COMMUNITY
MOBILIZED FOOD PROGRAM

In response to the high number of people living with HIV/AIDS and the mal-nourishment of many people in the Mbeya Region of Tanzania, UDF designed and implemented the Community Mobilized Food Program with funding from Canadian Food for Children. With a donation of a container of food and clothing in 2006, 2007 and 2010, the program provided nutritional staples to the elderly, orphans, albinos, lepers, and community members who were living with HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS aspect of the program, which further affirms the organization’s commitment to those community members living with HIV/AIDS, focused on HIV- Home Based Care.. UDF provided Home Based Care to adults with HIV/AIDS using supplies from the Canadian Food for Children container, in addition to counseling and testing.  

In addition to food, the program provided uniforms, school materials, and exercise books to the students of the UDF established Nursery School. At project start-up, UDF intended to reach 40 people, but upon seeing the demand of so many impoverished community members, the program was able to help 180 people. Over the course of five months, UDF provided 20 kilograms of food per person, per month, the bulk of which was nutritionally enriched split pea porridge. The results of the program were clear. Within a few months, the children and adults, especially those with HIV/AIDS, were visibly stronger and over a longer time period, many of the children have ceased to show HIV symptoms.