USAID-funded program Amalima Loko is making strides in fighting the challenge of stunting among children aged six months to about two years in Matabeleland North Province.
To fight stunting among children, Amalima Loko is implementing the Blanket Supplementary Food Program, which has at least 257 beneficiaries benefiting at the Zenka Clinic. This activity distributes Corn Soya Blend and cooking oil to pregnant and lactating mothers and children between 6-23 months. It also uses care group approach, where mothers and caregivers are trained to prepare nutritious meals using locally available resources with a major focus on the four-star diet.
According to the latest assessment report compiled by the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), Matabeleland North has the highest number of stunted children nationally, with a rate of 29.7 percent.
Amalima Loko Deputy Chief of Party, Mary-Jane Ncube, explained that to date, 186 care groups have been established in the cluster, reaching at least 2,300 neighborhood women with nutrition-specific interventions.
“The program has been providing food rations for pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged 6-23 months to reduce stunting. This is a specific program with targeted beneficiaries because we are trying to address the issue of stunting here in Matabeleland North. When we started the program, a national assessment found that the highest level of stunting is in this province. We felt the need to come in and assist,” Ncube said.
“But besides solely targeting this specific group for this specific reason, it also helps to improve nutrition for the whole household. We are trying to ensure that while pregnant and lactating mothers are protected, every household member has access to nutritious food.“Our program helps teach them how to prepare nutritious food with the supplies that they already have in their communities. There are various recommended recipes that add nutritional value to their food. This helps them prepare meals that will lead to healthy families and healthy communities.”
Precious Mloyi, a lead mother in the program from Ward 30 in Zenka, said that through the program they educate community members that having a healthy baby starts from the time the mother is pregnant.
“We help pregnant and lactating mothers by encouraging them to take good care of their children from the time they are pregnant. Babies must be born healthy. Getting adequate nutrients from the time of pregnancy helps in developing a healthy baby both physically and intellectually,” Mloyi said.
“We grow various crops and vegetables in nutritional gardens, which help us ensure an adequate supply of nutritious food. We grow tomatoes, onions, and a wide variety of vegetables so that we can get enough food.”
Another lead mother from the same ward, Bahle Makhalima, commended the program, citing that it has yielded a positive response from the community.
“We are grateful for this program from Amalima Loko. We are working hard to ensure that all women partake in this program so that even beyond their infant children, the whole family can benefit,” she said.
“Of course, there are some who are not as keen to heed the advice, so we take it upon ourselves to conduct home visits and educate them on the importance of this initiative. But so far there has been a positive response from the local mothers. We also engage men, educating them on the importance of supporting their wives, especially when they are pregnant, so that they may have healthy babies.”
