United States has commenced the distribution of equipment and machines to foster self-reliance among vulnerable households in Adamawa State.
The donation of equipment in Adamawa is part of United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) $19.2 million Integrated Child Health and Social Services Region 4 Award (ICHSSA 4) that is aimed at helping more than 75,000 vulnerable children and their caregivers in Adamawa and Bauchi states become more resilient to the HIV epidemic’s health and social consequences.
USAID is currently serving over 500,000 vulnerable children and their caregivers in high HIV burden states in Nigeria.
According to a statement by USAID, the Director of the agency’s Office of HIV and TB Control, Rachel Goldstein on Thursday joined Chief of staff to Adamawa State, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, at a virtual ceremony to start distribution of equipment and machines to foster self-reliance among vulnerable households.
Goldstein said at the ceremony: “This equipment will help children, adolescents and adults impacted by HIV to gain financial stability, stay on treatment, and ultimately achieve suppression of the virus.”
He added that: “We hope the equipment will help families improve their situation in life and strengthen markets that will sustain them at the local level.”
This activity is part of a broader effort to provide comprehensive support services to HIV affected households. To improve economic resilience, ICHSSA 4 has a strong vocational education component for the activity’s beneficiaries, who now require reliable equipment to monetize their skills.
The statement said in partnership with the Adamawa state government, USAID has provided 2,000 of these beneficiaries — children and households living with HIV or in highly vulnerable areas — with start up kits and other equipment.
The equipment includes 900 wet and dry grinding machines for agribusiness, 350 fish drying implements for aquaculture, and 700 sewing machines for tailoring and fabrication of local textiles.
Gidado on his part said: “We are happy to have these equipment support the state government efforts in taking care of the vulnerable.”
According to the statement, just last month, USAID under ICHSSA 4 made a similar donation to beneficiaries in Bauchi State.
The UN estimates that there are over 1.8 million people living with HIV in Nigeria. USAID supports 16 states, including Adamawa and Bauchi, to deliver client-centered HIV treatment services to over 500,000 individuals and distributes HIV test kits, medicines, and laboratory reagents to support delivery of life-saving HIV treatment to over 1.2 million Nigerians throughout the country.
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