Emilienne Mushimiyimana, a community health worker in Huye sector of Huye district recalls some children suffering from malnutrition before joining the home-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre.

However, currently, all children that have joined the home-based ECD in Mbuba village, Nyakagezi cell are no longer malnourished thanks to the project dubbed "Stunting Prevention and Reduction Project (SPRP)”.

The project is being implemented by Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in collaboration with National Child Development Agency and local leaders.

The home-based ECD works from Monday to Saturday, she said.

"We have 20 children in the home-based ECD with seven care givers. Before joining the ECD, the children’s nutrition status was not good.  Some were suffering from Kwashiorkor. Now we receive flour to prepare nutritious porridge for them and parents meet once a month to gain knowledge on fighting malnutrition and stunting.” she added.

She said that they also screen the children to detect malnutrition issues and monitor if their health is improving.

"The parents have understood how to prepare a balanced diet. The nutrition security for children has improved,” testified Mushimiyimana.

She said that the home-based ECD has also improved children’s learning ability.

"When parents go to work, they leave children in ECD centres. This benefits both children and their families in various ways,” she said.

She said that the hygiene has improved for the children thanks to the supported ECD.

Setting up a saving scheme to support ECD

Mushimiyimana told The New Times, during the visit, that the children’s parents have established a savings group that is helping to afford different children’s needs in the home-based ECD.

"The 20 members of the saving group meet every week. Whenever we need money to help children in the ECD, we use savings from the group. One share is Rwf200 and each member is allowed to contribute up to four shares,” she said.

Jean Jacque Murego, the ECD focal point in Huye district.

She said that while getting the dividends, each group member contributes half of the savings to support children in the home-based ECD.

With savings in the established group, the parents are also planning to buy uniform clothes for the children.

Regine Nibagwire, a parent who has a child in Nyakagezi home-based ECD testified that it has improved nutrition and hygiene status as well as cognitive skills for her child.

"I commend those who come up with the project that is supporting our children. Our lives and the health status of children have drastically improved.

We would not be able to do our daily activities such as farming and rearing livestock because I would have to spend a lot of time looking after the child. Now the time for income-generating activity has increased as my child is catered for in the ECD. They get nutritious food. Hygiene and learning ability have also improved,” she said.

Nibagwire said that the monthly meeting helps to gain knowledge on fighting malnutrition and stunting among children.

"Most of us had no knowledge about a balanced diet. The gained knowledge will ensure no cases of malnutrition in our village,” she said.

Over 1,000 ECDs supported

Jean Jacque Murego, the ECD focal point in Huye district told The New Times that children between three and six years old are being provided with nutritious food in 1,119 home-based ECDs with over 24,000 children benefiting from SPRP.

"Stunting Prevention and Reduction Project (SPRP) has helped the district to buy nutritious porridge for the children in our ECDs. A kitchen garden for the village has also been established where children’s parents meet to learn about fighting malnutrition and stunting,” he said.

He said that within four years, the project has prevented and reduced malnutrition and stunting.

"Stunting was at 42 per cent in 2015. The latest survey shows that stunting has decreased to 29.2 per cent,” he said.

Countrywide, the rate of stunting has decreased by 11 per cent in the last 10 years but more effort is needed to reach a targeted 19 per cent by 2024 or a 14 per cent decrease, a fact that requires behaviour change education.