The majority of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS) who are benefiting from the Food Bank Initiative under the National AIDS Pro-gramme (NAP) are unemployed, with the second largest number being single parents.
According to food bank Manager Somdatt Ramessar, one homeless person has also benefited from the programme.
Giving an overview of the programme at NAP’s second stakeholders meeting for the private sector held at the NAP Secretariat, Hadfield Street, yesterday, Ramessar said that to date some 241 females and 110 males have benefited from the programme.
He said most of the beneficiaries were between 21 and 36 years old. There is no person over the age of 68 on the programme.
Some of the items in the food hampers which are distributed are peas, eggs, rice, flour, cheese, butter, milk, cooking oil, sweets and chowmein or noodles. The programme was initiated in September 2006, but was launched in April last year with the first hamper being given in May of the same year. Each hamper is worth $3,500.
Ramessar said private sector entities that have been supporting the programme include NAMILCO, Broadband Wireless, Edward B. Beharry & Company Limited, Geddes Grant Limited, GT&T, Giftland Office Max, Sachi’s Supermarket, Denmore Garment Factory, Survival Supermarket, Indar Singh & Sons Rice Milling Complex, Demerara Distillers Limited, Kaieteur News and MP Insurance & Brokers.
In order to receive hampers persons must visit their clinics for treatment where they are screened by the physicians or social workers to see whether they have satisfied the stated criteria for the support.
Once the basis has been established, they will then be referred to the NAPS for their food hamper. Hampers are issued once a month provided that the recommendation comes from the physician or the social worker. However, the support service is not designed to be a permanent one for the patients. Every six months, there is an evaluation of each patient by the physicians to determine whether the patient is healthy enough to be taken off the programme.
In addition to improving the nutritional status of PLWHAS, the food bank also seeks to enlighten them on the importance of nutrition; empower family members through the nutritional packages; reduce morbidity associated with nutritional deficiency through educational programmes; and establish public and private sector partnership in this area.
