By Caroline Chiimba
Malnutrition is a major challenge in Zimbabwe’s vulnerable communities due to erratic rainfall patterns and droughts that result in food shortages. In the current context of El-Nino drought, school going children are not spared from this misfortune.
To eliminate malnutrition in children and promote a diversified diet in adolescents, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and UNICEF in partnership with Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ), implemented an integrated resilience building European Union funded project entitled: ‘Enhanced Resilience for Vulnerable Households in Zimbabwe,’ (ERVHIZ) in Matebeleland South six districts.
The project supported the established school feeding program in Lufuse Primary in Insiza district through capacitating the learning institution with a nutrition garden, nutrition literacy and access to portable water.
“The ERVHIZ project has been a blessing to this school. Water struggles are now a thing of the past after a solar powered piped water scheme was installed serving 140 children and 150 surrounding households. Due to availability of water, we have a flourishing school garden with various vegetables,” Roger Moyo, Lufuse school head said.
“The school has 10 beds comprising of tomatoes, carrots, covo, spinach, unions, beetroot, and cabbage. NAZ has assisted with garden materials comprising of hosepipes and knapsack sprays and nutritional knowledge through trainings.
“We have a school feeding activity where our 140 pupils are given food made from local resources. Thus, a nutrition garden comes in handy in providing vegetables.”
The school head added that the school feeding activity is facilitated by lead mothers from Lufuse village, who are part of care groups and underwent trainings like cooking demonstrations using local resources like vegetables from school garden, cereal and pulses.
According to Moyo, the school feeding activity was a community initiative whereby the community put hands together and donate what they can to cook for the children at the school.
School feeding activities are a social safety net for the vulnerable communities and eliminating hunger in the classroom while good nutrition ensures the proper development of the brain and other vital organs and improves a child’s activity levels.
According to research, providing healthy balanced meals in schools can improve overall micronutrient status and reduce the prevalence of anemia in primary school-aged children and adolescent girls. The school feeding activity at Lufuse primary school aim to address food insecurity and malnutrition among children.
“We want to thank ERVHIZ for providing our community and school with safe water, the water has unlocked opportunities for the us, as a school we have a garden where we plant various nutritious vegetables,” Cortney Dube said, one of the students at the school said.
“Nutrition Action Zimbabwe taught us about the benefits of eating a balanced diet, and through this garden, we are able to get fresh vegetables to aid our diet.”
One school teacher also added that the gardens enhance dietary diversity by providing various nutrients through the supply of vegetables and legumes.
“Gardens complement the school feeding program and ensure maximum participation and concentration by the children as they receive one decent meal a day through the feeding programs,” she said.
Mitigating socio-economic shocks requires collective and well-coordinated interventions for sustainable agrifood systems transformation. Through care groups facilitated by NAZ and UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, 2 739 adolescent girls and boys received knowledge and services for the prevention of malnutrition under the project.