Netherlands Development Organisation Calls For Concerted Effort To Improve Nutrition

The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) have called for a concerted effort to resolve nutritional issues among women and children in the Lunte district.

Tendai Gunda, SNV Programme Manager for the Scaling Up Sustainable Nutrition for All project, has said that the organisation wants to ensure that women and children have access to a variety of foods to help improve the area’s nutrition status.

Poor nutrition within the area, as a result of lack of access to a balanced diet, has resulted in high levels of stunting.

Subsequently, several women and children lack irons, proteins and vitamin A within their diet.

“Many women and girls are lacking iron. That is why SNV came and introduced Mbereshi beans which is rich in iron and zinc. The other nutrients which is of public health concern is the vitamin A, the one you see in bright green and coloured vegetables that is why carrot becomes important,” she said.

If crops rich in these nutrients were grown within the area, stunting should decrease as these food stuffs would be more readily available within the community Gunda said. Growing these crops in backyard gardens is hoped to start resolving the issue.

“We are happy to say that we have begun to see some action taking place at household level. Some mothers have started establishing some gardens that are diversified and this is good because at the end of the day, what is diversified in the garden will translate to a diversified food on the table and which will translate into a healthy child” she said.

Malnutrition is one of the major burdens on the healthcare system and contributes to low human capital, with around 40 percent of children under 5 being stunted. Individuals who are less educated tend to experience more stunting, as a result of their lack of nutritional knowledge.

Photo: Power of 5