and developed materials – Healthy Living Healthy Living Nutritional Guidelines for poor and very poor HHsNutritional Guidelines for poor and very poor HHs and and How How to get the most from your gardento get the most from your garden

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONPOSITIVE LIVINGPOSITIVE LIVING

(Holistic Approach)(Holistic Approach)What do you need to be healthy?What do you need to be healthy?

Understanding HIV as a chronic illnessUnderstanding HIV as a chronic illness– Knowledge is powerKnowledge is power– Understanding, listening to our bodiesUnderstanding, listening to our bodies

Making ‘Good Nutrition’ a realityMaking ‘Good Nutrition’ a reality– Home GardensHome Gardens– Home RemediesHome Remedies

Motivation and commitmentMotivation and commitment– Psycho-Neuro Immunology (PNI) Psycho-Neuro Immunology (PNI) – mind, body and soulmind, body and soul

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Why Positive Living?Why Positive Living?

PL is a good intervention to address PL is a good intervention to address HIV/AIDS mitigation for PLHA and vulnerable HIV/AIDS mitigation for PLHA and vulnerable HHs.HHs.

Natural and crucial precursor to ART and Natural and crucial precursor to ART and complementary to ARTcomplementary to ART

PL is good practice for affected and infected PL is good practice for affected and infected HHs, most effective in asymptomatic PLHA HHs, most effective in asymptomatic PLHA

PL is relevant to offer different sorts of PL is relevant to offer different sorts of support depending on the situation.support depending on the situation.

PL can slow progression from HIV to PL can slow progression from HIV to symptomatic HIV.symptomatic HIV.PO

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Why Nutrition?Why Nutrition?

Good nutrition and clean water helps the body Good nutrition and clean water helps the body fight the virus and other infections. Balanced diet fight the virus and other infections. Balanced diet includes key primary and secondary nutrients (and includes key primary and secondary nutrients (and a garden can be full of plants rich in these a garden can be full of plants rich in these nutrients)nutrients)

Prevents and reverses weight lossPrevents and reverses weight loss Promote efficacy of ARVsPromote efficacy of ARVs

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Food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and Malnutrition – negatively reinforceeach other to increasing risk of HIV infection and decreasing ability

to support networks for vulnerable HHs.

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Primary NutrientsPrimary Nutrients

! Selenium (with Vitamin E)Selenium (with Vitamin E)

! ZincZinc

! Vitamin A or beta-caroteneVitamin A or beta-carotene

Secondary NutrientsSecondary Nutrients> Vitamin B12> Vitamin B12 > Vitamin C> Vitamin C

> Calcium> Calcium > Magnesium> Magnesium

SeleniumSelenium

Sea fish and shellfishSea fish and shellfish Sunflower seedsSunflower seeds Brazil nutsBrazil nuts CoconutCoconut Aloe leavesAloe leaves

ZincZinc

Wild spinach, pumpkin Wild spinach, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and sunflower seeds

Vitamin AVitamin A

Carrots, mangos, Carrots, mangos, pumpkin, cassava pumpkin, cassava leaves, papaya, eggs leaves, papaya, eggs yolks, sweet potatoyolks, sweet potato

Fat soluble (need oil)Fat soluble (need oil) Some foods are Some foods are

enriched (read the enriched (read the label!)label!)

HOME REMEDIES- HOME REMEDIES- AmaranthusAmaranthus

Natural source of ZincNatural source of Zinc Will grow in any soil, Will grow in any soil,

drought-resistantdrought-resistant Eat as spinach but can Eat as spinach but can

be very toughbe very tough SeedsSeeds can be added to can be added to

other foodsother foods Easy to get and grows Easy to get and grows

almost everywhere.almost everywhere.

BulbinellaBulbinella

Squeeze the juice from Squeeze the juice from the leaves directly on the leaves directly on affected area.affected area.

Good for insect bitesGood for insect bites Irritated skinIrritated skin Herpes and shingle Herpes and shingle

blisters.blisters.

Other medicinal herbsOther medicinal herbs

Sour fig: ease itching and Sour fig: ease itching and skin irritation conditions skin irritation conditions and treatment of thrush and treatment of thrush (oral & vaginal)(oral & vaginal)

Sutherlandia (Lessertia) Sutherlandia (Lessertia) or Cancer bush: Immune or Cancer bush: Immune strengthening/weight strengthening/weight loss/diarrhoea.loss/diarrhoea.

African Potato (Hypoxis): African Potato (Hypoxis): Immune strengthening – Immune strengthening – stabilizes helper T-cell stabilizes helper T-cell numbersnumbers

Garlic: Natural antibiotic Garlic: Natural antibiotic and anti-fungaland anti-fungal

ConclusionConclusion

Positive Living encourages individuals to take Positive Living encourages individuals to take control of their healthcontrol of their health

Homestead gardens help even the poorest Homestead gardens help even the poorest households to eat a variety of fresh vegetables households to eat a variety of fresh vegetables and fruitsand fruits

Homestead gardening can include traditional Homestead gardening can include traditional remedies to help deal with the symptoms of AIDS. remedies to help deal with the symptoms of AIDS.

Positive living makes use of traditional therapy and Positive living makes use of traditional therapy and links well with primary health care and ART (but links well with primary health care and ART (but get advice!)get advice!)

Information sharing and networking is critical in Information sharing and networking is critical in improving people’s individual capacity to deal with improving people’s individual capacity to deal with HIV and AIDSHIV and AIDS