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Somalia: Local solutions improving nutrition among children in Baidoa
14 Oct 2009
By Amanda Koech
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FILE PHOTO: Children in Somalia
Photo by Geoffrey Denye Kalebbo.
©2009 World Vision International |
World Vision Somalia is currently assisting three rural communities in the vicinity of Baidoa town through an emergency nutrition project funded by donors in Germany.
Previously, Baidoa had a vibrant agricultural sector. The area produced a significant amount of grains including sorghum and maize. However, over-reliance on grains resulted in malnutrition, even in years of good harvests. This year, the affects of drought combined with the rise in global food prices has negatively impacted this already precarious situation.
World Vision is mitigating both the immediate food needs of the affected communities and long term diet attitudes. The project is also helping these communities cope with their reduced ability to purchase imported foods due to rising prices.
A recently completed nutrition survey indicates global acute malnutrition rates of 24% and a severe acute malnutrition rate of 3.8%. These rates represent some of the highest in the horn of Africa, well above emergency thresholds of 15% and 2% respectively.
Also, according to the NGO Nutrition cluster, only 30% of the malnourished children in the Baidoa district have access to any form of feeding centres. There are fewer such centres following the withdrawal of active agencies in the area due to security concerns.
The situation may remain as it is for some time, due to continued heavy fighting related to instability. Many international aid agencies will be unable to implement these much-needed nutrition interventions. World Vision continues to enjoy grass root community support and is therefore one of the few NGOs still able to provide life saving assistance in this drought stricken, food insecure area.
Currently, World Vision nutrition programmes target severely malnourished children and their mothers. They not only receive food rations, but also benefit from immunisations from common infectious diseases. Mothers are also encouraged to feed their children on more nutritious diets through small scale farming activities. Mothers, who enrol in the programme also receive tools and seeds to help them start their home gardens, and learn to plant vegetables like spinach, kale, tomatoes, egg plants and onions.
Ambiyo Aadan Hassan is a one of the mothers benefiting from the programme. Her malnourished son was admitted to the World Vision feeding site in Baidoa. Before she was enrolled in home garden training, Ambiyo says she did not know the important role that vegetables played in ensuring a balanced diet for her family. Now she understands and grows them at home. The vegetable garden has gone a long way in enriching the diet of her children. She is now able to provide her young son with a more balanced diet so that he can avoid slipping into malnutrition again without the family having to pay more for food.
It is only through continued support from donors that World Visioncan continue to help mothers like Ambiyo improve the nutritional status of their families and find long term solutions to community food needs.
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