The UN peacekeepers doctor says malnutrition contributes to learner’s performance in school at different ages.
Rwanda Bhatt Captain Doctor Antoine Niyonsenga says a malnourished child will be underdeveloped which will affect the child growth.
“What I can say is that it is really a great burden because it is causing stunting of children not growing well, not doing well in school, not being a good father, being a good mother or a good leader because malnutrition is delaying brain growth. That is why this is an issue that we want to address if you want to have a good family, we want to have a good country without malnutrition and it is possible. We are targeting the mothers because we want them to have the knowledge so that they won’t have malnutrition”, he says.
Dr. Antoine says the major challenge that leads to malnutrition in Africa is inadequate knowledge in the preparation of a balanced diet.
Early on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, the UNMISS peacekeepers from Rwanda conducted a balanced diet demonstration at Torit State Hospital to the mothers.
“One of the major challenges we are facing in Sub Saharan Africa is malnutrition, in most cases due to the lack of knowledge of how to make that balanced diet. So, we came up with the ideas so as to fight malnutrition. First activity is a balanced diet demonstration, the second, we are cleaning around the compound and the third one there are some materials that are broken down that we are welding”, the doctor notes.
Josephine Joseph, one of the beneficiaries, appreciates the UNMISS team for the awareness creation.
She says she learned how to prepare balanced diet food to help in the fight against malnutrition.
“I appreciate them for giving us this information so that we can protect ourselves from sickness. I learned that there are things brought here like Amaranthus, tomatoes among others. This thing mother can eat so that it can build the body of the baby through breastfeeding and it will protect the child from sickness”, Josephine appreciates.
The speakers made their remarks to Radio Emmanuel at Torit State Hospital on Tuesday during the Balanced Diet demonstration program organized by Rwanda Bhatt Torit Company Operating Based, Torit Field Office.