8/08/2019- Uganda, every year joins the rest of the world to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week during the month of August. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week national celebrations were held on 8th August in Kiboga district under the theme “Empower Parent: Enable Breastfeeding”.
To honor the celebrations, the Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) together with partners on the Livestock for Livelihoods (L4L) project organized food demonstrations at Moroto regional referral hospital in Karamoja. 50 women of reproductive age and at least 35 children of less that 5 years attended the demonstrations. The activity was highly participatory as the mothers were fully involved in the actual food preparations / cooking of several nutritious dishes including enriched porridge, and a number of balanced foods and “ekitobeero”. Some of the dishes prepared included millet flour + beef + peanut paste + amaranthus /boo, maize flour + silver fish +peanut paste, meat +cassava flour +peanut paste +beans, and fresh cassava tubers + cowpeas +eggs.
Mothers prepare enriched porridge during the food demonstrations at the Moroto regional referral hospital
The demonstrations enabled mothers to acquire the skills and confidence to select food mixtures and prepare improved food recipes using locally available and affordable foods. Also, Mothers and caretakers were able to rehabilitate malnourished children using locally prepared nutritious foods.
A child enjoys a cup of porridge.
Overall, the food demonstrations aimed to; promote consumption of diverse diets, support caretakers of children in OTC/ITC and women of reproductive age to prepare a balanced meal and also prepare a nutritious meal for rehabilitating the malnourished child.
Internationally, World Breastfeeding week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
