Bahoneza – Kinyarwanda, Rwanda Welfare, Social Welfare, Rwanda People, Nutrition and Diet, Rwanda Habitat, Living in Kigali

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.

Congolese Refugees at Kigeme camp received non-food items in donation, from world vision which include bars of soap, hygienic pads and clothes.

Around 4,000 refugees gathered on site at Kigeme Refugee camp in Nyamagabe district to receive the hygiene and sanitation supplies.

“World Vision could have waited to gather more items and food for the camp, but felt the need to intervene sooner because health is a crucial and sensitive issue in camp life” Jimmy Gahima, World Division employee says.

However the area mayor Philbert Mugisha asked the refugees to properly use the supplies given for their health, and not to try to sell them.

“While the non-food items from World Vision are appreciated, many children in the camp still don’t have the right food for a proper diet and we need more help for refugees” Emmanuel Niyibaho, Kigeme camp manager says.

Currently Kigeme camp boosts more than 11,000 refugees in Kigeme camp and on Saturday, the camp stopped receiving more people because it had hit its capacity.

The camp manager disclosed that between four and five hundred refugees were arriving in the camp daily.

However, he said government is now trying to find more land in order to expand Kigeme camp, so it can resume receiving refugees from Nkamira transit camp on the Rwanda-Congo border.

The refugee’s influx started increasing in last 2months when the M23 rebels and government forces tightened fights in Eastern DR Congo forcing locals to free their homes to Rwanda.

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Residents in Bugesera district particularly parents are encouraged to feed their children food that contains vitamins for better growth and fighting malnutrition.

This was resolved at Nyamata health centre where parents come for advice on how to prepare balanced diet.

Some of the children brought at the health centre

Jeanne Mukamusoni, a nurse at Nyamata Health Centre says that most residents have not yet understood how to make a balanced diet.

“They think balanced diet is chips, rice, meat and others which they give to their children especially after weaning at a young age,” Mukamusoni narrates.

She adds that after weaning, children are likely to suffer from malnutrition and shows symptoms if they not

Mukamusoni urges parents to give their children balanced diet from the available food in their gardens like Irish potatoes, beans, cassava and others.

Vegetables of every type should be given to children to fight malnutrition, Mukamusoni explains.

Meat is among the foods that build the body but since it cannot be afforded by all parents, but soya, g. nuts and eggs can replace them.

Mukamusoni stresses that soya flour, millet flour; maize flour and wheat make delicious porridge and good for children and grownups in fighting malnutrition.

She advises parents to use family planning and space children because children need enough time of breast milk that has many nutrients.

After two weeks of organizing to settle Congolese refugees in Kigeme camp, up to 592 refugees have arrived at the place.

Emmanuel Niyibaho, in charge of Kigeme camp remarks that the number of refugees brought in Kigeme camp depends on the tents available.

“Refugees are living in the camp life. I cannot say they are very okay but they get necessities,” Camp head explains.

Refugees were given food to last for a month before they got transferred from Nkamira camp to Kigeme camp. They are scheduled to receive other portions of food on July 11^th 2012.

There are over 16,000 refugees running away from war between the army and the rebels in the Democratic republic of Congo, and are staying in Nkamira temporary camp.

These refugees add to over 50, 000 Congo refugees who have stayed in Rwanda for 15 years.

Social affairs officials in sectors of Southern Province have vowed to reduce the number of children raised in orphanages following the recent discovery that some have parents.

Some children are found abandoned by parents who are poor so that able people can raise them, who stay near watching them grow silently.

Other children in orphanages are street children, who run away from their homes because of lack of food or family wrangles.

Social affairs have decided to sensitize parents to care for all children as their own, to get married before the law and to communicate because insufficient communication results into conflicts that force children from home.

Family planning issues will be addressed to the parents so that poverty does not make parents fail to care for the children they bore, Officials assert.

Southern province sector leaders will encourage parents to start small income generating projects as a way of fighting poverty.

