Relief for HIV victims through integrated agriculture-aquaculture

WorldFish Center is working with World Vision in Malawi to promote aquaculture among “vulnerable populations”. In Malawi, a country of 12.1 million people that has been devastated by this pandemic, the two organizations are encouraging farming families headed by women and orphans to adopt a practice known as integrated agriculture-aquaculture.

Farmers who have adopted the technology have grown up to 1,500 kilograms of fish per hectare each year, leading to a 150 percent increase in their fresh fish consumption, boosting their intake of protein, calcium, vitamin A and micronutrients. Malnutrition among children under five dropped from 45% to 15%, and cash income was generated that could be used to purchase anti-retroviral drugs.

WorldFish has recently partnered with Globalgiving.com to establish an opportunity for people interested in the Malawi project to contribute online. For example, $10 can buy enough fish to stock one family’s pond and $200 can enable the construction of an entire fish pond. More information is available through Global Giving.