Health

NUTRITION PROGRAM

The Problem
According to the Organization of American States for Agriculture and Food, Nicaragua has the highest malnutrition rate in Latin America. Thirty-one percent of the 5.2 million Nicaraguans are malnourished due to poverty and lack of information on nutritious foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are only available to a small minority of Nicaraguans who have the means to purchase these items. It is very rare for families to have access to enough land to support a garden or small farm. In turn, most families are not getting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals in their daily diets.

OUR Approach

In conjunction with Amigo’s for Christ’s community health clinic, our plan is to visit with local families and determine how to educate and encourage Nicaraguan’s to create healthier, more nutrient dense diets. We plan to begin our assessment by examining several families’ typical diets and form relationships of trust and acceptance by preparing meals together. We then hope to educate these families on how to organize more nutrient dense meals, while at the same time working within their financial budgets.

Why

In Nicaragua, one out of every three children under five years of age is chronically malnourished. Furthermore, there have been no improvements in reducing malnutrition in Nicaragua for over a decade. The rise in obesity in Nicaragua among rural families is associated with poor micronutrient intake. Many people, especially females, are obese, yet deficient in iron and vitamin A. These two vitamins are essential to the health and well-being of these women especially if they are of child-bearing age.

The Plan

We plan implement general nutrition services to local families by offering home demonstrations, workshops, trips to local markets, and classes on meal planning. Our strategy is to develop materials to help women and men attending the workshops, classes, and home demonstrations to better understand the nutritional needs for themselves and their children. Our goal is improve their knowledge of high nutrient low cost foods so that families will be able to make wise, informed decisions about food selection.

Experience

This summer is our first attempt at creating an intervention program that will bring about the awareness of nutrition and obesity to the people of Chinandega. Our efforts are to be proactive rather than reactive. We hope to prevent further problems regarding the health and nutritional well-being of Nicaraguans.

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