Amani believes that proper nutrition is fundamental to good health outcome. This is especially true on Idjwi, where diseases related to malnutrition are common. Amani has two programs to promote nutritional health, its nutrition program and its agriculture program.
The nutrition program is a core component of Amani’s health program and consists of three areas designed to provide feeding and education components critical to improving nutritional outcomes in the region. Through our community nutrition program, we feed between 400-500 children daily at our hospital. In many cases, these children are moderately malnourished and have been referred to us by our community health workers. They are fed a nutrient enriched porridge and have their growth monitored until they can effectively graduate from the program. In addition, parasitic worms affect over 90% of the population, often compounding the malnutrition that nine in every ten children suffer from in the region. Our clinical nutrition program serves severely malnourished children who require hospitalization and frequently reach up to 10 children a day. A third feeding component is provided through our school nutrition program which is a key part of our community run school program. The community run schools offers a daily food program for young girls in the local community.
Finally, Amani Global Nutrition programs address other systemic causes of malnutrition by improving livelihoods, supporting families with our unique agriculture program where we train families on how to farm and harvest nutrient rich crops for food. This program serves anywhere between 100-220 people at a time and allows the community health workers (CHW’s) to provide additional training and care for any household with under nourished or malnourished children. Our health workers provide bi-weekly check-ups and offer insight and educational training into how to grow and provide nutritious foods at home. Since 2013, Amani has set aside three acres directly adjacent to the hospital grounds for ten “BrightStar” nutrition based agriculture centers that provide additional nutritional programs and training in various parts of the island. In addition to the land, Amani provides tools, supplies, seeds and expertise for members of the community to grow food crops. A portion of the food produced on the land is donated by community members to the hospital to feed patients and staff.
