Vegetable Distributions to HIV+ Patients at Piggs Peak Hospital

Since 2005, Dessine l’Espoir has been supporting HIV-positive patients at Piggs Peak Hospital.
For 13 years, the association has been distributing with the local relay of Fundzisa Live, snacks (sandwich and fruit) to the HIV patients of the hospital during their monthly visit with their doctor, to encourage them to come regularly to fetch their treatment for the month.

This project followed the evolution of the number of patients (from 240 to over 3000), and two women were responsible for preparing a hundred snacks a day.

Since spring 2018, Dessine l’Espoir has decided to rethink this project, by supporting particularly the poorest and more affected patients.
With the hospital, a list of 50 priority patients was defined, based on physical criteria (height / weight ratio), on the CD4 count and on social criteria established with the doctors of the VCT (Voluntary counseling and testing center) for HIV-positive patients.

Some benefited from the “Food by prescription ratio card”, distributing basic products (oil, sugar …) to the weakest, that was stopped early 2018, which makes this new initiative of Designing Hope even more important.

With the support of the Ivory Foundation, Designing Hope will therefore fund each month the distribution of 50 “baskets” consisting mainly of vegetables, which will eventually be produced by the Macambeni Garden.
While waiting for the garden to be fully productive, the vegetables are bought in town.