World Vision supports women cooperatives and contributes to the rehabilitation of nutritional homes in the district of Sebkha.

Many families in the district of Sebkha live in particularly worrying economic insecurity situation. Unemployment, the lack of training and the absence of income generating activities impact the food security of the households, leading to serious consequences on children. Local women cooperatives try hard to start beneficial activities to support their families but they do not have the necessary funds for it. In reality, most of them come from vulnerable families in this area. “Many families find themselves in difficult conditions with no steady source of income. Some women try to find activities like tinting to help their families but the absence of financial support and guidance keep them from doing that. The households in this district are so vulnerable and this has negative consequences on their children,” said the 59 years old, communities relay Aicha Alioune Fall, describing the situation of the households in the Sebkha district. This alarming situation makes it hard for the mothers to adopt adequate nutritional habits in the households. As a result, many children in this area are attained of moderate acute malnutrition.

As a response to this situation, World Vision Mauritania provided training sessions to mothers through its Area Development Program in the Sebkha district on adequate nutritional practices for their children. With the support of World Vision Switzerland, the mothers were able to set a nutritional rehabilitation head for under 5 children in the neighborhood of Basra, with a technical support from World Vision Mauritania. Children are nourished on a regular basis in this head thanks to food products provided and prepared by their own mothers. Community relays and volunteers were put in place and trained to support and guide the mothers in the head. Cases of moderate malnutrition were detected by the mothers through a malnutrition screening initiative conducted in the neighborhoods of Sebkha. This intervention is one of many activities in this area aimed to help women to start income generating activities, such as training session activities in sewing and tinting.

Mothers prepare meals with vegetables such as lentils, wheat flour and other food elements available thanks to a participation mechanism since every mother contributes as she can. “We just manage day by day with what we have to prepare these meals. Several mothers do not always contribute because of the difficult conditions they live in. Thanks to this project, our children are healthier than ever and well-nourished as well. We were trained on how to prepare these meals and many mothers benefitted from it. The majority of them are interested in this community home and they come regularly with their children. This activity has a positive impact on our children since many cases were healed. We are grateful toward World Vision Mauritania for this valuable intervention,” said the mother of five children, Oumoukelthoume Diallo who participates in this hearth. Children are admitted in this community home for 12 days and are subjects for constant monitoring in the households for 14 days. The Sebkha ADP provides them with fortified flour in case there is a lack of participation in the community home.

 World Vision also provides training sessions to local women in tinting and sewing for more support to improve their households’ resilience. With the financial support of World Vision Canada, they were able to regroup in cooperatives and benefitted from funds to start income generating activities upon completion of the training. Cooperatives like El Avia in Basra received sewing machines with cloth tissues and accessories along with tinting material. "Thanks to World Vision Mauritania, our cooperative members received trainings in tinting and sewing along with funds to start an income generating activity. In fact, we received a 150,000 UM worth cloth tissue; we were also able to buy 81.000 worth tinting materials and 50.000 for protection and tinting products and mixing materials. In addition to that, we received four sewing machines and 35.000 UM for cloth materials and accessories. We have certainly benefitted from these activities and we are thankful toward World Vision for this intervention which contributes to the resilience of our households,” continued Aicha, president of El Avia cooperative. Thanks to the incomes generated by their activities, these women are able to keep in place the community home for the well-being of their children.

Local women also benefit from education sessions on various subjects such as family planning and birth spacing, the continuity of medical visits and consultations before and after delivery and exclusive breastfeeding. The activities also focus on educating mothers on positive deviance on the household level by providing adequate food for the prevention of children’s malnutrition. It is important to say that World Vision Mauritania supports a local early childhood network in Sebkha by training the personnel. Several kindergartens have benefitted from sewing machines thanks to the support of World Vision Canada, with which they are able to sew uniforms for children in the kindergarten. 

Written by: Ibrahima Diallo