A non-government organisation, Alive and Thrive, in partnership with community-based organisations, is championing a behavioural change campaign towards enlightening women on exclusive breastfeeding to check malnutrition amongst children in Kano.

Alive and Thrive engaged three CBOs to implement the project, Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) programme across some selected local communities in the state.

Speaking during a media visit organised by the NGO and the partnering CBOs on the MIYCN project in Kano on Wednesday, the group commended the NGO for the project, adding that it plays a significant role in improving nutritional status of the communities.

The executive director, Grassroots Health and Empowerment Foundation, (GHEF), Audu Tela, said through the project, they are accelerating the scale of MIYCN project amongst communities and also enlightening women on 1,000 days of baby care.

“What we are doing is all about interpersonal communication, community mobilisation and mass communication to scale up nutrition in the state,” he said.

“The project is fully funded by Alive and Thrive, an NGO that is championing the campaign on nutrition,” he explained.

“We counsel pregnant women on exclusive breastfeeding, early initiation after birth and women that are at reproductive ages.

“We are currently working in five LGAs of Kano North which include Gwarzo, Shanono, Bagwai, Kabo and Bichi, and we selected 10 facilities in each of the selected LGAs that they are working with,” Mr Tela said

Ramatu Garba, the executive director, Support for Women and Teenage Children (SWATCH), said the organisation is in partnership with MYICN project, sensitised women, children and health workers on the imperative of exclusive breastfeeding and malnutrition.

“We have taken advocacy visits to Takai, Wudil, Ajingi and Gaya local governments in Kano South, to enlighten community leaders and traditional leaders on exclusive breastfeeding and other nutritional values,” she said.

“We are facing challenges with some of the target participants through the project on enlightening people to accept and practice the process and that they are gradually gaining acceptance,” she added.

The group, therefore, appealed to the state government and community leaders to support Alive and Thrive for the sustainable achievement of the project.

On his part, the monitoring and evaluation officer of the MIYCN project, Abdulmajid Auwal, said they are currently raising awareness among the targeted communities to embrace locally available resources that would enhance nutritional values.

“In this hardship moment, meat is expensive, so part of our work is to raise awareness among people that there are other locally available foods that will enhance nutrition such as beans and moringa,” Mr Auwal said.

(NAN)