Encouraging Healthy and Nutritious meals

Thursday, November 10, 2016


Encouraging communities to eat healthy, and providing knowledge on nutrition was the aim of a cooking competition,
staged in Haunasi Village in South Malaita in early November.

The competition organized by World Vision’s Solomon Islands Maternal Newborn Child Health Nutrition project and health authorities attracted 36 participants.


With a crowd of up to 600 on hand, the event provided a platform for awareness talks and demonstrations, on how local foods can be used to prepare healthy and nutritious meals.

“We have all the nutritious local food available in our community and therefore we do not need to depend on processed products or buy processed food from the shop to prepare meals for our children,” said Arima Hasi, nutrition specialist at the Kilufi Hospital in Auki, Malaita Province.


“Eating healthy, with a right mix of food types, is vital to the wellbeing and health of mothers, newborns and children,” said World Vision’s Rose Makania.

John Totoiraro, a nurse from the Tarapaina community health centre reminded parents and children about the importance of hygiene and the need to wash hands before food preparation and at meal times.
Village Health Volunteers, from project communities, also on hand to assist event organizers with the cooking and hygiene demonstrations.

 

Roda Warai from Rara community was announced the winner of the cooking and nutrition competition, after her entry met the judges’ criteria of being nutritionally balanced, tasty, attractive and consisting of locally available ingredients.



The Solomon Islands Maternal Newborn Child Health Nutrition project is supported by the Australian Government.
The project is focused on improving maternal newborn, child health and nutrition in South Malaita, Makira Province and Central Islands Province and has introduced a system of Village Health Volunteers in project communities.