The coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a difficult and complicated time for everyone, especially poor households in urban settings, as many find themselves without work as government implemented lockdown works to curtail the spread of the virus.
With the government at the forefront ensuring the most vulnerable families do not lack during this difficult period, many organisations – local and international – have joined in the effort to supply food and other relief supplies to such families.
It is in this context, a locally-based international organisation, Sight and Life Foundation which is a humanitarian nutrition think tank working towards eradicating malnutrition in women of childbearing age and their children, currently working in the country to support the Government of Rwanda’s efforts to develop a food system that delivers healthy nutritious and affordable food for all Rwandans.
On Wednesday, April 29, Sight and Life distributed 10 metric tons of Super Cereal, a porridge fortified with micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), to 600 vulnerable households of Gasabo and Kicukiro in the City of Kigali.
The donation estimated to have cost USD $20,000 (Rwf19 million) was delivered at the national stores in Kicukiro district while another consignment was handed to Ibuka, the umbrella organisation for genocide survivors.
The recipients according to the organisation’s country manager, Elvis Gakuba include "single mothers working in the informal sector, families of genocide survivors and marginalized groups in the first category of Ubudehe”
Gakuba pointed out that "during this unprecedented time, as the world works to contain the coronavirus, we (Sight and Life) are stepping up to take action”.
The Swiss-based organisation is also partnering with the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority and the National Early Child Development, and local organisations like Center for Public Health and Development among other partners.
Speaking to The New Times, Joseph Ryarasa, the team leader at the Centre for Public Health Development said that due to the lockdown, some families are facing a shortage of food.
"Food support is key in contributing towards their livelihoods,” he said.
About Sight and Life
Ever since its creation in 1986, Sight and Life has been at the forefront of global efforts to improve vitamin A nutrition.
Originally, a purely humanitarian programme, today the organization serves as a nutrition think tank pioneering evidence-based solutions to end malnutrition, especially in women of childbearing age and their children.
At the convergence of the public and private sectors, Sight and Life is positioned to catalyze innovative and much-needed collective action in nutrition.
By leveraging the strengths and capacities of both industry and public-sector partners to address societal nutrition goals, Sight and Life delivers value to food- and nutrition-insecure populations, aiming to serve as a model for future cross-sector cooperation and impact.