In order to solve children problems early, sector officials have promised to introduce children programs where they meet and talk about their problems.

This program will help the leaders to know what to ask of parents so that children enjoy being home with parents than running away to suffer on streets.

Wilelimini Nzabahiranya, Head of Rubona Health Centre has revealed that residents of Mpara village, Cyome cell in Gatumba sector have gone far in fighting malnutrition.

Out of 130 children with undernourishment problems, 127 have completely cured from it.

Mpara village community health worker explains that to achieve this big step in fighting malnutrition is because of akarima k’igikoni (kitchen garden) and “agakono k’umwana” programs.

Also, associations were formed to help poor parents. Eugenie Musengimana confessed that she had a malnourished child but with the help of associations, she was able to buy food and milk and now the child is better.

Musengimana is grateful for the advice she got to make agakono k’umwana which helped her to care for the baby better. At first she was giving adult food to her breastfeeding baby.

Telesifori Bihoyiki for social affairs in Gatumba sector told women that eating balanced food is not eating chips and meat as some of them think.

Clothilde Nyiraneza, Vice Mayor for social affairs in Ngororero district thanked Mpara residents for finding solutions to the problems without waiting for help from leaders. Solutions are akarima k’igikoni, agakono k’umwana and credit associations

She requested that these decisions become part of their daily lives and that preparing balanced diet be done weekly instead of monthly.

However, Nyiraneza wishes that good nutrition be accompanied by sanitation for clothes and personal hygiene, young and old. She reminded parents to embrace all government programs of which they are the beneficiaries.

Ministry of health agreed to give parents materials to use in their program of learning how to prepare balanced diet. Materials include big sauce pans to prepare food for many children.

Clothilde Nyiraneza request that residents with cows give milk to the remaining three children with malnutrition problems so that the whole village wave good bye to malnutrition problems.

Milk, fruits and vegetables

Kabgayi Hospital nutritionist has said that residents in Rwanda and other developing countries eat food for satisfaction rather than essential vitamins that the bodies derive from different foods.

Eating big quantities of food than a well balanced diet has been the leading cause of many diseases among which malnutrition is inclusive, asserts Immaculée Nyiravugimana a nutritionist at Kabgayi Hospital.

However, malnutrition is caused by little knowledge on what a well balanced diet is or how to prepare one and poverty to some who cannot afford to get milk, eggs and meat among others.

Residents with malnutrition problems blame it on the poverty saying that balanced diet is for urban people who can afford expensive food stuffs.

Jeanne Mukamana, a mother of five and a resident of Mushishiro sector in Muhanga district lamented: “well balanced diet is for the people in towns. It’s where you can get rice and others but here; it is a matter of getting what satisfies your children”

Sometimes, it becomes necessary that we sell the little milk we get, vegetables and eggs in order to get money for some home necessities, Jeanne Mukamana reveals.

While rural people think that urban fellows are very much informed about eating balanced foods to fight malnutrition, some town dwellers confess to know little or nothing about the issue.

Uwamahoro, Muhanga town resident revealed: “To me a balanced diet is eating well cooked food like chips, meat and other foods that only rich people can afford.”

Controversially, Immaculée Nyiravugimana a nutritionist at Kabgayi Hospital emphasises that eating right does not require one to be rich like how rural people stretch.

« Its only that most residents are ignorant about preparing this important meal. There are few people who cannot afford Indagala yet they equate to eating meat. Even little milk a day helps but these people focus on eating plenty food, » Immaculée Nyiravugimana discloses.

Up to now, there are still malnutrition cases in different villages in Rwanda. In the campaign to fight malnutrition, it is vital that all residents should be sensitised on preparing a well balanced diet for the good health of Rwandese in general.

Some of disabled people and Muhanga district authorities have urged beggers to stop bad habit that devalue them following an increase of irresponsibility.

