Feeding Acutely Malnourished Pupils

The Holy Union Sisters living and working in schools and hospitals in the communities of Masea, Mang, Mboy, Malabango, Yokadouma and Bertoua in the Eastern region of Cameroon have discovered a serious problem of malnutrition in children between 2 - 12 years of age. Symptoms such as weight loss and stunted growth are noticed in children. Fatique and dizziness are especially noticed during morning lessons. The physical function of some of the pupils is so impaired to a point where they can not do any physical work while some are resisting recovery from Diseases.

A practical example is the case of a two year baby Habijatou who fell very sick and was taken to a traditional healer for treatment. The traditional healer claimed that baby Habijatou is a witch and posses supernatural powers. The baby later went into coma after all attempts by the traditional healer were abortive. The baby was rushed to the health center where the Holy Union Sisters work in Masea at 1:00AM. She was received by Rev. Sr. Collette a Holy Union Sister nurse on Duty. She was reanimated and was diagnosed of acute malnutrition. Haven properly fed baby Habijatou for a week, she became stable, sound and strong.

Statistics from the Divisional delegation for public health in the Boma and Ngoka Division indicates that three out of five children in such cases die of acute malnutrition. 

The factors contributing to this server malnutrition in children are food availability, accessibility, affordability and transformation into balance diets for children. Given that the Boma and Ngoka Division is made up of the Bakas and Pygmies leaving in the dense forest, they mostly feed on wild fruits and raw food stuffs from the forest. They are very poor and lack the means to access towns and cities to purchase good food stuffs to prepare a  meal for even half a dollar. The situation is dire and needs immediate response and this explains why the Holy Union Sisters are putting up this solution.

The Holy Union Sisters are requesting funds to immediately commence a proper feeding programe for 2000 children across five centers in the communities of Masea, Mang, Mboy, Malabango and entree ville Yokadouma. This feeding will boost the immune system of the malnourished pupils and help them recover from weight loss, stunted growth and other diseases. It will give them physical strength and enable them go to school and fully participate during lessons.

The project will train at least 500 women including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, adolescent girls and caregivers on balance diets and on hygiene and sanitation and on local nutritive gardening. This will aid sustain the families in a long them after the project must have come to a close. The feeding programme will encourage most children to go to school since it will be on weekly days ie five days per week.

The project may aid engage public authorities and private sponsors to provide other facilities like class rooms and toilets due to over population in schools where the feeding is done. 

The project will strengthen parents desire to send their children to school and will equally handle issues of malnutrition at home since they have gained awareness and knowledge of balance diets and nutritive gardening from the project and their peer educators.

Therefore morbidity and mortality from malnutrition will be reduced by up to 98% in children between 2 - 12 years. 

The feeding project will serve children suffering from malnutrition especially those between 2 - 12 years in primary schools and pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, adolescent girls and caregivers.

The children who suffer from server malnourishment will have a five day feeding programme on week days across five centers in primary schools and some in health centers to help them regain their weight, strength and health. This will enable them go to school and study and do little work at home after school.

Both pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, adolescent girls and caregivers will be trained and will gain knowledge on balance diets, nutritive gardening and on hygiene and sanitation. This will empower them to educate their peers and to take proper care of their children and families and ensure they are well nourished.

The entire population will benefit from the feeding programme through awareness on the dangers of malnutrition and how to combat its diseases. The peer educators trained during the project will serve this purpose of awareness raising.

We are a Catholic congregation of Holy Union Sister living and working in schools and hospitals in the target communities. We have amongst us Sisters who are trained in managing schools and hospitals with a progressive carrier portfolio of at least 15 - 25 years each.

We have a direct daily touch with the pupils in schools and the population at large. This explains why we understand their sentiments and most pressing needs and could put up this solution.

In an effort made to feed the malnourished children in hospitals and schools, it was welcomed by the community Chiefs since it help demystify the issue of witch craft in children who are malnourished who later regained their health. With the assistance of food supplies from community heads and some individuals, the Sister were able to feed just 300 children twice a week for six months.

Thereforethe Holy Union Sisters intend to feed 2000 children for nine months is they get funds from mit solve.

About 350 malnourished children in the Catholic primary school Masea.

Holy Union Sisters Cameroon are requesting financial assistance to continue the feeding programe malnourished children in four other communities excluding Masea. This funds will help them access potential markets with good food stuffs and supplements for the children.

Feeding programme will take place during school hours at break across five centers. This will increase school attenance and make the children regular in school. It will help the project team to monitor daily health improvement of children.

The immediate impact for next year will be that malnutrition will be reduced in children between 2 - 12 years after the feeding project.

More women will be implementing proper breastfeeding and hygiene and sanitation at home.

The case of mortality from malnutrition in hospitals would have drop by up to 90%.

There will be general school performance and an increase in literacy rate amongst the forest Bakas and Pygmies in the long term.

Impact goals will be progressively measured though the following indicators; weight gain for malnourished children using a weight balance to collect data on children's weight before, during and after the feeding project.

Check data in hospitals on child morbidity and mortality from malnutrition before, during and after feeding project.

Track hygiene and sanitation conditions of families from the appearance of their children and eating behavior in school.

INPUTS

-Identify and register malnourished children.

-Source local markets to buy food stuffs for the feeding project.

-Prepare warehouses in schools to store purchased food stuffs.

-Draw a roster for feeding within week days.

-Commence the feeding of 2000 malnourished children.

-Train breastfeeding mothers and caregivers on balance diets and hygiene and sanitation.

-Train women on nutritive gardening.

-Monitor peer education.

A budget and project staffs.

OUTPUTS

-A data base for malnourished children established.

-At least 2000 children are fed daily 

-A mark reduction in morbidity and mortality in children suffering fom malnutrition by up to 98%.

-Women practicing nutritive gardening and sharing knowledge with their peers.

-Strong and healthier children now running to school daily.

-Community Chiefs willing to fund and sustain feeding project.

OUTCOME

-Healthier children happily running to school.

-Rapid increase in school attendance.

-Over populated class rooms.

-Increase in overall school performance.

-Morbidity and mortality from malnutrition reduced.

-Knowledge on balance diets and hygiene shared in other communities through peer education.

-Holy Union Sisters willing to replicate feeding project in other communities.

There is only the rationing of meals on different days to give the children balanced diets and help them recover from acute malnutrition.

The project is open to all other malnourished children from different denominations and schools or homes. The Sisters will ensure that the community chiefs mobilize the town criers for to achieve this goal.

The population will benefit from the trainees  through peer education the proper way of feeding malnourished children, hygiene and sanitation and nutritive gardening. The project will accommodate and take care of severely sick children in hospitals where Holy Union Sisters work, thus reducing the financial burden of the families with malnourished patients.

The Holy Union Sisters intend to solicit funds to start a five hectar cassava and plantain farm in the next planting season to generate income that will continue taking care of the many hundreds of malnutrition cases knocking at their doors for assistance on monthly bases. This will therefore be a permanent source of income for the Holy Union Sisters Cameroon for projects of this nature.

We got support from the Traditional Ruler in Masea of a 10 hectar of land to farm on and assist the communities in diverse ways. This in its self is a major step towards achieving sustainability and success in producing food and feeding malnourished children.