Living in far to reach areas should no longer be a barrier to adherence in children living with HIV. Hence, the Children Momentum Project, CMP, selected and piloted an assessment and orientation session for 10 caregivers at the Santa District Hospital, May 3, 2025. Primarily farmers, these caregivers will be granted material support in the form of seedlings, fertilizers, manure, pesticides, and various tools etc., so as to scale their crop production and salability, thus increasing their financial ability to make it to the healthcare centers. The project brought together these caregivers to confirm and guide them on their activities of choice which involved irish potatoes and cocoyams cultivation, and pig and goat rearing – all considered in-demand products.

“The plan is also to follow them up, ensuring each is registered in a mutual fund or credit union for savings, so they can always have the finances to bring the children for routine medical checkup, collection of medication, support groups and other important activities,” remarked Mrs. Anangkeng Justine, CMP Supervisor of Peer Supporters.

A strategy used by CMP to improve adherence amongst children living HIV is to pay their transportation fare and their caregivers to the healthcare facilities and back. Based on recent project lifecycle dynamics, with conversations spinning around sustainability, CMP restrategised for the project year 2025. Added to its other objectives of empowering peer supporters and caregiver mentors to be able to identify exposed infants, follow them up for testing, and getting those tested positive enrolled into treatment, there will be the economic empowerment of caregivers of children living with HIV, especially those living in far to reach communities like Menka, Darbang, and Alatini etc.

These people live in far zones, hundreds of kilometers away from the healthcare facility. With the ongoing sociopolitical conflict, access to these communities made up of mostly farmers, has been turbulent. It would take them two vehicle drops to reach the hospital with exorbitant transportation fares paid. “We go through a lot of stress to take medicine. You can only find a bike to come to the hospital and sitting on it for hours is not easy,” Mr. Ousseman, a beneficiary and caregiver expressed. The service provider attesting to his words added that non-state armed groups attacked, captured and declared them dead to their supervisors. “We faced these hurdles just because we cared about ensuring these children and their caregivers can receive their medication on time. I am happy the project is stepping in to improve their livelihoods as this will go a long way to encourage them to come along with the children when needed,” Mme Bang Anita, Site Lead at the Santa District Hospital blurted out. “Also, the cost of transportation to and from these areas is very high and when the project comes to an end tomorrow, who will support these bills? Because the caregivers are farmers barely trying to make ends meet” she added.

Present for the assessments was Mr. Chefor Godlove, Sub Divisional Delegate for Agriculture and Rural Development, Santa, who is an agricultural technician. He also inquired of the farmers to know the landscape of their farms, the size, as all these helped him assess and suggest the quantity of seedlings needed. He also costed their individual needs and discussed best practices and advanced farming techniques with the farmers. His greatest desire, like that of the project, is that the farmers successfully cultivate high quality products, get them sold and be rigorous in their savings, to ensure they can cover their transportation costs to the healthcare facility. Getting to the facility on time for routine medical checks increases the probability for suppressed viral loads, leading to improved quality of life for the children.