Six (6) months old child is supposed to have other foods to supplement breast milk and keep breast feeding up until 2 years of age and this is of much importance to health of a child, leading it to good growth and development.

Baby foods and breast milk makes a child have all body nutrients to grow well an d for a good strategy, a parent must think of what kind of foods that are good for the baby, how many times they are given in a day, how the baby is fed, how much the baby consumed, the baby’s courage to be fed and most importantly, the hygiene and overall sanitation.

Baby food should have all dietary nutrients like body building food which includes beans, peas, ground nuts, soya, milk, fish, eggs, meat, and many others. There should also be food that gives strength to the child like rice, wheat, sorghum, maize, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, yams, and many others. A child also should be given vegetables and fruits of all kinds.

As the ministry of health states, every child since birth to 5 years of age should be followed closely by measuring monthly weight and be followed by an experienced doctor to see if the child is growing well and a parent should seek for medical advice if the baby weight is not increasing.

‘Wikiheba mwana’ centre, literally ‘don’t lose hope child’ situated  in Ngarama sector of Gatsibo District  says that it does not have enough funds to fulfil all responsibilities as the number of children increases.

The president of this centre Mediatrice Mukasharangabo said that in the last 5 years this centre has been operating while receiving and caring for children with mental health problems, 300 children has passed through this centre and 73 children managed to get special support and some are in schools and performing very well.

This centre helps these mentally disabled children to be able to attend schools and study with normal students and those who are in delicate situations are trained in a way that they can get better, they help children with other body disabilities to be  get better and those without some body parts to get prosthesis or thesis  appliances.

Due to the kind of work this centre gets, Mukasharangabo said that it needs self sacrifice and enough funds which is a limitation to them and makes them fail to fulfil their responsibilities.

She gave examples like not getting wheel chairs for handicapped children; people to support these children by taking them to toilets and eating while they are at school, special medical care needed by some children and many other things they cannot provide due to low funds.

People who visit this centre are always surprised by the way children who are brought here are given much care though the centre is needs support.

Some of the children who come here from when they are neglected in their homes manage to perform well in schools. Among 38 children in this centre, 13 attend primary schools and are good performers and 2 are already in secondary schools and they are also doing very well.

Mukasharangabo said that if this centre can get support, it can help many children from different sectors neighbouring Ngarama sector and get hope for the future as some are even treated and get better and stop being thought of problems and not be allowed to interact with other children because of their disabilities like some of the families do instead of treating them as children.

The vice mayor for social affairs in Burera district has urged parents to take good care of their children and give special attention to those with disabilities and love them love them.

This was said by Florence Uwambajemariya On the Monday the 11^th.June.2012 in Burera district during the opening of African child week.

“Parents should help and support all children especially those with disabilities and take them as normal children because they have same rights as others like education, medical and others.” she said.

In this function that was held in Kinoni sector in Burera district, it was found out that some parents hide their disabled children and abuse their rights.

Uwambajemariya explained that people were created in the image of God and they are the most knowledgeable of all creatures and that’s why they should use their knowledge in helping others who need help and support each other.

She asked children to be well disciplined and have dignity and Rwandan values in their families and pay attention at school so as to pass. They should help each other and especially those with disabilities.

People with disabilities on any part of their body are capable of using other body parts and develop themselves and the worst disability is mental.

The African child week was started on the 11^th.June.2012 and will end on the 16^th.June.2012 during the actual celebrations of African child’s day. The day’s theme will be “let’s protect, respect and promote disabled children’s rights and stop children labour.”

African child day was put there by the African Union in 1990 in a way of protecting children’s rights that were being abu8sed everywhere in Africa.

Human bodies need Milk as a drink and food because one can survive and stay healthy on it alone, according to health experts.

This was revealed by Mrs. Ancilla Kaneza, worker in Proxivet, while talking to Kabuga primary school pupils during the event to celebrate world milk day.

Mrs. Ancilla Kaneza talking to the pupils

After children song that said: “A child who drinks milk is identified by his fatness and a healthy body,” Mrs. Kaneza asked children the importance of milk which they said is a healthy drink and fights malnutrition.

Mrs. Kaneza asserts that milk contains protein, sugar and fat that build the body and vitamins that protect the body from diseases.

Also, calcium and vitamin D found in milk give the body energy. Studies show that taking three glasses of milk a day prevents breast cancer.

As a way of encouraging children to like milk, Mrs. Kaneza said: “A child who drinks milk rarely gets sick, performs better academically and will become rich in future.”

“If your parents do not have cows, tell them to buy you milk instead of alcohol or porridge after selling rabbits. But if your parents have cows, tell them to give you milk and sell the remaining milk,” Mrs. Kaneza tells children.

A balanced diet meal should comprise all kinds of food that provide nutrients that a body needs at a go.

According to Dr. Alfred Rutagengwa the director of ADEPR hospital in Nyamata, a good meal should compose foods from all 7 kinds of nutrients needed by the body.

The first kind is fruits and vegetables which are rich in vitamins and which are very important in a person’s body especially protecting a person against diseases.

The second kind is cereals, Irish potatoes which are also rich in nutrients and can replace other foods and be desirable.

Fatty foods and daily products are also good for the body; sugary foods are also needed for a body to function well and should be part of a balanced diet.

Dr. Rutagengwa went on to explain that there are parts of the body that need sugar so as to operate like the brain that need sugar for strength to keep on working.

“meat, eggs, fish also make a balanced meal as they provide body building nutrients and it is better if one uses white meat instead of red meat like chicken, fish and others.” He said.

Lemon is one fruit ignored by many people especially the young ones because of its sourness though it has been reported to be of great value to human body like adding the amount of red blood cells  and useful for blood circulation into the body.  

According to the book ‘health is food’ lemons add red blood cells into the body and also plays a crucial role in purification of blood in the body, being the reason why people with little blood in their bodies are asked to always include lemons in their daily meals in order to enhance generation red blood cells in their bodies.

Lemons are also said to open way for blood circulation which improves its circulation in to the whole human body, though it is an ingredient that is usually forgotten.

The sour fruits help kidneys to participate in filtering the urine in the bladder so that a person urinates wit out any complications. These are fruits also said to be very rich in vitamin C preventing the body from being easily attacked by certain diseases particularly those associated to skin problems.

People are encouraged to always eat lemons for various health benefits like healthy and fresh skin, health urinary system and many others.