Malnutrition: NAWOJ, UNICEF Train Bauchi Women Groups On Home Grown Feeding

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The  Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Bauchi Chapter in Collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Office of the Bauchi State First Lady, has  called on women to cultivate home gardening in order to fight the scourge of malnutrition ravaging the state. 

The call was made during Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop organised by NAWOJ with support from UNiCEF and the Office.of.the First Lady for  for selected women Groups from across the 20 local government areas of Bauchi  

The training is aimed at empowering women Civil Society Organisations in the state to learn about nutrition, balance diet and how to use locally produced food to reduce the rate of malnutrition. 

In her welcoming remarks, State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Hajiya Rashida Yusuf explained that partnership was in the pipeline to commence the process of equipping the participants to strategic plan that will give a direction on effective way to drive advocacy for maternal and child nutrition in the state.

“This training will provide a unifying platform for our collective contributions to providing a roadway in improving nutrition advocacy across the 20 local governments in the state,” she said.

“NAWOJ is a group of Women Professional Journalists working in various media organizations in the state. Committed to evidence -based advocacy, creating awareness and sensitization of stakeholders and members of the general public on issues of human development particularly to women and children in the state.

“NAWOJ also amplifies the voice of the vulnerable groups in the society which aimed at targeting policy makers and relevant stakeholders in all sectors such as health, education, economic, empowerment, mitigation of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) for positive outcomes and behavioral change.

“The country is facing a severe crisis of malnutrition with millions of children seriously affected particularly in the North East and the North West in which our dear state falls.

“As Journalists, our various findings showed that inadequate access to food, poor feeding practice and weak health seeking behavior coupled with the socio-economic challenges in the country increase the high rate in the region and the state.

“It is on this note that we all gathered here to brainstorm on this issue that is becoming a scourge in the state which is malnutrition. As you arrive for this mission, I urge you to keenly listen to all the presentations and discussions and as well, participate actively so that, you can reap so much for your individual groups.

“You are expected to go back and organize your groups for this task of incorporating intervention towards reducing malnutrition amongst our population ” she said

Also Zonal Secretary of the National Association Women Journalists (NAWOJ), North East, Hajiya Hauwa Aliyu, lamented the state of malnutrition among children in the Northeast region, saying the state of the economy in the country has aggravated the situation.

She called on women to dive into cultivation of homegrown foods such as vegetables, fruits and grains to access the necessary vitamins needed for their children.

Various papers presented during the training harped  on the importance of learning practical skills by women for a healthier community