Kitovu Mobile AIDS and Home Care Project (MACHOP)
Assisting Teenagers and Their Families to Address the Psycho-social and Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS
Masaka, Rakai & Ssembabule District, Uganda
Background
Mobile AIDS Home Care Councelling and Orphans Program (MAHCOP) began the Mobile Farm Schools (MFS) in 1998 to address an increasing number of teenage school dropouts, due to lack of school fees and limited parental guidance. Support was directed towards training the teenage school dropouts in modernized, sustainable organic farming. This started as a pilot project to run for two years (1998-2000) with a pioneer group of 400 trainees. To date, 1200 MFS trainees gained certificates of adoption (the course lasts for two consecutive years).
The aim is to help teenage school dropouts and their families address the psycho-social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS. The strategy attempts to ensure the increase of agricultural productivity, incomes and to enhance the development of individuals in a holistic manner. This enables the targeted families to improve their quality of life. The program runs a total of six MFS on a continuous basis operating in the six sub-counties of Masaka, Rakai and Ssembabule Districts.
Every two years, a group of well-trained young boys and girls are passed out of the farm schools. However, because poverty and HIV/AIDS have stricken their households, some cannot do much as far as development is concerned. They lack the initial capital to start up viable Agricultural Income Generating Projects (AIGPs) on a large scale. This hinders development because the meager savings from their small projects put up during their training is mostly for subsistence use. In addition, the low production capacity reduces marketing opportunities.
If these beneficiaries get a hand with start-up funds to enlarge their projects, they can develop better. Some formed self-help groups (SHGs) during training and have been able to register their groups with the district authorities. MAHCOP hopes to assist this strategy by empowering these groups through capacity building and financial assistance to further their development.
Through this strategy, the orphans will develop systems and generate resources to widen their income base, improve the standards of living and promote sustainability through the SHGs.
The Project
With help from the Stephen Lewis Foundation, MAHCOP plans to:
- recruit 70 more Orphans who excelled with good grades from last years examinations;
- sponsor and facilitate orphans with school funds, uniforms and other scholastic materials;
- monitor and supervise orphans in schools to ascertain the performance, attendance and their discipline;
- provide medical care services to sick orphans whose guardians cannot manage;
- conduct family visits and follow-up orphans that need special care in terms of psycho-social support;
- hold a two-day conference/seminar for supported orphans to discuss issues pertaining to values and skills, HIV/AIDS, behaviour change, self-reliance and carrier guidance.
SLF Ref#: KMAH.04.02