IMA Addresses Malnutrition In DR Congo

Spreading these messages takes organization, training and repetition especially after the displacement of the population. Not long ago, Samuel suffered a motorcycle accident in a remote village and broke his leg. There was no means of communication and no means by which to transport him home. He stayed in the village for two months while he healed.

Why do the community volunteers spread these messages? They are committed to supporting the work of their health center because they are dedicated to their children and their communities.

Tshituka is a head nurse in the health zone of Ndjoko Punda. She stayed in her community during the violence knowing that the need for health care was paramount. Committed to saving lives, she treated anyone and everyone who walked in the door – neighbors, soldiers, children, partisans and family members. She has seen the effects of malnutrition firsthand as families have struggled to grow and find food during the period of insecurity. Earlier through the ASSP project, Tshituka had participated in a training session on Infant & Young Child Feeding and home gardening.

After the training, she worked with community volunteers to plant a garden at the health center. It was this garden that helped sustain her community during all the periods of insecurity.

Alphonsine is a community volunteer in Kamonia Health Zone. After seeing the devastating effects of malnutrition in her community, she knew she had to learn how to reverse the effects and care for those suffering from this disease. Carrying her baby on her back, Alphonsine traveled 100 miles on foot of her own volition to attend a training session held by the ASSP project on Infant & Young Child Feeding and home gardening. The commitment of Samuel, Tshituka and Alphonsine is exactly what IMA is there to reinforce!

IMA helps to build sustainable communities by providing knowledge, tools, information, and systems.