When Rianne was four months old, she seemed to be normal and healthy. But then her development stalled, although she was fed twice a day by her mother. But the meals were made of just rice and water, so Rianne lost weight and was underweight by the time she was one year old.

She was lucky, though, as her mother received some training via a radio program and a local nutritionist. She learned how to make simple, but healthy meals for her children. That is what saved Rianne. She started growing again and developed normally. In a few years, she should be able to start school.

Millions of children in Asia and Africa do not get that chance. The lack of adequate nutrition in the first few months stays with them. Children who do not get enough healthy food in the first thousand days of their lives, suffer lasting damage, according to development experts.

“The decisive phase starts the moment the child is conceived and ends with the child’s second birthday,” said Simone Rapp from Germany’s Welthungerhilfe (World Hunger Aid). From then on, it is virtually impossible to reverse the damage.

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“Educating parents, training teachers and establishing schools that take into account children’s needs in rural areas, must all go hand in hand,” Rudi Tarneden from UNICEF Germany explained, pointing to the organization’s “Schools for Africa” project.

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Women who have suffered from malnutrition when they were children are more likely to give birth to malnourished babies, exacerbating the problem. Aid organizations therefore emphasize that it is essential to help mothers and provide them with all the information and training they need.

“Many women believe, a bowl of maize porridge is enough,” said Rapp. “But children need a different kind of nutrition. The problem is that the mothers are not educated enough, and it’s that ignorance that stands in the way of development.” she explained.

Germany’s Welthungerhilfe is trying to help educate mothers in Africa, Asia and Latin America by offering practical advice.

“In Burundi, for example, we offer cooking classes for pregnant women and mothers. We use simple, colored signs to teach women why children need a different kind of diet from adults,” Rapp said.

Many mothers would love to feed their kids better, if they had the means. But incomes are low and food is too dear. Markets, hospitals and other medical centers are often far away from home. Sometimes, tribal traditions and superstition keep the women from attending the classes.

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“Many show an interest, but there are just as many who are very hesitant. Trying out new things is often not popular. That’s why we need positive examples. To prove to them that it works. In any case, it requires a lot of patience,” said Rapp.

http://www.dw.de/education-is-key-to-fighting-hunger/a-15504581

In Haiti, children are known to eat cakes made of mud to fill their empty stomachs and many families struggle to give their children one meal a day, so providing a relatively easy, free and tasty way to combat hunger goes a long way.

For Haiti’s 300,000 or so children who face malnutrition, a high-calorie, high-protein paste, known as Nourimanba, could prove a lifesaver.

Made from peanuts, milk powder, vegetable oil, and sugar, Nourimanba is similar in taste and texture to peanut butter but with added vitamins and protein.

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In Haiti, nearly a quarter of children aged 6 to 59 months experience chronic malnutrition, according to UNICEF.

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“Kids who need treatment are given a jar of a prescribed amount (of Nourimanba). The treatment lasts from six to 12 weeks. Often for six weeks that’s the only thing kids eat. They take it throughout the day according to a specific prescription,” Dr Mukherjee told Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview from Boston.

Nourimanba is also ready to eat. It doesn’t need mixing with water or refrigeration, and it can be given to children at home.

“This treatment means you don’t have to have children in hospitals for weeks at a time,” said Dr Mukherjee, who is also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

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“Malnutrition is treatable and reversible. You can restore deficits in malnourished children in most cases. After six weeks on the treatment you can start to see the difference. Kids engage and start to make eye contact and smile,” Dr Mukherjee said. “But if chronic malnutrition is not treated your brain doesn’t develop properly.”

Making Nourimanba isn’t that hard, she says. Peanuts make up its main ingredient, which are produced by farmers in Haiti.

It’s hoped the factory will help revive the local economy.

“We source all peanuts locally. We hope to create a virtuous cycle that provides a stable market for local farmers and jobs,” Dr Mukherjee said.

http://www.trust.org/item/20131114061553-4fnmv/?source=dpagehead