By Jacqueline Frost | Development and Communications Manager
Malnutrition was a big problem in this tiny country before the massive earthquakes destroyed large swaths of Nepal earlier this spring. Nearly half of all Nepalese children under age five are afflicted with the condition.
Sadly, relief efforts might be worsening the problem. In the immediate aftermath of the quake, relief organizations sent huge amounts of rice, noodles and biscuits to villages, Because these foods are easy and filling, mothers were happy to serve rice, noodles and biscuits to their children three times daily.
Nepal Youth Foundation staff visited three emergency centers in Sindhupalchok, a region hard hit by the quakes, and found many children showing signs of malnourishment.
"This is an unintended consequence of relief," said Nepal Youth Foundation's (NYF) President Som Paneru. “This should serve as a lesson for future disasters.'
Instead of starchy, processed food with no nutritional value, Mr. Paneru recommends that relief agencies send non-genetically modified seeds be distributed to the villagers, most of whom already farm their own land.
To help ease the problem, NYF is opening 10 Community Nutrition Kitchens in local primary schools to serve nutritious meals to children under the age of ten. We are working with local communities to to provide mid-day meals that will be similar to those provided in our highly successful Nutritional Rehabilitation Homes (NRHs) across Nepal. We will operate the kitchens for one year.
The cooks for the kitchens will be trained at our Kathmandu Nutritional Rehabilitation Home. Community Nutrition Educator (CNE) will provide trainings on best nutrition practice and family hygiene to mothers of the children who attend these schools as well as other village people on Saturdays and off school hours at the school premises. During the year of operation, they will learn about nutrition best practices that they can apply in their own kitchens. One CNE will be able to supervise 10 Community Nutrition Kitchens and train 10 mothers' groups simultaneously. We will serve 1,000 children and 1,500 mothers and village women/households in this program.
NYF operates 16 nutrition clinics throughout Nepal and has educated thousands of mothers and caretakers in the basics of good nutrition.
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Namaste!
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