Tiny Tim and Friends Zambia Page 4.

Vegetable Farm in Chamba Valley ● Why a vegetable farm? The vegetable farm is a fully functional, 10 acre farm. The revenue generated by the sale of vegetables directly supports farm operations. As we work towards the creation of a sustainable, organic and holistic farm system, our primary focus is to provide assistance in nutrition, adherance and income generating activities (IGA) for the patients and cargeivers of TT&F. We do this through training in farming, community gardening and small animal husbandry management. ● What vegetables do we grow? The farm grows a wide variety of vegetables including basil, cilantro, thyme, mint, parsley, beet root, eggplant, carrot, impwa, cabbage, chinese cabbage, swiss chard, tomato, corn, okra, green beans, cucumbers, zucchinni, spring onions, radish, and arugula. We are also implementing organic farming techniques such as composting, the use of green manures, crop rotations and inter planting to replenish the soil. ● Where can you find our vegetables? ● American International School Tuck Shop serves farm vegetables in school lunches ● LICS Friday market between 12h00 and 14h00 ● Dutch Reform Church Market the last Saturday of every month from 9h00 to 14h00 ● Kachelo seller of local farm produce on Leopards Hill Rd ● Weekly deliveries of fresh vegetables to private residences are also available ● What does the farm need to grow? The farm can always use your support. Please contact us if you would like to help the vegetable farm or the animal husbandry training program directly.

Animal Husbandry Program

Chamba Farm Pictures

Click to enlarge ● What is involved in the program? Currently the farm is home to rabbits, ducks, goats, turkeys and one guinea fowl. In collaboration with Grassroots Heroes International (GHI) the farm is developing a small animal husbandry training program in order to provide patients, caregivers and members of the GHI community with an income generating project in their homes. Each participant completes a series of hands on training with the animals ensuring that proper medical care, nutrition and support is learned for each animal. Participants additionally are instructed on how to sell the animals in local markets including training in accounting and small business management. Upon graduation each participant receives a certificate stating what they have learned. They are then given a few animals and the materials to support them in order to continue the project in their own home. The remaining animals on the farm are kept to breed and also to sell in local markets to ensure the growth of the program. All proceeds from the sale of farm animals go back into the animal training program.

Animal Farm Pictures

Children’s Support Group (CSG) ● The TT&F farm hosts a monthly children’s retreat where around 90 children enrolled in the clinic are invited to spend the last Saturday of every month at the farm. Children are not just bystanders in the AIDS pandemic, whether infected or affected, they have major psychosocial needs of their own in coping with HIV/AIDS. Frequently, however, especially to those infected, these needs are neglected. This is because, many times, adults fail to understand the emotional aspect of children and how they can be helped. This can create silence, suspense, fear, pain, anxiety, guilt, blame, anger, denial etc...in the child thus building up to negative consequences in the child which may, in turn affect his/her development. Having identified that children have different needs, perceptions, responses, and reactions from adults in the approaching of the HIV/AIDS treatment and care, the TT&F Children’s Support group has a six month curriculum of which, HIV+ children receiving treatment and care from TT&F need to undergo, in order to receive the appropriate support. Issues that are explored are social and self-stigma, discrimination, adherence and sex and sexuality. One of the goals of the Children’s Support Group is to improve the lives of children infected by the HIV virus psychosocially and to address their cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual needs using the right tools, methods, activities, language and information appropriate to their age and development level. ● Check out what happened at the most recent graduation! Click to enlarge

CSG Pictures Click to enlarge

Direct Observation Therapy Program (DOT) ● Every so often there is a child brought to TT&F in critical need of medical attention and/or psychosocial support. These children are most often failing on their Antiretroviral therapy due to various reasons such as poor diets lacking in essential nutrients and poor adherence that results in missed does of their medicine. These children are brought to the farm to be enrolled in the DOT program where they receive the immediate and direct care they need. The DOT program strives to improve the critical conditions, poor nutrition and poor social needs of these children and return them to a stable state by teaching the importance of adhering to medication, coming to clinic for regular checkups and good nutrition. The program is dependent on the condition of the child but our goal is that after 4 weeks the child will be able to return home. While the child is at the farm our team also works with the family's to help them adjust their lifestyles so that when the child recovers he/she has a healthy home to return to. ● Meet two graduates of the DOT Program: Francis Phiri and Dennis Salwendo ● Link to USA website for other stories of TT&F children

Contacts - Directions Driving Directions from Town: ● Drive along Great East road towards the airport. Go past Arcades, UNZA and the Munali roundabout. At the Hybrid roundabout (the one with a big chicken in the middle) go left. Follow this road (Chongwe Rd) and the signs for Hybrid Chicken and Chalo Trust School. Follow the tarmac as it winds its way through the neighbourhood. Go left, then right, and then you’ll take another left. At this point you will pass Hybrid Chicken on your right. Once you pass Hybrid take the next right onto a dirt road. Follow this road to the Tintersection (Chalo Trust School will be on your left) and take a right. Go past the Jesus Cares wall and TT&F farm will be the gate immediately after. Welcome! Walking Directions from Hybrid Roundabout: ● Starting from the hybrid bus stop walk north along Chongwe towards Kamanga Compound. Walk straight when tarmac ends and pass two fields on your left. At the intersection with Chiemo Minimart and the mattress/bed frame shop, go left. Walk straight until you pass the last concrete house on your right. Take a right at this intersection. A field will now be on your left and Kamanga on your right. Go straight to the top of the hill where you will see a mobile phone tower on your right. Take a left here and walk past Oriels High School. The TT&F farm will be the next gate on your right. Welcome! Contact the Farm: ● Farm Project Manager: Phridae Sinyangwe +260977722213 ● Farmer: Simeon Zulu +260974813528 ● Vegetable Farm Accountant: Mrs. Kasoma +260977124155 or +260975799395 ● Farm Staff Bios