Fight HIV, choose Life: final report 2024
With the ‘Choose Life Home Based Care’ project supported by the Costa Family Foundation, 85 people in Uganda have found opportunities to improve their lives. Find out how agroforestry, beekeeping and microcredit are changing the future.
In 2024, the "Choose Life Home Based Care" (CLHBC) program, supported by the Costa Family Foundation in collaboration with ISP in Africa, brought transformative change to Uganda’s Moroto District. With a focus on economic self-reliance and food security, the project engaged 85 beneficiaries—mainly women—across three key initiatives: microcredit, agroforestry, and beekeeping.
A Path Towards Self-Sufficiency
Income-generating activities (IGA) proved life-changing for 35 individuals. Through an intensive 5-day training program and targeted financial support, participants—primarily women—gained essential skills in financial management and small business development. A community savings group further strengthened their stability, enabling participants to achieve long-term financial independence with ongoing monitoring and guidance.
Simultaneously, the agroforestry initiative equipped 40 farmers with practical skills to grow vegetables and fruit trees. Beneficiaries received seeds and seedlings to enhance both household nutrition and income. The program’s success extended beyond agriculture, as participants established partnerships with schools and restaurants, converting their agricultural outputs into thriving businesses.
Beekeeping emerged as a promising venture for 10 beneficiaries from Nakiloro. Leveraging modern processing techniques learned during a three-day workshop, the group launched honey production. While the process requires patience, the first harvest—a modest 5 liters of honey sold for 600,000 UGX (approximately €150)—provided a tangible milestone of success.
Tangible Impacts and Challenges
The project yielded concrete results:
- Economic autonomy became a reality for many families, especially those led by women.
- 98% of participants living with HIV/AIDS achieved a suppressed viral load, thanks to better living conditions and increased health awareness.
- Food security improved substantially, with communities becoming more self-reliant.
However, challenges arose. Security issues and limited infrastructure slowed progress in some areas, particularly affecting the beekeeping initiative. Rising costs also strained beneficiaries’ budgets. Despite these hurdles, the resilience and adaptability of the communities shone through, ensuring progress continued.
A Lesson in Hope
In conclusion, the CLHBC project demonstrated that focused and collaborative interventions can deliver significant, long-lasting change. Thanks to the dedication of the Costa Family Foundation, ISP, and local communities, these initiatives not only transformed lives but also laid a strong foundation for a sustainable, prosperous, and dignified future.
The journey to building resilient Ugandan communities continues, bringing with it a universal lesson: investing in people is the first step to changing the world.
