The main goal of this project is to reduce malnutrition in children younger than five years and in women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years). People in Need combines community management of acute malnutrition and prevention with follow-up treatment and farming-oriented activities, such as gardening, planting of compatible crops, pest control or guinea pig raising. Other important aspects include dietary diversification trough own-produced crops, the reduction of food shortages as well as the improvement of hygiene conditions in the most vulnerable households.
In the rural areas where we work, local people’s knowledge about growing crops and gardening equipment availability are very limited despite appropriate climatic conditions for agricultural production. This is mainly due to the turbulent history of DR Congo, the country’s poor security and limited availability of goods from the cities. In these locations, thus prevails the cultivation of one crop – beans, corn, or manioc, which is of caloric value but nutritionally very weak. These crops then constitute the main part of local people’s diets. We are trying to expand local agricultural production to encompass other crops, such as spinach, and introduce new methods, such as separating crops in different lines, pest prevention, harvesting seeds for further use, etc. Culinary demonstrations then show the preparation of more nutritionally valuable meals. Together with better hygiene habits, people have a better chance in preventing the malnutrition of their children and alleviate the causes of diarrheal diseases.
As part of the treatment of malnutrition, we also raise awareness in the communities by presenting ways to recognize it early and then treat the affected children with therapeutic milk in health centres. It also includes ongoing training of health personnel and field community workers.
