The Taraba AIDS Control Agency (SACA) in partnership with the Society for Family Health (SFH) has trained 30 women and caregivers of HIV positive children on how to utilize grants to improve their family economic livelihood.
The two day exercise which ended in Jalingo on Saturday was carried out under the Lafiyan Yara/Pediatric Breakthrough Project and the SFH.
Speaking at the event, the wife of the Taraba Governor, Mrs Anna Darius Ishaku commended the initiators of the project which, she said, would enhance the economic empowerment of the 30 women selected for the pilot project in Jalingo Local Government Area.
“I wish to commend the efforts of the Society for Family Health (SFH) with the support from ViiV Pediatric Breakthrough Partnership for the training of 30 Mothers/Caregivers of HIV positive children on Village Savings and Loans Association (VLSA) as a pilot project in Jalingo.
“I am pleased to learn that the project will further empower them with seed grants to strengthen their existing businesses.
“Village Savings and Loans Association has the ability of transforming marginalized communities worldwide, by mobilizing Local Savings, which provide members, the opportunity to cope with emergencies;
It will as well help manage households cash-flow, build a capacity base and, most importantly or critically, rebuild social networks, solidarity and trust amongst members by helping them to stay out of debt”, she said.
Mrs Ishaku who was represented by her Special Assistant on media and publicity, Mrs Mercy Gbashi urged all mothers and caregivers to embrace the project as an important part of their financial landscape, recognising it as able to bring profitable and sustainable entry level of financial services to the rural poor.
Earlier in her remarks, State Project Manager of SFH, Mrs Aisha Dadi explained that part of the objectives of the project was to enhance empowerment of selected caregivers to children needing care and treatment through series of capacity building trainings.
“We intend to provide basic capacity building on skills, gender, savings, business, financial management and disbursement of grants to enhance their businesses to better position women to provide care and support to themselves and their children.
“The first phase of the project will be implemented in Jalingo LGA and three groups of 10 caregivers each have been selected within the area to test run the project in Jalingo, the state capital”, she said.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the State AIDS Control Agency (SACA), Dr Garba Danjuma had explained that in preventing Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), family planning remained very important.
He explained that bu helping such mothers to know when they should or should not have children, it would reduce the risk and number of children being born with HIV.
“It is indeed interesting to see that challenges being faced in the course of implementing the Lafiyan Yara project is being addressed.
He said if this project is strictly implemented, the inability of some mothers/caregivers to pay transport fares to return their HIV positive children to Anti-Retroviral Therapy clinics for follow ups and treatment would also reduce.