I am confident that my daughters will soon regain their health

Alphonsine lives alone with her four daughters. They are 6 and 4 years old, and the youngest two, Gloirdie and Juvelia, are 2-year-old twins. 

Alphonsine is a farmer. She grows cassava and peanuts, keeping some to feed her family and selling the rest to earn a little money.  

But it is not enough, and food is often scarce. The twins are not well nourished. They have become very thin and weak. ‘My daughters are no longer breastfed, so I feed them whatever I can find,’ says Alphonsine. 

A few weeks ago, a nutrition support group visited Alphonsine and noticed the children's fragile health. They screened for malnutrition using the MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) method, measuring the circumference of the middle and upper arm, and found that the children were severely malnourished. The support group referred Alphonsine to the local health center for further assistance. 

At the health center, health workers confirmed that Gloirdie and Juvelia were suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and immediately began treatment. Since then, Alphonsine has been attending regular preschool consultations (PSCs) for children under five. During these sessions, mothers are educated about their children's health and nutrition. The children receive vitamin A, vaccinations and Mebendazole, and those showing signs of malnutrition are treated. 

At the health center, the children's growth is closely monitored. Health workers check their weight and height and give advice to Alphonsine. After each visit, she receives a packet of Plumpy'Nut, a therapeutic food, which she gives to her daughters every day.  

Alphonsine has also learned the importance of a varied diet, consisting of vegetables, fish and other foods. She is encouraged by the experiences shared by other mothers. To do this, she must walk about two kilometers twice a week to get to the health center. But she doesn't get tired, she has hope that her daughters will be cured of malnutrition. 

Gloirdie and Juvelia were very frail, but their weight is improving; they have gained nearly 500 grams in two weeks.  

This has been made possible by the severe acute malnutrition treatment program supported by UNICEF with the contribution of the United States Government.  

‘I want my daughters to regain their health, develop well, grow up and go to school. I would like my children to have a better future than I had,’ she says.