The Story Workshop awards Nkhata Bay chief
The Story Workshop Educational Trust (Swet) has awarded Traditional Authority (T/A) Malanda of Nkhata Bay for his commitment in mobilising his subjects to take their under-five children for malnutrition screening.
Swet launched Mwana ndi Mtima Campaign in February this year to strengthen community mobilisation and outreach to ensure early detection and referral of acutely malnourished children before their conditions deteriorate further.
to his subjects
Speaking during a cultural festival organised in the area, Swet projects manager Ambele Gogwe said the project established intra-leaders’ committees, which included traditional leaders, to work with community drama clubs trained in theatre for development to mobilise communities to take their children for nutrition screening.
She said: “So, in Nkhata Bay, TA Malanda has performed well, especially in coordinating the theatre for development performances; hence, the award.”
For the feat, Malanda went away with assorted items worth K150 000, among them plastic chairs, buckets and plates, plus a trophy.
In his remarks, the chief thanked Swet for the award, describing it as a motivation in the fight against malnutrition among children.
In an interview, one of the health surveillance assistants (HSAs) working in the area, Sophia Chirambo, said through the project, women are given lessons on food preparation as well.
She said 16 children and eight women underwent screening in April alone and are currently receiving chiponde, among others. n
