Twice a month, food is laid outside the doors of AMS. As the clinic swells with patients, doctors walk from left to right, advocating for proper eating practices and spreading nutrition information. One by one, AMS’ community health workers call out clients’ names, all of whom have been previously measured for severe food insecurity and malnourishment. After nurses assess their health status, each client receives seven kilograms of rice, seven kilograms of beans, two kilograms of sugar, and a bag of fresh vegetables. 

One of those clients is Esther, a 35-year-old HIV-positive mother and a patient at AMS. Esther’s partner left her a year ago, making it nearly impossible to juggle her job selling roasted meat alongside the roads of Kampala with the care of her one-month-old baby, Sharidah, and two other children. 

Without her partner’s support, Esther’s income dwindled; she could no longer afford to eat properly. Her breastmilk began to run out, causing Sharidah to lose weight drastically and rapidly. 

“At one point, my children would wake up every morning with no food on the table,” Esther said. “Sharidah was so weak, and so was I. I didn’t know what to do.” 

On her next visit, AMS staff took note of Sharidah’s weight loss. AMS enrolled the family in AMS' food program, and baby was started on food aid while Esther was educated on proper infant feeding practices. In the four months since then, Sharidah’s health has greatly improved: she’s gained nearly four kilograms, and smiles and laughs easily. She's even gained enough strength to stand and walk on her own. 

Sharidah’s recovery and Esther’s hope would never have been possible without the unwavering support of partners like you. Your generosity helped AMS surpass our target goal for the Improving HIV Treatment with Nutrition Support project, allowing us to reach thousands of mothers, fathers, and individuals like Esther and Sharidah. 

Once Sharidah’s weight stabilizes, the family will be phased out of the food program. Regardless, AMS will continue to support them through other initiatives. Over 300 HIV-positive clients are engaged in our gardening program, for example, which is made up of 18 different gardening clubs. By teaching clients how to plant, grow, harvest and sell their own crops, we are helping clients raise their incomes (and eat healthy foods) in a sustainable way. 

While we will continue to seek support to strengthen our nutrition project, we hope you know how appreciative we are of the work you’ve helped us accomplish. Thank you so much for your compassion. 

“Because of AMS, I have high hopes for the future,” Esther said. “HIV and my other challenges cannot bring me down.”