International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
IAVI is a global charity set up in 1996 and has evolved to become a full-scale AIDS vaccine research, advocacy and policy organization.
Country Director of it's Program in Uganda is Leslie Nielsen, who introduced the Paananens to the issues facing the residents of Kasenyi. Here's what she had to say about the Project.
Country Director of it's Program in Uganda is Leslie Nielsen, who introduced the Paananens to the issues facing the residents of Kasenyi. Here's what she had to say about the Project.
"The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative has been engaging with fishing communities of Lake Victoria for the past 5-6 years because this population is known to have very high rates of HIV and is in most need of new methods of HIV prevention.
While trying to understand why fishing communities have HIV rates that are amongst the highest in the world, we have come to realize that there are many structural drivers of the HIV epidemic including physical location, social, cultural and economic issues, community relations and gender inequality. Specifically we have seen that these communities are widely dispersed and difficult to reach, that there are no schools, limited access to health services, few accessible markets, land tenure issues, and serious problems related to water and sanitation.
In 2011 as a pilot project to test innovative community engagement mechanisms, IAVI supported one of these high risk fishing communities to participate in a Permaculture design training workshop.
It was truly remarkable to see the level of interest and enthusiasm for the training that was received- especially in this population that can be notoriously difficult to engage.
Community leaders, religious leaders, men, women and youth participated and, one year later, are still maintaining their gardens, building upon their designs and they are maintaining a self coordinating 'permaculture club' that meets on a regular basis.
Through planting Zone 1 gardens and food forests, raising chickens, harvesting rain water, composting, recycling and preventing erosion, the community has improved their nutritional status and because they have seen the practicability of Permaculture, they are continuing to implement new strategies which are being copied by others in the surrounding community.
Even the level of community cohesiveness has increased through this project which then positively affects the way that the community works together to address some of their other pressing social, economic and health issues."
Click here to learn more about International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
While trying to understand why fishing communities have HIV rates that are amongst the highest in the world, we have come to realize that there are many structural drivers of the HIV epidemic including physical location, social, cultural and economic issues, community relations and gender inequality. Specifically we have seen that these communities are widely dispersed and difficult to reach, that there are no schools, limited access to health services, few accessible markets, land tenure issues, and serious problems related to water and sanitation.
In 2011 as a pilot project to test innovative community engagement mechanisms, IAVI supported one of these high risk fishing communities to participate in a Permaculture design training workshop.
It was truly remarkable to see the level of interest and enthusiasm for the training that was received- especially in this population that can be notoriously difficult to engage.
Community leaders, religious leaders, men, women and youth participated and, one year later, are still maintaining their gardens, building upon their designs and they are maintaining a self coordinating 'permaculture club' that meets on a regular basis.
Through planting Zone 1 gardens and food forests, raising chickens, harvesting rain water, composting, recycling and preventing erosion, the community has improved their nutritional status and because they have seen the practicability of Permaculture, they are continuing to implement new strategies which are being copied by others in the surrounding community.
Even the level of community cohesiveness has increased through this project which then positively affects the way that the community works together to address some of their other pressing social, economic and health issues."
Click here to learn more about International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
Mathias Wambusi
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Immaculate and Sarah
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