USAID Programs Create Economic Opportunities for Persons Living with AIDS

November 24, 2007
No. 56/07

Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Henrietta H. Fore visited today a USAID-supported urban garden that helps vulnerable adolescent orphans and women improve their nutritional status and increase their income level.  Ethiopia is one of the few countries Fore is visiting during her first overseas trip to look at development projects first-hand since she was sworn into office last week.

The Urban Agriculture Program for HIV Affected Children and Women, which began in 2004, has helped 38,000 Ethiopian women and children generate income from their garden plot, remain in school, and adhere to AIDS treatment.  Over the past 12 months approximately 500,000 kilograms of fresh vegetables were produced from 1,236 gardens across the country for consumption and sale.

The program is part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a five year, $15 billion dollar commitment to combat AIDS in more than 120 countries in the world. An important component of the initiative is to combine training on gardening techniques, like drip irrigation management, with HIV/AIDS education. Urban garden beneficiaries are also linked to other PEPFAR Ethiopia supported HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services.  

The Deputy Secretary’s visit demonstrates the U.S. Government’s commitment to promote African entrepreneurism in the response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.  She announced that the U.S. Government will continue to dedicate funding to support entrepreneurship for people with HIV/AIDS, through PEPFAR and other partnerships.  Three proposed programs valued at approximately US $3.5 million (31.5 million Birr) in 2008 will further increase access to micro enterprise for young women at risk of HIV infection, orphans and persons receiving AIDS treatment.  The programs will be officially launched in the coming months.

USAID in Ethiopia currently partners with local communities and the private sector, including Coca-Cola, to help over 200,000 orphans and vulnerable children and their guardians generate income, access education and live healthy lifestyles.  Programs identify viable business opportunities and provide training, access to credit and savings opportunities to support families to remain healthy together and keep children in school. 

USAID also supports economic growth programs that assist HIV positive beneficiaries to generate income in order to support their family as well as costs associated with their care and treatment.  For example, USAID programs help households impacted by HIV/AIDS produce dairy products and link these households to local markets.

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