A simple recipe to prevent malnutrition

Sitting next to her large steaming pot, Solange never tires of explaining to families how to prepare rich and balanced recipes using accessible ingredients. “We organize a session each month on preparing nutritious porridge and then we visit families to ensure parents follow the instructions,” she says enthusiastically.

For over nine years, Solange and her team of community volunteers have played a vital role in raising awareness among families in Nyamuhinga, a health area in the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Their main goal is to promote healthy nutrition for infants and young children.

“We take advantage of these visits to assess the nutrition of children in the community by measuring the circumference of their arms,” Solange continues. When she detects that a child is malnourished, Solange directs them to the nearest health center. There, the healthcare staff establishes the diagnosis and begins the necessary treatment.

Nutritious porridges, prepared with inexpensive and locally available ingredients, are Solange’s main weapon in preventing new cases of malnutrition in her community. The recipes she shares are specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of children.

It was during a cooking demonstration that Justine learned how to make the “four-star porridge,” a dish made from animal products, cereals and tubers, legumes, and fruits and vegetables. “The community volunteers explained to me the importance of this porridge, even for children who are not malnourished,” Justine says.

Since learning the recipe, Justine prepares this porridge two to four times a week. “All my children have been screened and found to be in good nutritional condition during the community volunteers’ assessments,” she concludes proudly.

Community volunteers play a central role in preventing malnutrition in the South Kivu province. In 2023, they raised awareness among about 80,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and caregivers on optimal family practices. UNICEF and its partners helped treat 50,000 children aged between 6 and 59 months suffering from severe acute malnutrition.