World Vision Malawi has intensified nutrition interventions in Nsanje to beat stunting and malnutrition among children in the district.
Speaking on Monday during a nutrition dialogue with Mangani Impact Plus Youth Group at Mangani Village in Traditional Authority Chimombo, Nyachipere Area Programme sponsorship project officer Phillip Kadzakumanja said they were running the Enough Campaign aimed at ending hunger in the country.
He said: “We are a child-centred organisation focusing on children’s rights and solving critical issues affecting them. So, we established that hunger is affecting many children; hence, the campaign.
“When a child is not hungry, they can concentrate in class and socialise with friends in the community. Therefore, getting their views will help us to mobilise support to end hunger.”
Chimombo Health Post health surveillance assistant Maganizo Gavi said malnutrition is rampant in the area.
“As such, I commend the campaign as it will promote good nutritional practices in the area,” he said.
Mangani Impact Plus chairperson Fina Blamu said people do not eat adequately because they harvested less due to floods that washed away their crops.
“Therefore, as a group, we decided to embrace irrigation farming and rear livestock,” he said.
In his contribution, Nyachipere Community Day Secondary School student Isaac Tizola also blamed climate change shocks such as floods and drought for poor crop production.
“Our parents and guardians are struggling to get food. This is affecting our studies as we go to school hungry,” he said.
Nsanje District Health Office says stunting in the district is at 30.7 percent, wasting is at 3.7 percent while underweight is at 15.7 percent.
World Vision is implementing its activities in the district with support from World Vision New Zealand.
