By Hassan Zaggi
Over 30 women in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have been trained in various skills to enable them have the requisite knowledge on how to prepare nutritious foods and also have the financial resources to fight child malnutrition.
The women who were selected from the poorest of the poor whose children are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) were trained on how to prepare nutritious meals using local foods.
They were also trained in some skills to assist them to be financially independent and also support their families.
The three-day training was organised by the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) with funding support from the European Union Agents for Citizen- Driven Transformation (EU-ACT).
Speaking while declaring the training open, the Executive Director of the ISMPH, Mrs Moji Makanjuola, said that the training was organised in order to support poor women whose children suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition.
While noting that the training was a pilot in two area councils of the FCT including Bwari and Kwali, she explained that: “Because we found out that most women whose children come out with SAM are women who are not gainfully employed, they are the poorest of the poorest.
“The training that we have given is such that they can do it themselves because they are using raw materials that they don’t have to source from far, but they are things that are available within their vicinity for them to use and we have ready up-takers, people who can buy it from them.
“We believe that when they buy from them, they will have the economic power to see that when they notice the sign of their children being malnourished or being sick, they can quickly go to the health facilities around so that they can stop it before it becomes serious cases.”
She noted that: “A child that suffers from Severe Acute Malnutrition is susceptible to all kinds of sickness and the doctors and nurses have said that if we get it from the beginning it can be stopped.
“This training I can say is multipurpose because we are not just teaching them how to make money, we are also teaching them somethings that mothers should know and also encouraging the fact that we have some of these foods they can give their children that are affordable and readily accessible.
“With the little money we hope they will make from this skills, they will be able to feed their children well.
“That is why we have brought in a nutritionist to speak with them, we have also brought those I call ‘economic helpers’ to help them to know how to produce these things.
“From the result we are getting, these things are doable, we are hoping that we will bring this case to the FCT administration so that we can expand to other area councils and indeed, all over the country.”
Responding to questions from journalists, the visibly elated Etsu Kwali, HRH Dr. Shaban Audu Nizazzo, applauded ISMPH for the training, expressing optimism that after the training, the beneficiaries will never be the same again.
“This empowerment programme by ISMPH as any other programme is aimed at improving the lives of the ordinary citizens and it goes around to mean that the people are elevated economically and socially and they can fend and depend on themselves to improve their situation and also encourage others to live independent lives.
“We have no doubt that ISMPH will succeed in improving the lives of our people.
“I, therefore, feel elevated that this program is taking place here and our people are benefiting.
“We pray that more and more NGOs will come to us and support our people,” the royal father said.
It would be recalled that earlier last week, similar skill acquisition training was organised for over 30 women in Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
