Uganda Report 2012 FINAL PO:Layout 1 - ACORD

In the past it was not possible to neglect your relatives,
so if one fell sick, you would provide food for him/her
but now…some PLHA were even abandoned in the
camps. Our worry is that if we do not do something
people living with HIV&AIDS will be greatly
affected….some are even not taking their drugs
regularly in the villages because they do not have food
(KI, District Local Government, Gulu).
Some HIV positive people have been abandoned in the
camps because they cannot walk back home or even
actively contribute to the building homes back in the
villages, they have remained in the camps with no
support (FGD, PLHA Association, Kitgum).
Whereas it is true that the passion for the weak
members of society by members of society in postconflict
Uganda is not strong, it was revealed that the
frail including PLHA and the elderly have largely stayed
in satellite camps. In particular, PLHA have largely
stayed in the camps so as tyo access health services
from facilities where they are registered, and other
forms of support from some of the NGOs. They fear
returning to communities where it will become
impossible to access such services given lack of
government programmes that target PLHA.
Vulnerability to food insecurity among PLHA
households is, therefore, increased by non-specific
targeting of PLHA in Government programs aimed at
improving the livelihoods of the population. The criteria
for benefiting from government supported
programmes inadvertently disqualify PLHA
households. For instance, under NAADS, government
supports about seven (7) model farmers per subcounty,
which indirectly excludes households of PLHA.
For, they cannot easily make it to the list of seven
model farmers. This compounds PLHA households in
poverty and food insecurity.
There are also socio-economic factors…government
brings in programmes which can help restore food
security but PLHA rarely benefit from them. PLHA are
usually forgotten, they are not included in the ongoing
programmes like NAADS. The PLHA are always
excluded for example if 30 community members are
selected; PLHA are left out on the pretext that they do
not have the necessary energy (FGD PLHA
Association, Kitgum).
People have formed groups to benefit from the
NAADS programme, but the PLHA have not
benefited…whenever we try to join a group they say it
is full. People here exclude us (PLHA) saying we are
weak and unable to work (PLHA FGD, Palaro, Gulu).
This exclusion from poverty eradication programmes
such as NAADS makes PLHA households more
vulnerable to hunger and therefore food insecurity.
Overall, however, HIV&AIDS related morbidity and
mortality have greatly contributed to vulnerability of
PLHA to food insecurity in both Gulu and Kitgum by
reducing people’s productive capacity both directly
and indirectly.
4.4 Strategies Devised by PLHA to Cope with
Food and Nutrition Insecurity
Several writers have commented that PLHA
households coping with food and nutrition insecurity
may be an illusion and a dangerous misnomer 66 . They
argue that talk of “coping” is a way of escaping from
the challenge of confronting how people’s capabilities
are stunted, how their entitlements are blocked, and
how their abilities to function as full human beings with
choices and self-definitions are frustrated. The fact is
that “coping” is an externally applied value judgment
that may or may not correspond to what is actually
happening. It is pointed out that many responses are
those of distressed households without much
conscious strategy, “struggling, but not coping” 67 .
66 Barnett and Whiteside (2002) AIDS in the 21st
century: Disease and globalization.
67 Rugalema et al (2000), HIV/AIDS and the
commercial agricultural sector of Kenya Impact,
vulnerability, sustainability and coping strategies
Despite the above, this study attempted to unravel
how PLHA were managing amidst vulnerability to food
insecurity especially now during the post-conflict era.
Study participants observed that during the times of
war, food insecure households would survive on
external assistance from organizations such as WFP,
TASO, and relatives but currently, this kind of support
is inaccessible for the majority of PLHA. Consequently,
to cope with food insecurity, PLHA have resorted to
reduced food intake, providing casual labour in
exchange of food or to earn money to enable them
access food on market, collecting firewood and
burning charcoal and some petty trade to raise money
for buying food and other necessities of life.
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