Background
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) & Nutrition Project bases on the needs of nutrition support and improved sanitary practices among target population. The project targets the nutrition and WASH vulnerable population with nutritional support and improved hygiene practices. The project also targets the community public schools helping the students in these schools, the teachers and leaders to get equipped with WASH improved practices and improved infrastructure to harvest water.
The latest 2020 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Rwanda revealed the dropping of stunting to 33 percent among under 5 year children in Rwanda. The survey also shows that around 7 percent children under five years are malnourished.
The pandemic of Covi-19 that the world is dealing with, did affect different aspects including the economic aspects of Rwandans. The effects in the income level informs the difficulties in affording basic needs including food. With its effects, the capabilities to afford the enough balanced diet to the family members remains difficult. The situation becomes worse to the families who are usually relying their daily consumption on unstable income (wages).
Talking of nutrition needs, its interrelation with improved hygiene practices cannot be looked down. The good nutrition cannot be achieved without improved sanitary practices. The improved water, sanitation and hygiene supports the family to remain nutritionally better but also achieve good health. With the current climate change catastrophe, the earth is facing different disasters and changes which do also lead to the water supply shortage and/or high rainfall which leads to erosion. The WASH component is added in the program to support the nutrition one, and deals with climatic changes that the world is currently facing.
The WASH & Nutrition came in the process of availing the capacitating the beneficiary families in the aspects of nutrition and WASH.
Current Situation
WASH & Nutrition project is implemented targeting the children, lactating and pregnant women showing the signs of malnutrition in the sectors of Runda and Gacurabwenge of Kamonyi District. The target population receive the nutritional support ranging from education provision to accompaniments. The same beneficiaries are also offered the WASH interventions to back the hygiene practices in nutrition activities. The project also targets the public schools in these sectors to avail the WASH infrastructure and enhancing the hygiene practices among the community of these schools.
Project Strategies
Extensive Support Provision : The project ensures that the extensive support is provided to the beneficiary found in malnutrition to fully recover. The nutritional support, continuous follow up and collaboration with both beneficiaries themselves and health structures is put in place to ensure the quick recovery.
Community Engagement and Collaboration : The project works with the health institutions and community based health workers to identify the beneficiaries with nutritional needs as well as in the support delivery process.
