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World Vision resumes full-scale food distributions in Zim - 700,000 people to benefit
WorldVision-Zimbabwe
October 15, 2008

World Vision has resumed full-scale food distributions in the most food insecure districts in Zimbabwe, where it is expected that more than 700 000 people will be fed at the peak of the hungry season.

Zimbabwe is facing a countrywide food crisis that is affecting both rural and urban households. The worst affected area is drought-prone Matabeleland South Province where 98% of households are food insecure.

In response to the crisis, World Vision, through funding from the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Emergency (C-SAFE), World Food Program (WFP) and ECHO is implementing a diverse food relief programme targeting vulnerable groups through Schools Based Feeding, Food Support for the Chronically Ill, Institutional Feeding, Safety Net Feeding and Food For Assets interventions.

World Vision Zimbabwe's Daniel Muchena says, "World Vision has scaled-up relief efforts to curb hunger due to increased vulnerability in households in food insecure districts. Communities have exhausted their coping mechanisms and have resorted to barter trading their livestock for grain. In some areas, the most vulnerable households are relying on wild fruits for survival."

Hoping to be registered in the Safety Net feeding program in Gwanda District is 45-year-old Tsidi Mokoena, a mother of seven. "Due to the chronic food shortages we are experiencing due to very poor harvests, we have resorted to eating one meal a day. This is not good for the children, but I have no choice as a mother but to ration the little I have to ensure that there is something for the younger children to eat.

"To survive until now, I have been exchanging one goat for a 20kg bucket of maize grain from traders from Gwanda town. In July I had seven goats, but now I am left with only three. I am afraid of what will my children will eat when I trade off the last goat," she said with despair in her voice.

She added, "Despite the fact that my livelihood depends on a vegetable garden, I can neither grow enough food for my family or raise the exorbitant R300 that 50kg maize meal is sold for by local wealthy shop owners who import it from South Africa."

Giving another account of hunger is Tsidi's 11-year-old daughter Tapelo who is in Grade Six at a local school in Gungwe Village. "I only get to eat to my fill at school where World Vision has a school-based feeding program. This makes me eager to go to school every day and I dread the weekends because it is a time when I feel faint because of hunger. Hunger feels like a big hole in my stomach that only gets filled when I get to eat food at school," concluded Tapelo.

According to a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Program (WFP) Crop and Food Assessment Mission at least 2.1 million Zimbabweans are currently in urgent need of food aid.

Malnutrition hits most vulnerable in Gwanda - Nutrition programme launched to save lives

Too weak to cry, 10-month-old Dumo Moyo lies helplessly in his mother's arms. His emaciated, frail body has visibly been ravaged by hunger with a bout of diarrhea threatening to deteriorate his condition even further.

Dumo is among a growing number of children under five in Gwanda District who have severe acute malnutrition. A National Nutrition Survey indicated that Gwanda is the worst affected district in the country in terms of malnutrition, with a Global Acute Malnutrition rate of 9.47%.

To address the emergency nutrition needs for vulnerable groups that include children under the age of five years, pregnant and lactating mothers; World Vision has launched a Community Based Nutrition Care Program (CBNC) in Gwanda District to cover 23 wards.

To ensure sustainability of the ECHO funded pilot project that is targeting 13 925 beneficiaries, World Vision Zimbabwe will focus on training and equipping Ministry of Health staff, community health workers and volunteers on the diagnosis and treatment of severe acute malnutrition whilst also providing logistical and medical non-medical supplies.

After being referred and admitted into the Stabilization Centre at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital, Dumo is slowly being nursed back to health where he is being given F75 therapeutic feeding that is the first phase of treatment. In the second phase of treatment, Plumpy nut, another therapeutic feed will be administered to him until he completely recovers.

With eyes glazed with tears, Florence Mathuthu, Dumo's mother relates their ordeal saying, "We are in this hospital because of hunger. Basic foodstuffs here in Gwanda are scarce and too expensive for me to feed my four children and myself. We have been surviving on one meal a day of boiled green chomoulier leaves only. As a result, my breast milk dried up.

"I could see my baby growing thin but I had no milk or food give him, so then I decided to feed him a paste made from boiled chomoulier leaves and salt. When he started to have continuous diarrhea I

couldn't even make him oral dehydration solution, as I haven't had sugar in my household for many months now. This is when I was referred by nurses at a nearby clinic to bring Dumo to a Stabilization Centre here at Gwanda hospital where we are both receiving therapeutic feeds. I believe this treatment will save the life of my little boy," she concluded.

All individuals admitted into the Gwanda Community Based Nutrition Care Program will receive a 10kg 'protection' ration of corn soya blend porridge for a minimum of two months to promote a speedy recovery and protect beneficiaries from further deterioration. Following which, the beneficiaries will be referred to the C-SAFE funded Safety Net Feeding Program where each beneficiary will receive a monthly ration of pulses, cereals and fortified vegetable oil.

Staff at Gungwe Clinic, one of the five clinics selected to run an Out Patient Therapeutic Point welcome the project. Ranganai Govera, who is a Sister in Charge said, "This program has been long over due looking at the high levels of need in this community. What makes malnutrition worse here in Gwanda is that there is drought and food is scarce. In addition to this, mothers do not have enough knowledge on preparing balanced meals for their children. However, I'm confident that with this program, trained community health workers and volunteers here will educate mothers on balanced diets and hygienic food handling practices to reduce malnutrition cases over time."

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