A ‘MIRACLE’ in southern Africa
People affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Africa will benefit from a health and livelihoods initiative based on agriculture launched by IITA.
Making Agricultural Innovations Work for Smallholder Farmers Affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa (MIRACLE) is a 3-year project. It aims at improving the health and nutrition status, food security, and incomes of people affected by HIV/AIDS in the subregion.
MIRACLE’s key interventions include the production, consumption, and marketing of nutritious crop and livestock products, lobbying for supportive agricultural and health policies, and strengthening the capacities of stakeholders.
Project manager Melba Davis-Mussagy, IITA’s Agroenterprise Development Specialist, says that the project will enable beneficiary households to produce their own nutritious foods and then use these to generate additional incomes. It will also develop and promote value-added products and processes using various nutrient-dense crops. It will advocate appropriate policy options to link agriculture and nutrition to improve the health status of people affected by HIV/AIDS and their families in the project sites.
MIRACLE is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The project is being implemented in Zambia, Swaziland, Malawi, and Mozambique and works in partnership with various government agencies, NGOs, farmers’ groups, and community-based organizations.
The project was officially launched in a ceremony held in Mukulaikwa, Mumbwa District, Zambia, in August this year.
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