Prevention and treatment of malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo

According to UN statistics, up to 65% of the inhabitants of the Democratic Republic of Congo live in extreme poverty.

In remote coutry areas of Southern Congo people mainly rely on their own food production.

Despite favorable climatic conditions, harvests are negatively influenced by insufficient knowledge of cultivation techniques and the lack of finanicial means.

As a result of insufficient prenatal care and malnutrition, one out of seven children do not live beyond their fifth birthday.

People in Need help to treat malnutrition and to prevent malnutrition of future generations.

We train health workers and supply health centers with medicine to combat malnutrition.

We make doctors, pregnant women, and young mothers aware of the consequences of malnutrition and help them to recognize the symptoms.

We teach pregnant women and mothers of children under 5 about a diet high in nutrients.

A balanced diet has to consist of home grown produce.

We provide agricultural tools and seeds in order to increase home-grown production.

We concentrate on households that have very little land and a large number of children suffering from malnutrition.

We use our show fields to teach the local population how to effectively combine crops to give them maximum produce.

Additionally, how to fertilize plants in rows or combine one crop after another in one field.

This results in a better harvest and subsequently also a better diet for pregnant women and small children.

A part of the produce is intended for sale on the local market in order to increase income.

25- year old Pendeza from the village of Bulenga grows spinach, cabbage, and pumpkins in order to feed her four children.

Zawadi and her family of five from Cheya village harvested over ten kilos of maize, soya, and beans.

The poorest women, who have no land on which to grow crops, have received Guinea pigs in order to breed them and provide meat for their children.

They have also received training on how to breed Guinea pigs.

The aim of this program is an increase in healthy children and educated mothers.

…and trained health and community workers.

1,200 of the neediest households have had a better harvest.

The campaign to educate the local population on how to combat malnutrition targeted about 15,000 people.

This project was financed by our very generous donors, Mr. Beran and Mrs. Číhalová and by the Real Help and Real Gift collections.