Assessing the Livelihood Contribution of Urban Agriculture for People Living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA). The case of Addis Ababa
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
HIY / AIDS posed heavy burden on the socio-economic development of the country,
community, family and house holds; households and families bear most of the burden of HIV
and AIDS, since th ey are th e primary units for coping with the di seases and its consequences.
Hous e holds affected and/or infected by HIV / AIDS lose their assets and resource s that
ultimately results in food insecurity, more poverty, livelihood disruption and destitution.
Studies conducted outside Ethiopia revealed that urban agriculture has significant contribution
and taken as one option to support the livelihood of affected and/or infected households
through rising food availability and generating income. Own production could enable the
affected and/or infected household s to consume fresh-picked variety foods which in turn
contributes to enhance food and nutritional security of households.
Cognizant of this, some organizations . currently operating in Addis Ababa have been
engaging HIV/AIDS affected and/or infected people in urban agriculture activities especially
in vegetable production. In Ethiopia, despite urban agriculture is taken as a means to support
the livelihoods of hou se holds affected and/or infected by the pandemic, no study ha s been
done to show its contribution in improving the livelihoods of these hou se holds . Thus, the
purpose of the s tudy is to examine the livelihood contribution of urban agriculture for
HIY/A IDS affected and/or infected households particularly focusing on income and soc ial
contribution for those who engaged in the sector.
For this study, three sub cities and 63 People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who have
been doing urban farming activities were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data
were collected from primary sources through interview, focus group di scussion, logbook and
Key informant interviews, and secondary sources from published and unpublished documents.To analyze the data, the study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods and
statistical tools like SPSS. The result of the study was displayed using percentages, tables,
narrative texts etc.
Based on the result observed form this research, PLWHA urban farmers benefited from the
sector through increasing food availability, generating in-come from the sale of part of the
produce and get access to diversified and nutritious foods which was difficult to afford for
them to buy before their engagement in the sector. Apart from this, it has been observed that
PLWHA vegetable farmers contact and relationship with neighborhoods, relatives etc.
increased through exchanging and sharing of goods, materials and ideas . Hence, the current
research concl uded that urban agriculture ha s livelihood contribution for PLWHA who
involve in th e sector.
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Keywords
HIV/ AIDS