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Buen Provecho

Our nutrition project ‘Buen Provecho!’ targeted chronic malnutrition amongst children under the age of six in the communities of Troilo and La Palmerita, both in the department of León.  More than half suffered from chronic malnutrition, much worse than the national average for rural areas of 13%.  

The project consisted of cooking workshops, educational activities and ongoing monitoring for mothers and young children. Mothers were trained in how to prepare nutritious recipes using soya and locally available vegetables.  Disease prevention, hygiene promotion and treatment of children for parasites also help to improve nutrition; all children received anti-parasite medication during the project and training was also given in basic hygiene and disease prevention as well as how to achieve a balanced diet for young children.  Educational games and activities were designed for the children to help them learn about the importance of good nutrition.  

Each month the children were weighed and weights recorded on a growth chart. Smiling or sad faces were also put up on the chart to encourage children and mothers about the importance of satisfactory weight gain.  The number of children gaining weight increased over the duration of the project and by the end most of the participating mothers or carers could identify plants which are good sources of vitamins and minerals available in and around the community.  However, the very low income of the participating families was a major reason for the poor nutritional status of the children and in order to achieve a greater long-term impact, future nutrition projects will be integrated with other activities promoting greater food security.