Previously on the High Incidence of
Malnutrition episode in the barangay, the team has started the 120-days feeding
program in the day care. A large-scale community garden was also constructed,
and seedlings have been planted. The current status of the barangay is that 72%
(143/199) of the households have their own backyard vegetable gardens.
The most recent data collected revealed
that 25% of children aged 0-71 months are malnourished. 8% are underweight, 17%
are stunted, 1% are severely underweight, and 6% are severely stunted.
This decrease in the incidence of
malnutrition can be related to the previous activities and efforts of both the
team and the mothers in the community. The community garden is now flourishing
due to the continued maintenance and gardening of the mothers from the
different clusters. A barangay tanod is also assigned to look over the garden
once in a while. Vegetables are plentiful and are already available for harvest
to be cooked at the day care
Due to the frequent rainshowers this
exposure, several vegetable crops died causing a decrease in vegetable produce
for the day care. To reimburse the slight loss, the team decided on
constructing a nursery vegetable plot in the team’s very own home backyard. Two
plots were tilled, and several varieties of vegetable seedlings were planted for
carefully monitored growth. When the crops start budding, they will be
transferred to a pot and re-planted in the community garden. Should the weather
conditions not favor the replanting however, the mothers, are invited to
harvest the crops from the nursery backyard. Once in a while, mothers visit our
homes to harvest the budding crops and re-plant them in their community garden
or acquire seedlings for new planting.
This exposure also brought about newer
health teachings for the mothers at the day care, expecting mothers, and
lactating mothers. A detailed health teaching on food groups (Carbohydrates,
Proteins, and Fats) was conducted for the mothers of children studying at the
day care.
Expecting or pregnant mothers were also
gathered at the barangay health station where they were given a health teaching
on maternal nutrition and the importance of prenatal check-up.
The same pregnant mothers – with the
addition of postnatal mothers – were given a health teaching on maternal
nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding.
And finally, the men and women of the
community were given a health teaching on Family Planning, discussing the
importance of birth spacing, and the use of appropriate contraceptives, with
thorough health information.
Future activities in the barangay are as
follows:
Ø Conduct
a “Value Meal” cooking contest with a limited budget of 50 pesos for mothers
and primary care givers of identified malnourished children.
Ø Conduct
seminar on importance of iodized salt utilization.
Ø Continue
provision of varied vegetables generated from community garden.
