FEATURED: How fruit trees are helping fight stunting among children in Nyamagabe

Households in Nyamagabe district that planted fruit trees are now harvesting benefits, as their children’s livelihood, especially those under the age of two, has started improving. Every household was encouraged to plant at least three fruit trees, as part of the ongoing campaign to mobilise families to grow nutritious foods. This was carried out under the ‘Stunting Prevention and Reduction Project (SPRP),’ which is aimed at eradicating stunting among children under two in Nyamagabe district. The project is being implemented by Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in collaboration with the National Child Development Agency and local leaders. Venuste Twagiramungu, The Director of health unit in Nyamagabe district said that SPRP established thousands of fruit tree nurseries in different sectors of Nyamagabe, which has helped boost nutrition. “We established fruit tree nurseries in sectors which had high malnutrition. All households in Nyamagabe district should plant fruit trees in their homes,” he said. Stunting in Nyamagabe district reduced from 51.8 percent in 2015 to 33.6 percent by 2020 thanks to various interventions. “We have achieved all this thanks to interventions including those by the SPRP. We target to reduce stunting to 19 percent by 2024/25,” he said. Beneficiaries speak out Claudine Mukamurenzi, a resident of Gasarenda cell, and beneficiary of this project said that this initiative supported her through her pregnancy and enabled her give birth to a healthy baby. “I was two months pregnant when I started being taken care of by this project. I would go to the health center and was given nutritious porridge, which I took until I gave birth.” She continued receiving this nutritious flour even after giving birth, “When the child reached six months, she also got the Shisha Kibondo porridge. In addition to this, we got fruit trees to continue fighting malnutrition and stunting,” she said. Mukamurenzi is among the 10,200 households that got fruit trees in Nyamagabe , thanks to the stunting prevention and reduction project. “We got tree tomatoes, passion and avocado fruits, trees and carrots, onions among other vegetables to plant. They grew up well and they are helping us to fight against malnutrition. Tree tomato fruits are expensive on the market, and the ones I have planted have helped me a lot to afford fruits,” she said. She also said that at some point, one kilogramme of tree tomato fruits was at Rwf1, 000, which she says was too expensive for her to afford. “Money I would spend on the market buying tree tomato fruits, I now spend on other basic needs and nutritious food. In addition to that, the kitchen garden has also helped much to fight malnutrition. I urge everyone to have at least four types of fruit trees in their homes, because a child consuming fruits grows healthily,” she said. In addition to this support, her child also gets milk from a community based Early Childhood Development Centre supported by the project. Martha Dusabamina, another resident in Gasarenda cell testified that children’s health has drastically improved thanks to fruit trees. “I got avocado fruit trees, tree tomatoes among others, which I have already harvested. I also give some of my fruits to neighbours who have not harvested theirs yet,” she said. Laurentine Nikuze, a nutritionist at Mbuga Health Centre said that the health centre also got fruit trees from the project. “We planted the fruit trees at the health centre and gave them to parents to prevent malnutrition and treat children who are already malnourished,” she said. Before this project’s intervention, she said, the health centre would record about 35 children with malnutrition and stunting. “Today if we screen 50 children, you can get less than five with stunting issues. Besides training the parents on establishing kitchen gardens and fruit tree gardens, we have also taught them how to prepare a balanced diet,” she said. She said fruit trees are being monitored to ensure every family that got them is using them to fight against malnutrition. Claudine Mukamurenzi works at her avocado tree that she got from the project in Gasarenda cell, Nyamagabe district. Claudine Mukamurenzi, is a resident of Gasarenda cell, Nyamagabe district who got the fruit trees from the project and is fighting malnutriion. Nutritionist at Mbuga Health Centre Laurentine Nikuze showing some fruits trees which they planted at health centre.

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FEATURED: How fruit trees are helping fight stunting among children in Nyamagabe