Fight against malnutrition

People in Need's assistance focuses primarily on supporting the most vulnerable groups of the population, most often mothers with children. They are the ones who come to health care facilities for help, often because of a child's condition. Malnutrition is one of the most serious threats to life in the DRC, threatening millions of people. The country bears one sad distinction— it remains the country with the highest proportion of its population suffering from acute malnutrition.

That is why the medical care also includes cooking classes, that these women how to properly cook locally sourced, nutritionally valuable meals for their children and themselves. Each meal should contain a balanced proportion of ingredients from animal and plant sources to ensure that it is sufficiently nutritious. The workshops are designed to teach mothers proven food preparation techniques that they can teach their loved ones and use themselves anywhere.

 Cooking itself is an essential link in the community. Women prepare food together and become closer to each other.

This is often the only way to access specialist care for people in these villages. In total, we support seven such mobile clinics. In addition to direct health care, they also monitor the needs of patients to ensure that the services provided benefit the local population.

Education and awareness-raising are also an integral part of our project. We have partnered with local community coordinators to help spread awareness about the programs organised at the health centres. Local colleagues in the villages listen to regular radio broadcasts, always on a particular topic, which they later deliver in communities where they do not have radio access.