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One of the consequences of triple therapy is that the drugs make you hungry.  It is estimated that parts of Greater Cape Town have an unemployment rate of 40% and many cannot afford to feed their families.  This presents a huge risk to people not adhering to their treatment.  This has the greater danger of the person becoming drug resistant and possibly creating a new strain.

HOPE gives food parcels and makes low cost meals at the clinics.  The parcels and donations are intended for temporary relief and not to create dependency or reinforce HIV/AIDS stigma.  People watch to see who receives a parcel.  Community Health Workers are encouraged to use the food creatively to encourage people to take responsibility for their health, lives and family.  The clinic can use the allocation to make soup or other low cost meals for patients and clients.  It is a useful way to get the community involved by contributing ingredients to the meals.

Contents of a standard parcel

Beans in tomato sauce
Beef Stock cubes
Bread flour
Jam
Lentils
Macaroni
Maize meal
Oats
Peanut butter
Pilchards (plain not chili)
Rice
Rooibos tea
Salt
Samp
Soya mince
Soup mix
Sugar
Sugar beans
Yeast