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Malnutrition sees drastic reduction in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement.
By Julius Mugaga/ KMA Updates.
NUTRITION & HEALTH; Over 1050 Households have improved dietary diversity through a Multi-Sector Integrated Humanitarian Project & Improving Nutrition, Food Security & Self-Reliance of Refugees in South West Uganda Project in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement.
900 Households are supported under fundings from SIDA and 150 Households by the French Government Ministry of External Affairs.
Mbabazi Joanita Isabella, Community Nutrition Officer at Action Against Hunger – Kyangwali Base. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
According to Mbabazi Joanita Isabella Nutrition Officer at Action Against Hunger Kyangwali Base, 900 households are benefiting from the Nutrition E-Voucher System where they purchase fresh food items.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services are integrated with Nutrition for holistic prevention and management of malnutrition, wasting, and stunting.
150 households are benefiting from Fresh Food Voucher where they can purchase food crops like; green vegetables tomatoes, passion fruits paw paws, onions, beans…. etc as start-up kits while settling in. After six months, they are given farm inputs including seeds, hoes, watering cans for household kitchen gardens under the Optimized Land Use Model (OLUM) Approach.
The small pieces of land are given to Refugees by the Office of the Prime Minister to nutritious food crops.
Isabela notes that these fresh foods have a great nutritional impact on pregnant and lactating women and a child under two years. That the nutritious food provided under the Fresh Food Voucher help in the prevention of anaemia, malnutrition, wasting, and stunting as well as hidden hunger.
Mbabazi Joanita Isabella Nutrition Officer ACF USA- Uganda Mission speaking to Journalists in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Kikuube District on Fresh Food Voucher Cards. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
The Fresh Food Voucher Cards Project is funded by the French Government Ministry of External Affairs and it targets new Refugee Arrivals from Burundi and DRC.
Households with Pregnant and Lactating women and children under two years are provided with the Fresh Food Voucher Cards for purchasing food items for the period of six months and there-after they are again given Agricultural inputs to enable them to produce their food.
Beneficiary inserts a fingerprint on the Electronic Machine for food purchase. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Every Individual in the household receives 12,000Ugx per month.
They are able to use these cards at different Vending points selected by Action Against Hunger.
Fransine Lotsove, 25 years old mother of five children & a Refugee of Congo origin is one of the beneficiaries of the project.
A lady carries a baby to the vending point.
Now at the vending point. Photo by Julius Mugaga.Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Fransine told this News Website that her situation was worse on arrival but the Fresh Food Voucher System has enabled her access nutritious food to sustain the five children at home as well as to grow some reasonable food from inputs provided by Action Against Hunger.
Fransine Lotsove speaks to journalists at the vending point. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
“When I come to the vending point, I can buy meat, eggs, tomatoes, silver fish, vegetables, for my family
Eating this nutritious food has improved on our health, we have energy and feel good.
I proceeded to Mombasa, block 7 where I found mothers grouped under Small Care Groups where they are sensitized on proper nutrition for proper growth of them babies.
Lady holding a malnourished child.
Lady holding greens.Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Fonsine Furaha, a Nutrition Care Group Volunteer as well as a beneficiary of the Nutrition Project told this Website that the rate of malnutrition and stunting was very high in their area but ever since they organized them in small groups, they have been able to learn the different ways of preparing enriched meals for their children and thus improving their nutrition status compared to the past.
“In our Small Care Groups, Action Against Hunger has been able to sensitize us on dietary diversity (nutritious food basket) and food hygiene and also provided every Household with MUAC [Mid Upper Arm Circumference] tape to enable us screen and assess our children for malnutrition” Furaha quoted.
Fonsine Furaha a leader of a Mother Care Group in Mombasa Block 7 speaks to journalists. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Furaha added that they now have small gardens of food like beans, tomatoes, greens and others around them homes since they are highly required by our children.
“We also organize ourselves to play skits that will keep us updated towards proper nutrition and this has reached us somewhere because every mother here is a teacher of the other and we do everything in a group and in this we have reduced the rates of malnutrition”.
She remarked [translated from Swahili].
Mothers showcasing a skit on nutrition in Mombasa
Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Hirya Brian, the Health Nutrition Officer at Action Against Hunger, Kyangwali Base told this News Website that on arrival, they screen refugees to identify their nutrition and health status after which those with medical complications are treated and those that are malnourished are enrolled on the different nutrition program.Photo by Julius Mugaga.
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Hirya Brian, Health nutritionist at Action Against Hunger, USA-Uganda Mission Kyangwali Base. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
To Brian, in the past, at least 20 malnutrition cases would be recorded at the facility every week and the number has reduced to two due to increased Community outreaches where acute cases of malnutrition, stunting, and wasting are referred to the Health Centre for management thus preventing their conditions from worsening.
As the mothers are being referred to the Health Centre, they are enrolled on livelihood activities like rabbit raring, piggery, mushroom growing, soap making to help them build Resilience and self-reliance.
This has been possible with funding from SIDA, French Government Ministry of External Affairs, & the UN WFP.