HANDEI
Health and Nutrition Development Initiative

The goal of HANDEI, named for a Shona word meaning “let’s go,” is to strengthen the capacity of the communities in the Nyanga District to care for the growing numbers of people affected by HIV/AIDS and the orphans the disease creates. The program includes training on HIV/AIDS awareness, growing medicinal herbs, nutritional gardening, perma-culture techniques, and psycho-social support. It also encompasses teaching vocational skills to out-of-school youth.

A good example of how HANDEI works for sustainable improvements in the fight against HIV/AIDS is their effort to help an already existing home care center for HIV/AIDS patients become self-sustaining through the donation of sewing machines, a rabbit run, a seed press, agriculture tools, and carpentry tools.

ASAP Africa is also working to provide moringa trees. Moringa leaves can help families to drastically improve their nutritional practices. The leaves are packed with high doses of important nutrients like potassium, protein, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. By giving communities access to moringa trees, ASAP Africa is providing a renewable solution to malnutrition.

Similarly, medicinal herbs can help those who live far from health centers to treat illness and alleviate suffering themselves. Since demand for locally available remedies is high, ASAP Africa has mobilized their Kufusa Mari savings club groups as the starting point for disseminating knowledge of the herbs. ASAP Africa focuses on 20 herb varieties that can be used to treat illnesses ranging from headache to nausea to skin ailments.

In all of these ways, HANDEI aims to increase the capabilities of communities to meet many of their own health needs. Still, the crisis is daunting. HIV-related illnesses kill 3000 Zimbabweans every week, creating more and more orphans.¹ HANDEI seeks to attack the problem from a unique angle by helping communities learn how to care for the victims of this deadly disease.

¹www.unicef.org