Locally found fruits and products are key to boosting the immune system of people living with HIV and AIDS. This is according to Tiyamike Support Group members.
Tiyamike is one of the groups that was trained on HIV and AIDS tool kit by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) with financial support from Action Aid through Christian Aid under Investing for impact against TB and HIV project.
The Mangochi based group which has engaged an extra gear in improving the immune system by using local foods and fruits, has a membership of 12 men and 28 women who are living positively.
The group, manufactures juice from available local products like Guavas, Bananas and Coffee from Malambe Fruit, which they say helps improve their health status.
“We get things like oil and energy that help boost our immune system as well as that of other people who are also taking Ant Retroviral drugs,” said Amin Saidi, Secretary for the group.
Saidi challenged that those that are using this juice and the Coffee are more energetic and one cannot tell the difference between them and those that are not on Anti-Retroviral Therapy.
“We experimented these products [juice and coffee] on our own bodies and people cannot believe that we are HIV positive looking at how strong we are,” she said.
The group is thankful to YONECO for creating a platform where they are able to showcase their work and is calling upon all those that are willing to learn how to make the juice as well as coffee to come forward for free lessons.
