Every Child Malawi has spent about K29 million (about $72 500) to feed over 6 640 children in the areas of Mndolera in Dowa and Bulala in Malawi’s northern town of Mzimba.
The feeding projects which come to an end this month were initiated to reduce the suffering most children face during the lean period of October to March.
Every Child Malawi country director Brussels Mughogho said on Monday in Lilongwe that the project was successful because most of the children who could not report to the community-based child care centres due to lack of food were attracted to the centres because they knew they could get something to eat.
“We have our programmes in Mndolera and Bulala where we work with the communities including children and during the lean period most children have difficulties to report to their centres; hence the decision to provide them with food,” said Mughogho.
He said the food situation this year was aggravated by the devaluation and subsequent floatation of the kwacha, something that necessitated provision of extra food to the children.
“Ours was an effort to prevent malnutrition and other nutritional disorders among children without the risk of losing parental care under the age of five years,” said Mughogho.
Fifty centres in Bulala and 27 in Mndolera, Dowa received the Likuni Phala.
Approximately 3 735 children in Bulala and 2 905 children in Mndolera were at risk of losing parental care aged 5 years and were prevented from becoming malnourished during the lean period this year.
