Government Committed to The Call To Ending Stunting In Shan’gombo District
Shangombo,20th November,2022, ZANIS— Government says it is committed to ending stunting in Shan’gombo district.
District Commissioner, Mubita Siyamana has said the New Dawn Government, under President Hakainde Hichilema takes great importance in ensuring that stunting is reduced as well as people’s livelihoods are uplifted in all areas including good nutrition through the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) with support from UNICEF.
Speaking when he visited a SUN II household in Mingongo village of Mambolomoka ward, Mr Siyamana expressed happiness that the distribution of the improved breed chickens, by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, under the Scaling up Nutrition SUN II program was yielding fruits in the village.
He said he was impressed with the Kanyanga family of Mambolomoka ward that benefited from the chickens and have since multiplied them in numbers where other beneficiaries in some wards have failed.
The DC said there was need for other beneficiaries in the district whose chickens died or could not get their eggs to hatch to learn from the Kanyanga family and how they have managed to preserve the improved breed of the chickens that were distributed under the Scaling up Nutrition SUN II, 1st 1000 Most Critical Days project phase two.
He has since appreciated the program saying the district is advancing in terms of good nutritional practices and WASH activities.
And Mr Njamba Kanyanga urged men to support their wives in such activities. He said when his wife, who was pregnant at the time received the three chickens, he took it up himself to help assist her for the betterment of his family.
Mr Kanyanga disclosed that the journey hasn’t been easy as it was their first time to see such huge chickens.
Furthermore, Mr Kanyanga said they had expected an incubator for the hatching of chickens, but it never came. He said that did not deter his family from ensuring that they use their initiative by taking the eggs to be hatched by the local chickens in the village.
Mr Kanyanga is grateful for the chickens and happy that the household diet changed tremendously.
“Now we are able to give the babies eggs which we never did in the past, the improved breed fetch a lot of money on the market so that is also on the economical side of it, we are able to buy what we need when need arises” he said.
Meanwhile, Katondo Sapi, the wife of Mr Kanyanga disclosed that the family diet has now changed and the children in their village are healthy as they are able to add an additional diet to their menu through chicken and the eggs realised from the chickens.
She stated that the distribution of chickens should continue, saying to those that lost out not to be discouraged.
Ms Sapi further thanked the government and its partners for the project that was extended to her village where she was a beneficiary.
The Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) II, 1st 1000 Most Critical Days Programme with support from UNICEF is being implemented through the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC.)
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