By Dalitso Kampira
As one way of alleviating human suffering, saving lives and reducing the physical, social and economic impact, Foundation For Community and Capacity Development (FOCCAD) through it's DREAMS PROJECT has scaled up efforts on nutrition interventions in Tradition Authority (T/A) Changata in Thyolo District.
Project is impacting community- Mchenga Pic Dalitso Kampira
This was highlighted during District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC) review meeting conducted by FOCCAD on Monday to update members on nutrition interventions.
Speaking in an interview after the meeting, FOCCAD District Field Officer, Triza Mchenga, said the project is impacting the community members especially maternal, infant and young child nutrition to curb malnutrition.
"Through the project we conducted distribution of Nutrition Cash Transfer in our targeted T/A to 225 households with under five children, pregnant, and lactating with malnutrition.
"This money will be used to buy food for their households to alleviate the problem," she said.
She said this will help to increasing the availability of nutrient-rich foods that improve nutritional status.
Mchenga further said apart from cash transfer they offer training to participants with knowledge and skills and holding discussions with the community leaders on their roles and responsibilities on nutrition.
Thyolo District Nutrition Coordinator, Kennie Kawinga, concurred that the project has positively improved the welfare of the district in as far nutrition is concerned.
"Specifically we have registered significant impacts from the interventions they are offering saying through cash transfer community members have something to buy for needed food groups,
"As we know that food from animal source like fish and others demand someone to buy as in FOCCAD impact area Changata it means they should go to market hence giving them to have access to six food groups," said Kawinga.
Kawinga said through management of underweight and moderately malnourished children interventions where they do Community Complimentary Feeding and Learning Session which conducted for 21 days where they do screening to the targeted groups has helped a lot too.
The 18 month project which is funded by USAID through BHA is being implemented in 3 districts of southern region namely; Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Thyolo inclusive in impact areas of T/A Kapichi and Changata, whereas in Changata Nutrition activities are being implemented.
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