Food Security Benin Project #38153

Nurse me: let's defeat child malnutrition in Benin

by ALEIMAR - Voluntary Organization

Nurse me: let's defeat child malnutrition in Benin

Project Report | Apr 21, 2026
Together in Benin: Measuring Impact

By Elisa Cappai | Project Leader

Dear Donors,
last Saturday, a group of volunteers traveled to Benin with Aleimar’s Director and the Head of the Projects Office to carry out volunteer activities within our ongoing initiatives and monitor project progress. This mission represents an important opportunity not only to strengthen our direct engagement with local communities, but also to closely assess the impact of our interventions and identify future needs.

A key moment of the trip will be the visit to the pediatric hospital L’Abbraccio in Sokpontà, a crucial healthcare reference point for children within 200 kilometers. During this visit, volunteers will have the opportunity to observe firsthand the services provided, meet the medical staff, and gain a deeper understanding of the daily challenges involved in ensuring access to quality pediatric care.
Another important step of the mission will be the meeting with the nutritionist who has been supporting the community work in Kpossegan over the past four years. This exchange will allow for an in-depth review of the activities carried out so far by Aleimar and L’Abbraccio Hospital, particularly those focused on preventing and treating child malnutrition through community-based approaches.

The data collected over the last three years clearly shows the positive impact of these interventions. The number of children monitored has increased significantly, allowing for earlier identification and treatment of malnutrition cases, especially among the most vulnerable age group (6-23 months). At the same time, there has been a remarkable improvement in children’s nutritional status: cases of severe acute malnutrition have dropped dramatically, from 90 in 2023 to just 22 in 2025, while the number of children with an adequate nutritional status has steadily increased.

This progress is also reflected in the overall malnutrition rate, which decreased from 19.36% in 2023 to 11.05% in 2024, reaching just 4.29% in 2025. Such a significant reduction highlights the effectiveness of the integrated approach adopted, combining regular screenings, nutritional support, and continuous monitoring.

Equally important has been the strong investment in community engagement and training. The number of women involved in educational activities has grown substantially, reaching almost 500 participants in 2025. Through cooking sessions and practical demonstrations, mothers have acquired essential knowledge on key elements in preventing malnutrition, such as nutrition, food preparation, and hygiene practices.

Thanks to your support, more children are growing up healthy, and more families are gaining the knowledge and tools needed to ensure a better future.

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Dec 9, 2025
Early Screening, Better Care: Advancing Child Health in Benin

By Elisa Cappai | Project Leader

Dear Donors,
we want to update you about the project “Nurse Me”, that is committed to preventing child malnutrition by combining several essential actions: training sessions for mothers on nutrition, food preparation, and basic hygiene; monthly screening visits for all children in the supported villages and centers and the provision of milk powder, nutritional supplements, and, when necessary, hospitalization for severely malnourished children.

Each month, our collaboration with the medical team of L’Abbraccio Hospital – Hôpital des Enfants visits the villages to assess the nutritional and health status of infants and young children. These screenings allow us to identify early signs of malnutrition, monitor the progress of children already enrolled in the program, and provide immediate support or referral when needed. This regular presence in the communities is essential for preventing complications and ensuring that every child receives timely and appropriate care.

We are pleased to share an important achievement that directly strengthens this mission.
At L’Abbraccio Hospital – Hôpital des Enfants, a new multi-parameter monitor has been purchased. This device is crucial for managing pediatric emergencies, as it allows real-time monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and temperature. By detecting any sign of clinical instability immediately, healthcare staff can intervene quickly and effectively, increasing the chances of recovery and saving lives. In a context where medical equipment is often scarce or outdated, this monitor represents both a vital support and a meaningful investment in the quality of pediatric care available to children in Benin.

In addition, last September the new Radiology Department of the Pediatric Hospital of Sokponta was inaugurated. This is another significant step forward in ensuring that even the most vulnerable children have access to timely and accurate diagnoses and, ultimately, to better treatment.

Together, we continue to build a safer and healthier future for every child.

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Jul 29, 2025
Supporting Childhood Health in Benin

By Elisa Cappai | Junior Project Manager

Distribution of powdered milk

Dear Donors,

In April, our director and a group of 10 volunteers embarked on a solidarity trip to Benin to monitor and participate in the activities our organization has supported in this region for years.

During the mission, several important activities were carried out for the health and well-being of children. Specifically, we distributed powdered milk, a crucial aid in ensuring adequate nutrition for newborns and young children, especially in the early stages of growth, when malnutrition can have irreversible effects.

At the same time, thanks to the collaboration with the medical team of L'Abbraccio Hospital – Hôpital des Enfants, a thorough nutritional screening was conducted for children at risk of malnutrition and those who are already affected by malnutrition. This activity allowed us to promptly identify the most serious cases and initiate personalized treatment and nutritional monitoring programs.

L’Abbraccio Neonatal Hospital is a pediatric center located in Sokpontà, in a rural area near the town of Glazoué, in the Collines department. This region, which has approximately 890,000 inhabitants, has a very high percentage of young people under 15 (48% of the population), and the hospital represents a key healthcare reference point for children within a radius of over 200 km.

Here's a testimonial from one of our volunteers upon returning from this experience:

My name is D., and this was my third trip to Benin with Aleimar. Coming back and meeting the children makes you understand how important and genuine each commitment is; every single contribution here truly makes a difference. I'm proud and happy to be part of this organization. Watching the children grow is perhaps the greatest satisfaction. You always return home knowing that more can be done, with the commitment to continue supporting projects to ensure a future for all our children.

Our work in Benin is made possible thanks to your support. Every trip, every medical intervention, every child's smile, bears your generosity.

Thank you so much for being an active part of this project!

Distribution of powdered milk

Screening day

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