Improved nutritional status for children in areas with high stunting levels after World Vision Intervention.

Improved nutritional status for children in areas with high stunting levels after World Vision Intervention.

By Peter Mwaura, Communication officer world Vision.

One-year-old Kelvin is full of energy as he plays with his siblings in Kaloleni, Kilifi County. The overall health of the family has taken a turn for the better as a result of improved nutrition status.

Play is interrupted as Kelvin and the siblings need to take a lunch break. His mother strictly follows the nutrition advice she has received from caregivers. She first washes her hands and the baby’s face. Kelvin enjoys a meal of fresh vegetables from the farm and eggs, as he eats, he is encouraged through songs sung by his siblings.

Sang in Giriama the song elucidates the steps a mother should take in feeding the child.

“Eat baby eat, yummy food eat, a mother needs to feed the child well. A child needs meat, a baby needs milk, a baby needs fruits, eat baby eat.” They sing.

“We learnt this song from our mother as she fed the baby, at first, she used to sing alone but we found it catchy and entertaining.” Says his sister Husna.

Kelvin’s mother notes that the training she received has played a big role in ensuring he has a healthy headstart in life, unlike the children she raised before.

“I am grateful for the training I received, I learnt that delivering at the health facility is important in protecting my life and the health of my child. There is a big difference between Kelvin and the older siblings, it has been easier to raise him, and he looks healthier happy and more active. Unlike his siblings, he has walked faster.

Kilifi County has the highest number of stunted growth children in the country, with one in every three children affected, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.

“I delivered my children at home because of cultural beliefs. I relied on the advice of Traditional birth assistants who would sometimes warn me not to breastfeed my child. I learnt that exclusive breastfeeding is important to children” she adds.

To mitigate this and protect children World Vision implemented the Nutrition Improvement through Cash and Health Education (NICHE) Programme funded by FCDO and World Bank.

The overall goal of the NICHE programme is to ensure that the most vulnerable children in intervention areas, show improved well-being in the areas of nutrition, social protection and child protection.

Valery a World Vision Nutrition specialist notes the organization trained Community health workers and through household visits, CHVs delivered specific nutrition messages to encourage the adoption of optimal health and nutrition practices related to the care of young children and pregnant women.

“There is a positive improvement in the health and well-being of children under 24 months, pregnant women and caregivers – despite the relatively short time span of implementation.” She says.

In addition to training CHVs, the programme improved the nutritional status of children in the first 1,000 days of life. The programme provided a top-up of KES 500 per target child under 24 months and/or pregnant woman, capped at Kshs 1,000 per household per month.

Felister is a community health provider and she notes that she at first got resistance in the community but the mindset of the community has changed for the better. One major milestone is the involvement of men in the program.

“It was not easy to change the mindset of this community because of the cultural beliefs. most men in this community did not actively take part in raising children and ensuring that their nutrition is well taken care of. But through continued engagement with the community members, we were able to change the mindset of men and now they regularly attend.”

Kelvin’s father, Kahindi notes that after attending one of the meetings, he realized how important it is for him to provide a conducive environment for the growth of children by practising positive parenting.

“In the meeting, I learnt that the health of my son was an integral part of his development in the early life stages. It was after this meeting that I got to engage other men and teach them the same.” He notes.

Through capacity building, Kahindi’s mindset was transformed, through saving money he gets from casual jobs, he started rearing chickens and a kitchen garden.

“I learnt many things I didn’t know before like the right diet for a child. I learnt that a child needs to be exclusively breastfed and they need 5 food groups. I started farming vegetables and keeping chicken to cater for the dietary diversity of my child. This has also benefited in improving my income through selling surplus vegetables and eggs.”

Kahindi’s acceptance and participation in meetings set the stage for more men to join meetings and cascade the lessons to the families. This has improved marriages, reduced cases of child violence and improved the general well-being of children.