Chikwawa district council fights malnutrition

Malawi: As part of its efforts to reduce the number of malnourished people in the Chikwawa district, the Chikwawa District Council hosted a Nutrition Open Day at Jombo Village on September 2nd, with the goal of demonstrating the preparation and importance of the six food groups in the human body.

The Chikwawa District Council, with assistance from the World Food Program (WFP), trained Chikwawa youths to teach them how to prepare the six food groups using locally available foods.

In an interview with AfricaBrief, John Mugawa, the Principal Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Officer for the Chikwawa District Council, described the six food groups as essential to the human body and thanked the WFP for their support throughout the implementation period and for using the open day as a tool to reduce the number of malnourished children in the district.

In his remarks, Principal Group Village (GVH) Jombo stated that it is past time for people in Chikwawa, particularly those in his area, to incorporate the six food groups into their diets in order to remain healthy and help Malawi develop, stating that a healthy people help the nation.

The ceremony was spiced up by performances of local traditional dances, poetry, and drama all conveying the same message about the importance of eating the six food groups, and the guest of honour was Senior Chief Ngabu of Chikwawa.

The Principal Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Officer for Chikwawa District Council, John Mugawa, Senior Chief Ngabu, Principal Group Village Headman (GVH)Jombo, and other local traditional leaders appreciated the variety of food enriched with the six groups of food prepared by the people of Jombo Village from the start.