Partners in International Collaborative Community Aid
PiCCA
(Partners in International Collaborative Community Aid) pool donations of money, time and expertise to assist communities overseas work towards greater equity, opportunity, justice and peace.
Practical contributions improve grass roots level education, health, livelihood and food security outcomes in these communities and seek always to operate with fairness, transparency and accountability in all they do. There are a few Africa specific projects right now that Encompass Africa is pleased to support.
Sustaining food & volunteers to support HIV/AIDS orphans in Eswatini
Eswatini has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world with 27 percent of adults living with HIV. Consequently, there are thousands of orphans, most of whom are cared for by extended family. There is considerable strain on families who are supporting another child. PiCCA partners with AMICAALL (Alliance of Mayor’s Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the local level).
There are 49 social centres that provide at least one meal a day to approximately 4,000 orphaned and vulnerable children. The centres also provide early childhood care and development, psychosocial support, birth registration, child health and recreation services.
Right now, the centres lack a reliable source of nutritious food to provide children with their daily meal. Children stop attending the centres when food availability is not assured. In addition, the centres rely on volunteers to prepare meals and provide services.
This project has funded the development of a farm to grow maize and beans as well as assorted vegetables. This will improve consistency and variety of food available for the children and improve the nutritional value of their meals.
It will also allow volunteers to be supported through food parcels. The farm is now established and harvested 150 bags of maize in its first season. This food was fed to 400 children in the most needed areas. Plans are underway to expand the area of land under production and secure funds for irrigation. These steps will dramatically increase the capacity of the farm to feed more children.
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Image – Nhlangano farm visit with local Councillor Mayor Benedict and Steph from PiCCA
Village poultry for better livelihoods
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, PiCCA is working with Kyeema and AusCongo to establish a program of improved health, production and vaccination of village poultry in a total of 250 households (and growing) in ten village zones of Mbuji-Mayi.
Kyeema is an Australian based not for profit with extensive experience in programs delivering improved chicken health outcomes for small village farmers in isolated communities across Africa and Asia.
AusCongo is a volunteer organisation dedicated to community development projects that help the Congolese community in MbuhiMayi to alleviate poverty and to provide access to socio-economic development.
This joint project is working in 10 villages to pilot a vaccination program to inoculate domestic chicken clutches against the devastating impact of Newcastle disease. Chicken farming forms the basis for food and income generation for many in this part of Africa but this is severely impacted by the 90% mortality rates that ravage the flock when Newcastle.
The project is working with local leaders, farmers and stakeholders to develop an awareness of the disease and also provide training to a cohort of people now skilled in inoculation. By creating a disease-free stock of poultry, the livelihood of people in the geographical area improves.
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Trained locals collecting vaccines
If you would like to find out more about the work of PiCCA in Africa and other countries around the world, please do visit the website.
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