Refugee families in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement are turning to kitchen gardening to improve nutrition among children amid growing food insecurity and rising cases of malnutrition in the settlement.
Kyaka II settlement, located in Kyegegwa district, is home to thousands of refugees who come to Uganda.
Among the refugees is 24-year-old Mwamimu Hakiza from Democratic Republic of Congo whose two-year-old son recently recovered from severe malnutrition after she was advised by health workers and fellow refugees to begin growing vegetables at her home.
As a first-time mother, Hakiza says she did not understand the warning signs of malnutrition and delayed seeking medical care until a neighbor intervened.
She was later encouraged to establish a kitchen garden where she now grows vegetables to feed her son and the family, her son has fully recovered.
Bijoux Yowale, who advised Hakiza on the health of her son, is the leader of Tujitengemee Care Group.
The group brings together 10 mothers who are educating other mothers in the settlement how to establish kitchen gardens and the nutritional benefits of vegetables to children, and pregnant mothers.
The group grows vegetables including dodo, cabbages, sukuma wiki, carrots and onions, which are mainly fed to children.
Besides growing vegetables, the group identifies children showing signs of malnutrition and encourages mothers to seek medical attention.
By URN
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