Nutrition for the Neighbours

This week saw the first of our nutrition seminars held at WALIPO. The day kicked off only two hours behind schedule, which is pretty good for here where everything happens in Africa time - pole-pole (slowly-slowly). They have a completely different concept of time here which after almost 3 months of living here, i still cant get used too. They are so into making timetables for seminars here but i often wonder why when you know how unrealistic it is.

Anyway the nutrition seminar included POSA and WALIPO memebers as well as a hand-full of people from the community. I was pretty impressed by the turn out. Yet again there seemed to be an overwhellming majority of women participating. I counted all of 2 men in the room of about 30 people.
This was something Emma and i noticed when we first arrived and were doing home-visits to people living with HIV; they were all women. This trend was what had kicked off our idea for a women's centre.

HIV/AIDS leaves so many widows behind. When the women who we visited in their homes told us their stories we found so many similarities that the stories started to blend together. often the husbands are too stubborn to get tested or scared of stigma and soon get sick and die leaving behind widows and orphans. It seems the women are often the brave ones to go and test their health when they suspect their husband is sick or are concerned about their own health. Some husbands left their wives when the wife tested positive. sometimes the men were sleeping around and bringing the infection home, and often the wives are all too aware of this.

Those attending the nutrition seminar have a morning of introductions and then chai and breakfast together. They are all HIV positive and during the day learn about good nutrition, a balenced diet and living a healthy lifestyle which is so important when living with HIV. They are also taught about budgeting for food, which would only be taught at a seminar in Africa. The price inflation here lately has been unbelievable, and food at the market is getting more expensive be the fortnight.

At the end of the seminar, everyone is given food from the nutrition seminar to take home with them. This week large sacks of maize were dished out. Thanks to some very generous donations from friends and family at home, i spent the day at the market yesterday buying more food to stock the nutrition seminar. The food is not only used at the seminars but also to feed the orphans, who come to the centre 5 days a week, breakfast and it is also for the women members. Little money goes such a long way here. A big thank you from me and everyone in the community who is benefitting.

Overall it was a very successfull day and as a result we have five new women members joining WALIPO! The nutrition seminars are planned to be held monthly from now on.