DFAP for physical and mental developments!
By the program officers
Compiled and edited by Esubalew Dires
Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) in partnership with Food for the Hungry Ethiopia (FHE) has been implementing a comprehensive and integrated USAID –funded Development Food AID Program (DFAP) to reduce food insecurity among 37,008 chronically food insecure beneficiary households in one of the six target woredas, Sekota, in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The Amhara Region has the highest number of chronically food insecure people in Ethiopia. Only 23.3% of Ethiopia’s population lives in Amhara, but 31.1% of the country’s chronically food insecure people reside in the region. The prevalence of malnourished children in the target communities is unacceptably high where stunting remains at 55% and 52% of children aged between 6 and 24 months and between 6 and 60 months, respectively. In response to this situation, ORDA in collaboration with FH has implementing health and nutrition component of DFAP in Sekota PSNP Woreda, Waghermira Administrative Zone of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia to build on the results, strengths, and lessons-learned from previous Title II-funded program. This intervention is aiming to improve health and nutrition status of pregnant and lactating mothers of children under five years in the woreda.
Sekota woreda is located in North Amhara Region of Waghemira Administrative Zone, Sekota itself being capital town of the Zone. It has a total area coverage of 3057.71 km2. It is located 550 km, & 425 km far away from Bahir Dar via woldeya and Lalibela respectively and 720 km far away from Adis Ababa. Sekota is bordered by Tigray Region to the East and North, Ziquala Woreda to the West, Dehana and Gazgibla Woredas to the South-West and South direction respectively. Sekota woreda is one of drought prone, food insecure and economically disadvantaged woredas of the region. Agriculture is means of survival for most members of the community residing in the woreda. Despite its vital role in the economy, agriculture characterized by very traditional and backward farming practices. Lack of mechanized farming together with drought, shortage of farmland, pest occurrence, low input use, poor extension support, and high harmful traditional practices are major production constraints that aggravate food insecurity of the woreda.
W/ro Muluwey Amare is one of the 4,295 DFAP health and nutrition program beneficiaries in the woreda. She is dwelling in Gilenej village found within Fikireselam kebele of Sekota woreda.
Muluwey is a 38 year old married woman having 5 children whose names are: Meseret Debash, Enyew Debash, Habtamu Debash (male), and Kalkidan Debash and Fenta Debash (female).
The age of her children ranges from 2-18 years old. The youngest son, Habtamu Debash, whose age is 2 is benefiting from the program. W/ro Muluwey’s family is labeled chronically food insecure and thus considered as one of the PSNP beneficiaries in the woreda. Muluwey has been benefiting the agriculture - nutrition component since 2011. Muluwey/her household did not have the habit of growing vegetables and fruits, and consuming animals and their products like egg, meat, milk, etc as well as lack awareness on concept of immunization, pre lacteal feeding maternal health, hygiene and sanitation activities and benefits. These all resulted in repeated illness of her elder children by diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Worse than this is she did not have the habit of taking sick child to health facility rather chose harmful traditional practices like giving traditional medicine to the sick child.
To significantly improve the base line situation, the program offered different trainings like ENA(Essential Nutrition Action) which includes pre-lacteal feeding, exclusive breast feeding until six months, complementary feeding at age six months; EHA(Essential Hygiene Action) via Community led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH); MNCH(Maternal, Neonate and Child Health)by which benefit of antenatal care, institutional delivery, post natal care and family planning, Poultry management and consumption, benefits of dietary diversity during complementary feeding using cereals, pulses, animal and their products, vegetables and fruits and saving skills to afford the above mentioned nutrients. In addition, poultry (6 white lohman chicken), vegetables (20kg potato, 20gram salad, 10 gram cabbage) and fruit (10 gram papaya) seeds provided to Muluwey/her households which have been managed by her and household could harvest more than expected.
Most of the vegetables and fruits distributed to Muluwey were consumed by the family, mainly by children while the remaining sold to purchase other nutritious food items which are not available at home. Similarly, the family fed 85% eggs to children and sold leftovers to generate money to fill their child food gaps as well as procure clothes and detergents to maintain the hygienic situation of children. Muluwey witnessed that she fed Habtamu complementary food after age six including cereals, pulses, cabbage, potato, scrambled egg, chopped meat, milk and other vegetables regularly. Muluwey said, “I did not have a knowhow on the importance of dietary diversity particularly consuming vegetables and fruits to improve the health status of children in particular and household in general.” She further had to say that, “Now thanks to the program, I acquired the skill how to produce vegetables and papaya fruit in my backyard gardening, producing egg for consumption and prepare complementary food in the right mix of nutrients to feed my children and household members.”
Muluwey added that, “I have sanitation facility, hand washing station with detergents in which all household members properly use’’ She further explained that “ I clearly understood the importance of colostrum and exclusive breast feeding immediately after delivery and until six months of the child, danger of pre lacteal feeding respectively.” She also explained what she should do in the future as “I will make seed sourcing each year in my backyard garden to produce nutrient rich foods (fruits and vegetables) and continue to produce egg via proper management of my chicken in the absence of the program as I tangibly observe change in the health status of my children and household including myself”. Finally Muluwey stated that “I promise to take care of my neighborhood pregnant and lactating mothers to adopt and practice the knowledge and skills acquired from the program.” The current GMP graph of Habtamu, the youngest son of Muluwey, showed an appropriate body mass index. This was a great success compared to his elder brothers and sisters who were acutely malnourished characterized by frequent illness at same age.