DR Congo: When Fathers Get Involved, Children's Nutrition Improves Through Positive Masculinity
In Luambo Health Zone, in the Kasai Central Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a quiet social transformation is taking place within households. Once viewed as bystanders in matters of child nutrition and health, fathers are increasingly becoming active partners in ensuring their children's well-being. Supported by World Vision's interventions, this shift reflects the growing adoption of positive masculinity, where men play a meaningful role in promoting the health and development of their families.
A New Understanding of Fatherhood
For many years, responsibilities related to feeding children and caring for family health were considered women's duties exclusively. Today, that perception is gradually changing.
Buazanza Coco, a father of five from Luambo, embodies this transformation.
"Before, I believed that feeding our children was solely my wife's responsibility. Today, I help in the family garden, and together we decide what our family should eat," he told our correspondent in Luiza.
His testimony reflects a significant break from traditional gender norms, where household roles were clearly divided. Fathers are no longer seen only as financial providers; they are becoming active participants in food production, meal planning, and decisions that directly influence their children's nutrition.
This evolving role is rooted in the concept of positive masculinity, which promotes responsibility, partnership, and shared decision-making within the family. As fathers embrace these values, they not only contribute to better nutrition but also help create healthier and more supportive home environments.
Fathers Supporting Family Health
Beyond agricultural activities and household food production, fathers are increasingly engaging in family healthcare.
Buazanza Coco explains:
"I now accompany my wife to antenatal care appointments whenever possible. We have come to understand that our child's health depends on both of us."
This growing involvement represents a profound shift in community attitudes. Accompanying wives to health facilities, once uncommon, is gradually becoming an accepted and encouraged practice. It contributes to improved maternal healthcare, better pregnancy monitoring, stronger prevention of health risks, and ultimately gives children a healthier start in life.
Aligned with World Vision's objectives, men's active participation strengthens access to healthcare services, promotes improved nutrition practices and supports children's healthy growth and development.
A Sustainable Solution to Malnutrition
The experience in Luambo demonstrates that addressing malnutrition goes far beyond ensuring access to food. Sustainable improvements also depend on behavioural change, evolving social norms, and the active participation of every member of the household.
By involving fathers in nutrition and health-related decisions, families become more resilient. Household decisions are made jointly, resources are used more effectively, and children benefit from healthier and more balanced diets.
Although still emerging, this movement is steadily gaining momentum and represents a sustainable pathway towards improving children's well-being. In Luambo, as in many other communities, it is shaping a new vision of family life—one where responsibility is shared, and positive masculinity becomes a powerful driver of children's health, nutrition, and development.
Behind every engaged father stands a generation of children who are better nourished, better cared for, and better protected.