Treatment of Malnutrition: In Titao, Ramata finds her smile again

Against the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis in Titao, little Ramata’s early life has been far from easy. She lost her mother just days after being born. Suddenly, her grandmother, Adjara, found herself alone with the heavy responsibility of raising her, with no resources and in an environment where access to healthcare was challenging.

“I had to take care of my granddaughter with no means at all. To feed her, I used to buy powdered milk for 4,800 CFA francs per can. It was very expensive, but I did it out of love for Ramata because her smile gave me the strength to carry on,” says Adjara.

Despite all her efforts, Ramata’s health began to deteriorate. She lost weight and stopped smiling. Concerned for her health, her grandmother took her to the medical centre, where she was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. The healthcare workers advised her to go to the Kapalin Advanced Health Post (PSA). 

“I was panicking. I felt like I had failed, despite everything I’d done. But once I got to the health post, I was pleasantly surprised.”

Set up by World Vision, with funding from FHRAOC and in partnership with the NGO APADE, this advanced health post provides primary healthcare services to local communities as part of the Integrated Multisectoral Support Project for Food Security/Health/Nutrition and Shelter/NFIs/WASH, Protection (PIMSAP).

Ramata Dicko, Health and Nutrition Coordinator:

“A large part of our work involves providing outpatient care for malnourished children until they recover. We are overjoyed to see hundreds of children fully healed and smiling again.”

Little Ramata received comprehensive and free medical care at the Kapalin Advanced Health Post. Thanks to the fortified porridge she was given, she gradually regained her appetite, vitality and, most importantly, her smile.

“Today, she is doing very well. I thank God, and I am grateful to World Vision and their partners for their support,” says Adjara, Ramata’s grandmother.

In addition to her granddaughter’s treatment, Adjara attended awareness sessions on nutrition and hygiene, including how to prepare fortified porridge using local ingredients.

'Now I know how to make porridge at home and keep the kitchen clean. When Ramata falls ill, I come straight here. I no longer need to travel all the way to the district hospital, which is too far away and is often overcrowded.”

For Adjara and many other families, the establishment of the Kapalin Advanced Health Post has been a huge relief.

‘Before, we could spend the whole day at the medical centre just to be seen by a nurse. Now, at the health post, we are seen quickly and the care is free.”

Thanks to this initiative, Ramata has found her smile again, and her life is full of hope. She is growing up peacefully — a living testament to resilience and the strength of life itself.