Appendix 6: Profiles of Mitigation Interventions - Community level^[10]

A. LABOUR SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES

1.0 Type of Intervention: Conservation farming

INTRODUCTION

Land preparation and weeding are the most time and energy demanding tasks. HIV/AIDS affected households could be supported in mitigating labour constraints for land preparation and weeding by facilitating the adoption of conservation farming practices through e.g. women groups, demonstration sites, and farmer field schools. Conservation agriculture represents a farming concept that includes minimum tillage and direct planting techniques, the introduction of soil cover and residues to suppress weeds and sometimes the use of chemical means to suppress weeds. Conservation agriculture spreads the labour peaks over time by preparing the land during the dry season and facilitates early planting: when the rains commence, farmers are able to plant their crops directly in unprepared soils. Further, the ZAMWIPE is light and easy to use, requires low herbicide application rates, and can save up to 54 labour days per hectare, hence making it suitable for households keeping people living with HIV/AIDS that are constrained by labour.

OBJECTIVE

To assist HIV/AIDS affected households that are constrained with labour in adopting conservation farming practices in order to spread the labour over time and to increase yields.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Awareness and training in Conservation Farming Practices
- Adaptation of existing training materials
- Provision of softloans for ZAMWIPE and herbicides

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households in one camp trained in conservation farming.

2.0 Type of Intervention: Agroforestry and fuel saving stoves

INTRODUCTION

HIV/AIDS has a disproportional impact of women as they are overburdened in caring for the sick as well as being responsible for domestic and productive activities. Firewood fetching is one of the activities that is the responsibility of women and children and that is time demanding. Poverty in Choma district, and elsewhere in Zambia, has led to an increase in charcoal burning and firewood sale, and the subsequent cutting down of trees. As a result, firewood for domestic use is becoming scarce. The participatory planning exercise demonstrated that women and children spend between one and two hours, thrice a week, walking in search of firewood. The introduction of agroforestry interventions (tree planting and fuel efficient stoves) are thus good mitigation intervention that would free up women’s time.

OBJECTIVE

To assist women in, or heading, households with PLWHA with agroforestry and fuel saving stoves in order to reduce their time spent on collecting firewood.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Establishment of tree nursery
- Training in nursery management and woodlot management
- Promotion and construction of wood saving stoves
- Tree utilisation for medical purposes

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households in one camp trained and equipped in agroforestry.

B. INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES

3.0 Type of intervention: support to mushroom production

INTRODUCTION

To increase disposable income among HIV/AIDS affected households, income generating activities should be promoted that are low-labour intensive, can be done close to the homestead, that have a quick turnover and that preferably provide a stable income. Mushroom production falls within this category. As a crop, mushroom is early maturing, has a ready market, a good source of income, and a very dependable source of proteins. Mushroom cultivation is a low cost enterprise and does not need sophisticated machinery and structures to flourish. Quick-growing mushrooms which can be cultivated multiple times in a year on a wide variety of agricultural waste, including maize stover, hay, straw, leaves and sawdust.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support mushroom production to increase disposable income among female headed households with orphans and/or PLWHA.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training in spawn and mushroom production
- Entrepreneurship training and marketing

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 20 women in one camp trained and equipped for mushroom production.

4.0 Type of Intervention: Beekeeping

INTRODUCTION

Though relatively new to Choma district, beekeeping is an income generating activity that is low labour demanding and can be undertaken throughout the year. Beekeeping has the following advantages; honey is highly nutritious, hence could be of great importance for people living with HIV/AIDS. The main products of beekeeping - honey and wax are a source of income for the household with a ready market.

Beekeeping does not call for sophisticated hives or use of tree barks (which is environmentally unfriendly) as traditionally practiced. Hives can be made from locally available materials such as timber, calabashes, logs, clay and many other materials. Further, to keep bees, a household does not need to own vast amounts of land nor does beekeeping compete for resources needed for other agricultural enterprises (i.e. land, labour, finances). External support to beekeeping involves mainly assistance with acquiring protected clothing and training

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support households with PLWHA with beekeeping in order to increase their disposable income.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training in beekeeping (apiary management, honey and wax processing, storage and packaging)
- Entrepreneurship training and marketing

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households in one camp trained and equipped for beekeeping.

