Saved from malnutrition

"My name is Love. I'm 35 years old and I'm the mother of two girls and a boy. One of my children is called Sarah, she is two years old and she was suffering from malnutrition. We live in Ngandu, in the commune of Kimbanseke in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

‘’My daughter was often ill. I used to take her to hospital all the time for a blood transfusion. She didn't want to eat and couldn't play like other children her age.’’

"One day, while I was at home with my children, I received a visit from a community health volunteer sent by World Vision to screen children suffering from malnutrition in our neighbourhood. Seeing Sarah in her condition, these community volunteers examined her and told me that Sarah was suffering from malnutrition. I was shocked to hear this news.

To solve my child's health problem, this volunteer invited me to take part in the Positive Deviance Hearth session at home. This is a World Vision approach that enables parents to learn new ways of using local foods to combat malnutrition and promote their children's health.

"I spent two weeks learning how to prepare local food in a new way to improve my child's health. I also learned that foods like peanuts and vegetables have great nutritional value and can help heal children, while practising good hygiene at home".

What's more, we also learned how to grow a vegetable garden, which can also help children and the whole family.

"All the knowledge acquired during the various positive deviance hearth sessions organized by World Vision enabled me to put into practice and put my daughter on a balanced diet. Today she is cured of malnutrition. She is now in good shape; she eats very well and also plays very well with her older sister and brother.

To continue good feeding practices and improve my children's health, World Vision gave me two ducks and two ducklings so that I could start an income-generating activity. Today, these ducks enable me to save my money and provide for the food and health needs of all my children.

In my plot, I also have a small garden that gives me vegetables when I need them. 

Thanks to all the good practices I've learned, I'm now teaching other mothers how to feed their children well and protect them from malnutrition.

"The home food preparation demonstration was very useful for me. I learned a lot of good things that now help me to feed my children properly.

"My child, who was suffering from malnutrition, is now in good health’’.

Thank you World Vision for the support you have given to my child and my community.

The Ngandu programme identified 97 underweight children aged between 6 and 36 months during the Positive Deviance Hearth survey in the Bisengo Mwambe health area using the door-to-door strategy. These children were all rehabilitated after participating in the PD hearth sessions, and their care providers are gradually adopting good cooking and health practices.