Animal-source foods are important in Rwanda’s fight against stunting affecting children, as well as malnutrition among the adult population from vulnerable families, actors in livestock and nutrition have argued.

They were speaking on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, during the launch of Feed the Future Rwanda’s Orora Wihaze activity, in Kigali.

Orora Wihaze, which is loosely translated as Raise Animals for Self-Sufficiency – is a project funded by the USAID to a tune of $ 13.8 million (about Rwf13 billion).

The project aims at developing the chicken, fish, pig, sheep, and goat value chains and at the same time increase the availability of, access to, and consumption of animal-source foods (ASF) especially for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and children between the ages of 6 to 23 months in poor rural households.

The activity targets to improve the dietary diversity of women of reproductive age (15-49 years of age) especially pregnant and lactating mothers, and of children between the ages of 6 to 23 months in poor, rural households.

According to Dr Anita Asiimwe, Coordinator of the National Early Childhood Development Programme (NECDP), as of 2018, 34.9 percent of Rwandan children were suffering from chronic malnutrition (also called stunting).

The recent Rwanda Demographic Health Survey, which was published in 2015, indicated that stunting rate among Rwandan children was 38 percent. 

The project will target ASF producer and consumer households in Rwanda’s Burera, Gakenke, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Rutsiro, Ngororero, Kayonza and Ngoma districts (eight districts).

Presently, households in Rwanda do not regularly consume ASF, particularly meat and egg products, due to dietary norms and lack of affordability and availability in rural areas.

For instance, while eggs are rich in vitamins, proteins and other essential nutrients that the body needs, experts say that the national consumption of eggs is far lower than the quantities recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources suggest that on average, a Rwandan consumes about 13 eggs (less than a kilogramme) per year or roughly one egg in 30 days, which is well below the recommended 4.5 kilogrammes of eggs per person every year.

"The project will transform diets of mothers, young women, and children in 125,000 households in the 8 target districts; allowing us to get closer to eliminating stunting in Rwanda entirely,” said USAID Rwanda Mission Director, Leslie Marbury during the launch of the project.

"If we really want to help the Government of Rwanda the people of Rwanda to address stunting sustainably, we have to tackle animal-source proteins,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Jean Claude Musabyimana said that while the amount of food consumed is relevant, that food type and intake patterns and dietary diversity also contribute to nutrition results.

"It is thus important to diversify and include animal sourced foods including eggs, milk and meat because of the protein nutrients they supply. The proteins are important as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood,” he said.

Musabyimana said that during the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown when poultry farmers were having a problem in marketing their eggs, "Orora Wihaze project intervened and bought eggs from the farmers and supplied them to children in the Early Child Development (ECD) centers in Gakenke District.”

NECDP Coordinator, Asiimwe underscored the need to provide children with nutritious diets including animal-source food.

"The first 1,000 days (for a child) is just a window that once you miss it, you have missed it for life.  So, we don’t have the luxury of time. ...If the mothers and the parents at large understand the importance of animal-source proteins in time, then we will get it right in time,” she observed.

Gakenke District Mayor; Deogratias Nzamwita, said that "the District is closely working with various partners including Orora Wihaze to increase local egg consumption by introducing one egg per child programme through home-based ECDs and schools.”

"We hope this new model will help in minimising the consequences of depending on the outside market, as well as addressing the problem of malnutrition,” he said.