5.0 Type of Intervention: Vegetable Gardening

INTRODUCTION

Vegetable production for market purposes, or so-called market gardening, provides a good mitigation intervention for HIV/AIDS affected households as it is low-labour and low-capital demanding and provides quick benefits. Vegetable gardening does not compete with the household labour availability for agricultural production as most of the activities take place during the off-season, when household labour demand from other agricultural activities is low (Appendix 5). Because of the high pest and disease infestation levels in the rainy season, most households practice vegetable gardening in the dry season when pest and disease infestation levels are low and cheaper to control. Vegetable gardening does not only improve access to financial capital but also to nutritious foods and should thus best be linked to nutrition education and HIV/AIDS awareness efforts.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support households with PLWHA with vegetable gardening in order to increase their disposable income and their nutritional status.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training in Horticulture and IPPM
- Nutrition and HIV/AIDS training
- Vegetable preservation
- Entrepreneurship training and marketing

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 100 households in one camp trained and equipped for vegetable production.

7.0 Type of Intervention: Small Livestock

INTRODUCTION

Promoting and improving small livestock production is another mitigation intervention that is low labour and capital demanding and has great potential as a source of income for resource poor households affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly for female-headed households. Poultry rearing is particularly suitable for HIV/AIDS affected households as it requires low capital investment, it is easy to manage (free range feeding), it has a readily available market both within and outside the community and with multiple off springs in a year it has a quick turn-over. In addition to being a good source of income, poultry provides protein supplements to the diets of rural households and could thus be linked to nutrition education. Thus, in order to increase income of HIV/AIDS affected households and implicitly reduce their vulnerability to the need to resort to risky livelihood options, MACO and other agricultural service providers could support small livestock, and particularly poultry, among HIV/AIDS affected households by providing start-up capital, training in entrepreneurship development and production skills, training in disease management (e.g. vaccinations) improved animal husbandry and by introducing improved breeds.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support households with PLWHA with small livestock production in order to increase their disposable income and their nutritional status.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Improved management of local chickens, guinea fowls, and goats
- Entrepreneurship skills
- Promote community livestock markets

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households in one camp trained and equipped for small livestock production.

8.0 Type of Intervention: Fish Farming

INTRODUCTION

Small scale fish farming within the dambos or other small water bodies proves to be another viable venture for HIV/AIDS affected households as it is low-labour demanding, has a quick turn-over and a ready market. It further provides HIV/AIDS affected households with highly needed proteins. To start fish farming as an income generating activity, HIV/AIDS affected and other poor households would require financial support to meet the costs associated with the digging of ponds and the acquiring of fingerlings. Further, training support is needed as well as safety net support to moderate risks associated with starting new ventures.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support male and female headed households with PLWHA with fish farming in order to increase their disposable income and their nutritional status.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training in aquaculture (pond construction, management)
- Training in fingerling production
- Training in processing (drying, smoking)
- Entrepreneurship skills
- Marketing

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 10 households in one camp trained and equipped for fish farming.

C. IMPROVING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

9.0 Type of Intervention: Homestead gardens

INTRODUCTION

A homestead garden is a piece of land located around or near the home whose functions are to grow crops that supplement staple crops, especially during the lean season and thus add variety and nutritional value to the diet. Home gardens have therefore an important household’s safety net function. In addition to producing food, these gardens are sources for non-food items including spices, herbs and medicinal plants. Homestead gardens are particularly suitable for HIV/AIDS affected households as they are low labour demanding and close to the homestead. Regrettably though, there have been very little efforts to relate what is produced in homestead gardens to nutritional requirements. Many of the conditions associated with HIV/AIDS, i.e. opportunistic infections such as diarrhoea, sore throat, nausea or vomiting are manageable through a combination of appropriate health care and better nutrition. To overcome the poor linkage of home gardening to nutrition improvement, collaboration is needed between education, communication and health sectors to promote better nutrition through dietary diversification, which will require knowledge in utilisation of locally available food crops.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support male and female headed households with PLWHA with increased access to nutritious food and nutritional education.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Horticulture and IPPM training
- Medicinal plants/improved varieties with nutritious properties
- Training in food and seed preservation
- Seed preservation
- Nutrition and HIV/AIDS education

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households (especially women) in one camp trained and equipped for homestead gardens