Patrice Rugamba emphasizes that most people use their condition to start begging yet there are many ways they can earn a living without begging.

“There are many associations that help the disabled but these people with disabilities prefer begging on the streets where they get a lot of money,” says Rugamba.

In order to stop the begging culture, Muhanga district is willing to help the disabled. Among the associations that help the disabled are HRP bureau social (for disabled children) in Muhanga district.

Monique Mukantwari, a resident of Muhanga says most beggars have mastered the act of showing their disability to the passersby so that they feel sorry for them and give to them.

Noel Bucyanimanza aged 37 is a cripple beggar in Muhanga town. He told us that he is capable of repairing radios and watches but confesses not to do it because of poverty.

Emmanuel Nshimiyimana, a disabled shoe maker confirms that some do beg when they can work and this gives a bad image to all people with disabilities.

“People know it as a must for disabled people to beg. I think most of us beg due to laziness and habit,” adds Nshimiyimana.

Mucyo known as Rasta stretches: “Imagine yourself poor without food, how can you fail to beg. Poverty can make one do anything for example if a rich person goes poor, he or she goes looking for food from people that were not friends. So we should understand those who beg.”

However, Mucyo confirms that some beggars do not want to work but to enjoy clean money.

Market gate closed

Market gate closed

While most residents woke up early to shop for women’s day, local authority decided to close the market gate while they were still shopping.

The  market leader claims to have got an order from the head of the traders in Rwamagana to close the market until the celebrations are over.

Jean Baptiste Murenzi, leader of business people in Rwamagana district says that he did not give that order and do not know where it came from.

“I haven’t talked to anyone about closing the market. Again I think those who are capable should have shopped to celebrate International Womens day,” adds Murenzi

One Beatha, the women we found at the market says: “I had come to the market so early to buy food and prepare food for my schooling children and then go to celebrate womens day with others.”

In Rwanda, womens day was celebrated at national level in Kayonza with Mrs. Jeannette Kagame as the guest of honour.

The day’s theme says “Empower women and girls to sustain families.”

International womens day has been celebrated for 100 years in different countries of the world. ONU made it legal in 1975 and now celebrated legally for the 37^th anniversary.

Jeannette Kagame

Jeannette Kagame

Dans son programme de dénouer le problème lié a la sous alimentation, le district de Rusizi a mis sur pied un programme de traite des vaches pour les enfants. Ainsi les ménages possédant des vaches  pourront donner du lait aux enfants des familles qui n’en disposent pas.

La vice maire du district chargée des affaires sociales, Nirere Francoise, déclare que ce programme a le but de résoudre les problèmes de la sous alimentation qui engendrent des maladies.

Madame Nirere ajoute : « Dans chaque cellule, ce programme est envisagé chaque semaine où les familles ayant des vaches pourront offrir du lait aux enfants des ménages qui ne possèdent pas des vaches. Et ceci dans le but de mettre fin aux maladies liées à la sous alimentation ».

Au cours de la réunion qui s’est tenue ce 27 février 2012 réunissant les différents responsables des centres de santé et de nutrition, les autorités chargées des affaires sociales dans les secteurs, les délégués des animateurs de santé dans les centres de santé et le responsable de la nutrition dans l’hôpital du district de Rusizi, une décision unanime a été prise pour que les efforts soient consentis pour résoudre ce problème. Ainsi des écoles de nutrition seront instaurées dans chaque cellule pour aider les parents d’enfants à préparer des aliments équilibrés.

Niyigarura Pelouse, une conseillère dans le secteur de Bweyeye  affirme que des cas de sous alimentation subsistent encore dans cette région. «  Si nous comparons les données que nous avons, sur 2481 enfants que nous avons examiné au début de cette année, 56 enfants présentent des symptômes de sous alimentation » a-t-elle ajoutée.

Les causes de ce problème sont l’extrême pauvreté des parents et d’autres qui n’ont pas ces notions de préparation  des aliments équilibrées et riches en calories.