Akimana Latifah, a mother from Uwingoma village, Gasarenda cell in Tare sector of Nyamagabe district would not afford nutritious food when she got pregnant until Stunting Prevention and Reduction Project (SPRP) project implemented by Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) intervened.

She is among thousands of mothers who were given Shisha Kibondo flour- a highly nutritious porridge- produced for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers.

The porridge is essential in contributing to the good health of the mother and her unborn child. It is a blend of maize, soya, vitamins and minerals

After giving birth, their children also got Shisha Kibondo flour.

Shisha Kibondo flour for children is used to make a highly nutritious complementary porridge for infants and young children older than six months.

The porridge is a complementary food that contributes to a child’s good health and development while they continue to breastfeed to at least two years of age.

It is a blend of maize, soya, milk powder, sugar, vitamins & minerals.

"It has been three months receiving nutritious porridge for pregnant mothers in Mbuga Health Centre. This is ensuring good health for both me and my unborn baby. I commend this support because I have no financial capacity to afford such nutritious food,” Akimana told The New Times during the recent visit.

She said that in addition to nutritious food support, they were taught how to fight malnutrition and stunting through preparing vegetable gardens that help to support balanced diet.

"We were also taught about the role of hygiene in reducing malnutrition,” she said. 

"I got the nutritious flour when I was pregnant and I continued to get it during breast -feeding period. I am now taking the nutritious flour for the child who is already six months old. We also got vegetable seeds and all these packages are helping in preventing malnutrition and stunting,” said Beatrice Ibyimanikora, another woman in Nkumbure cell.

She said that apart from Shisha Kibondo flour, they were also supported in got poultry farming and able to get eggs for children

"I have also planted a cassava tree for Isombe (nutritious cassava leaves) production. The combination of vegetable garden, fruit trees, cassava for Isombe (nutritious cassava leaves) are playing a role in preventing stunting,” she noted.

Marie Goretti Uwimana,  a mother from Kaganza cell, said that she is optimistic to give birth to a healthy child as she is getting nutritious flour support.

"I am in a low-income category and I would not afford such nutritious flour. It has been two months receiving Shisha Kibondo flour for pregnant women.  I commend the project intervention since it was timely,” she said.

Euphrasie Tuyizere , another mother from Kaganza cell    added, " I got support when I  was pregnant, breast-feeding and now my six-month old is also getting nutritious food.

There is no single sign of stunting for my child. We have fruit trees, vegetable gardens and we have learnt how to prepare a balanced diet,” she said.

Laurentine Nikuze, a nutritionist at Mbuga Health Centre said that before project intervention the health centre would record between 25 and 35 children with malnutrition and stunting.

"Today if we screen 50 children under two years, you can get only below five children with stunting issues. The project has helped the health centre,” she said.

She said that in order to prevent stunting Shisha Kibondo Kibondo is given to pregnant and breast-feeding mothers as well as children under two.

In order to those already affected by malnutrition, she said, the project is providing milk to children, sosoma flour, Ready-to use therapeutic (RUTF) which treats severe wasting in children.

She said that the parents with malnourished children are also trained on preventing and treating malnutrition when they come to the health centre.

"We have a kitchen, fruit trees and  a vegetable garden at the health centre which helps to increase their knowledge in preventing malnutrition,” she noted.

Nikuze said that milk has also been distributed to children in Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs).

Over 1, 3000 home -based ECDs with 24,000 children got support including milk  across the country.

They were also supported with hygiene facilities.

At least 85.080 tonnes of porridge were distributed to ECDs.

Venuste Twagiramungu, The Director of health unit in Nyamagabe district told The New Times that 19 health centres and two hospitals, caregivers in ECDs, community health workers, local leaders, youth volunteers and others played a big role in implementing SPRP in Nyamagabe district.

"The project focused on behavior change communication because we realized that malnutrition is also caused by poor mindset. People had to know how to prepare a balanced diet, establish vegetable gardens, plant cassava tubers for nutritious cassava leaves among others, ” he said.

The second component of the project, he said, was to provide nutritious food to both mothers and children to prevent and treat stunting and malnutrition

"We  distributed small livestock to families with malnourished children so that they can afford eggs,” he said.

He said that youth volunteers were used to monitor if the support was really reaching beneficiaries and reducing stunting among children under two.

As of December, last year, 7,600 children and 4,249 mothers had been provided with Shisha Kibondo flour.

"The stunting has decreased from 51.8 percent to 33.6 percent thanks to such efforts. We target to reach 19 percent in 2024,” he said.

Laurentine Nikuze, a nutritionist at Mbuga Health Centre help a parent to take  measures of a kid.

Laurentine Nikuze, a nutritionist at Mbuga Health Centre shows different types of  packages that they give to parents to fight malnutrition in Nyamagabe District.

Marie Goretti Uwimana,  a mother from Kaganza cell smiles after getting Shisha Kibondo packages for her child.

Shisha Kibondo Kibondo is given to pregnant and breast-feeding mothers as well as children under two.