10.0 Type of Intervention: Seed Gardens

INTRODUCTION

In Zambia, seed gardening is understood as a practice of growing seed in gardens during the dry season so that the seed could be available for planting in the rainy season. Seed gardens could be a viable HIV/AIDS mitigation intervention that would provide an important safety net for household food and nutritional security, especially since it is low labour and capital demanding. A seed garden ensures that farmers have in stock the right variety of seed that they would want to plant early in the season. Growing own seed is relatively cheaper than purchasing it from retail outlets, however there are quality implications. Seed gardening is relatively cheap given that it is normally practiced in the dambos and thus does not require very sophisticated irrigation equipment.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support male and female headed households with PLWHA with increased and secured access to seeds.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training in seed gardening
- Introduce improved varieties with nutritious properties

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 40 households (especially women) in one camp trained and equipped for seed gardens

11.0 Type of Intervention: Promotion of improved low-input food crops

INTRODUCTION

Low input crops can be grown with minimal external inputs. These crops are viable options for resource poor farmers who normally have limited accessibility to inputs due to cash shortages and inability to take risks. These crops include legumes (such as groundnuts, bambara nuts, beans and cowpeas); root and tubers (such as sweet potatoes and cassava) and cereal crops (such as sorghum and millets). Legumes are a cheap source of protein which is needed to develop and repair the body and also to keep the immune system active. Combining legumes with cereals gives a proper balance. The promotion of improved varieties of low input crops could be a viable intervention for HIV/AIDS affected households whose food security increasingly depends on production of low input crops. The planning exercise with farmers in Choma district revealed that most of the low input crops cultivated were not improved varieties and thus yielded poorly.

OBJECTIVE

To promote and support male and female headed households with PLWHA with increased access to low-input but nutritious food and nutritional education.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Awareness raising and promotion of improved varieties of legumes, roots, tubers, and improved varieties with nutritious properties

- Training in food processing

- Training in nutrition education

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 households in one camp trained and equipped for improved low input food crops.

D. SUPPORT TO ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

12.0 Type of Intervention: Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools

INTRODUCTION

The Junior Farmer Field and Life School (JFFLS) specifically targets orphans and vulnerable children between 12 and 18 years. The JFFLS is expected to empower orphans and vulnerable children by improving their knowledge and skills in agriculture, other agro-businesses, and nutrition; whilst the life school component will transmit much-needed socialisation skills and values to these young boys and girls, as well as HIV/AIDS awareness, child protection and psychosocial support. It is expected that the JFFL schools will provide a safe social space for both sexes, where peer support and community care will allow youths to develop their self-esteem and confidence. Local camp extension workers, teachers and to some extent social workers (i.e. people who know the community) will be primarily responsible for facilitating the implementation of JFFL schools.

OBJECTIVE

To assist orphans and vulnerable children aged 12-18 in acquiring agricultural and income generating skills as well as important life skills and awareness on HIV/AIDS.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Training material and curriculum development
- Training of national trainers in JFFLS
- Junior Farmer orientation course for OVC fostering HH and facilitators
- Farm training (using IPPM) for OVCs
- Life skills, nutrition, and health training for OVCs
- Appropriate soft loans for OVCs

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 50 orphans and vulnerable children participating in a JFFLS. The JFFLS is a rather new concept and hence requires capacity building of national trainers and training material development. These costs are not reflected in the budget.

13.0 Type of Intervention: School gardens for primary schools

INTRODUCTION

Another possible intervention that would transmit important knowledge and skills on agriculture and nutrition to youths are school gardens. School gardens are part of the school curricula under the Production Units and target specifically those children at the upper level, i.e. Grade Five and upwards. The school gardens are used to provide practical hands-on training to the children. They can serve as entry points for discussions on nutrition, HIV/AIDS and gender and thus would require collaboration between MACO, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. Proceeds from the school gardens can be used to finance extra curricula activities and in some cases to meet the financial needs of orphaned and needy children. While many schools within communities have school gardens, they are limited to maize and vegetable cultivation. These school gardens thus need additional support for integrating exotic vegetables, orchards, roots and tubers (especially cassava), and other non-traditional crops (mushrooms). Further, training materials are needed on nutrition and HIV/AIDS linkages and gender that are suitable for children.

OBJECTIVE

To assist youth in acquiring agricultural skills and knowledge on HIV/AIDS, gender issues and nutrition.

ACTIVITY AREAS

- Integrate school gardens (based on IPPM) in the existing curriculum
- Adaptation of existing training materials
- ToT for teachers and facilitators
- Nutrition and HIV/AIDS training

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The budget below provides an example for 2 schools in one camp trained and equipped for school gardens.