1. Tanzania Agriculture Productivity Program (TAPP) | www.tanzania-agric.org Issue #01
Photo by Fintrac Inc.
Yashera Salim Msangi’s health improved after nutrition
training from TAPP.
MOSHI, Tanzania – Yashera Salim Msangi is
HIV-positive. She lost her husband to AIDS in
1994 and abandoned her land after
experiencing stigmatization and discrimination
over her condition. She found a new home,
joining the Upendo Farmer Group in Ghona
Village, Moshi, but her declining health made it
difficult for her to complete her daily chores.
USAID’s Tanzania Agriculture Productivity
Program (TAPP) started working with the
Upendo Group in early 2010, providing
members with agricultural assistance and
HIV/AIDS education. In March, Msangi attended
a TAPP training about nutrition for HIV-positive
individuals. She discussed her weakened state,
frequent fevers and general lack of appetite with
TAPP Health and Nutrition Program Manager
Dorothy Magesse, who told Yashera to
incorporate the leaves of the Moringa tree into
her diet.
The Moringa tree, known as Mlonge in
Kiswahili, grows readily in Tanzania and
contains large amounts of vitamins C and A as
well as calcium, potassium and protein. But
Moringa is often underutilized by the local
population. Many people in the Upendo Group
said they were unaware of the benefits of the
Moringa leaves, though they had seen them in
use at the local hospital.
After three months of eating the leaves of the
Moringa tree, Yashera has seen significant
improvements in her health and well-being.
Within a few days her strength returned and her
fevers subsided. Her appetite also returned and,
following a visit to the hospital in June, she was
pleased to learn that she had gained 4
kilograms. She can now manage her farm and
earn a steady income to support her children.
“Thank you to TAPP for the education you gave
us. I want to advise people with HIV/AIDS to
use Moringa as much as they can,” said
Msangi.
TAPP aims to improve the quality of life for rural
Tanzanians through agricultural training and
education in areas such as nutrition and
HIV/AIDS prevention. The HIV/AIDS component
of TAPP is funded by PEPFAR and will reach
more than 5,000 people in 2010.
“Thank you for the
education you gave us. I
want to advise people with
HIV/AIDS to utilize Moringa
as much as they can.”
―Yashera Salim Msangi, Upendo group, Moshi
SUCCESS STORY
HIV-positive woman improves health with nutrition training