Nutritious meals: A journey of hope
Amid life's challenges, some individuals stand as beacons of hope, fueled by their passion for helping vulnerable people who share similar experiences with them.
Meet Daw Hkawn, a resilence 50-year-old woman from Maina, Kachin State, living with her husband and four children, attending primary, secondary and high school respectively. In 2011, due to the conflict near their village, the family had no choice but to flee to Waing Maw township, 25 miles away, leaving behind their cherished home and memories. Previously, Daw Hkawn worked in shifting farms and orange tree cultivation, but now the conflict took away her job and home.
"When we started fleeing from my village in 2011, we stayed in the church compound and received food packages from neighbouring donors. Honestly, every single day, we were struggling to make ends meet, ” says Daw Hkawn. While grateful for the donation, she found the food lacking in nutrition.
A year later, relief came in the form of World Vision Myanmar when they started providing food assistance in Kachin State. Daw Hkawn received food assistance from the programme, and the positive impact was immediate. With access to food support, Daw Hkawn could cook nourishing meals for her family. The food assistance programme also introduced her to nutrition and capacity-building training, which she enjoyed attending all the training. The training makes a significant change in her life. She proudly said, “Now I adopted food preparation and feeding practices aligned with three food groups and a 4-STAR diet (staples, legumes and seeds, fruits and vegetables and protein source foods)."
Since 2012, Daw Hkawn has participated in World Vision Myanmar’s food assistance programme. In 2016, she was appointed the deputy head of the management committee for her community development. In this role, she has played a vital role in supporting food assistance, organizing capacity-building training, and raising awareness about maternal and child health and nutrition within her community. In addition, she has worked serving as a liaison between World Vision Myanmar and her community, beneficiary data gathering, and food distribution including nutritional powder. She hardly has any free time for herself.
Her dedication didn't end there. Daw Hkawn has closely worked with World Vision Myanmar to provide maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and nutrition information to pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and mothers of under-five children, both individually and in groups. Through collaborative efforts with World Vision Myanmar, she has also equipped these mothers with the knowledge and skills how to prepare and cook nutritious foods for their children. It could contribute to the growth and overall well-being of children in her community.
"I was glad to hear that children who received nutritional powder become more resilient and have a better memory when mothers shared their experiences," Daw Hkawn, explained the results of providing nutritional support and cooking demonstrations.
Reflecting on the impact of World Vision Myanmar's food assistance programme, Daw Hkawn expressed passionately about the positive changes it brought to her life and her community, "No longer worries about daily food. The families in the community had enough food for consumption. This not only eased their struggles but also instilled their hope."
About World Vision Myanmar's food assistance programme
World Vision Myanmar has been collaborating with the World Food Programme to enhance food security, improve nutrition, and rebuild livelihoods in Kachin State through the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO), benefiting 6,650 vulnerable individuals in 15 communities in Waingmaw township, 1 community in Chipwe township, and 2 communities in Kanpaitee township.
Impact of World Vision Myanmar's programme in Kachin State
World Vision prioritizes the first 1000 days of a child’s life through the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) programme. This initiative provides essential nutrition support and education to pregnant women and mothers, ensuring the healthy development of their children. As of 2023, World Vision Myanmar has supported an estimated 11, 700 people from 27 communities in Waingmaw township and 2 communities in Chipwi township through the general cash distribution programme. Additionally, approximately 600 beneficiaries, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under 2 years old, received blended food to address their nutritional needs.