Efforts geared towards improving the nutrition of children from six months to four years 11 months old have received a boost from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In what it tags “Child Nutrition Initiative,” the Church extended its intervention in that direction to one of its three Stakes in Calabar, Calabar North Stake.
The goal is to nurture children to reach their potential by providing needed nutrients for children in dire need to ensure proper growth, brain, body and immune system development.
Harping on the merits of the initiative during the screening exercise held in the Stake Centre, Technical Roundabout, the Calabar North Stake President, President Akwaowo Joseph Ekong stated that, “Because this period is crucial to child’s growth and holistic development, this initiative would guarantee the children access to comprehensive nutrition that will enable the children to grow up properly.”
President Akwaowo said the Stake was particularly appreciative of the gesture and acknowledged that in the near future beneficiaries will grow in knowledge, understanding, and intelligence and their general well-being will not be in question.
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While making his comments at the screening exercise, the Representative of the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Egbe Ayuk, Dr Simon Obogo, Head of Nutrition Division, noted, “It is very rare in our society today to see the Church venture into this kind of humanitarian service and support to the less privileged and vulnerable ones.
“This exercise will offer the opportunity for proper screening to realise the challenges of children when it comes to nutrition and offer special support. I commend the Church for the sacrifice both materially and otherwise for this initiative.”
Accordingly, Dr Obogo tasked the government, “We are talking about the health of the citizens of the state and if a church is doing this, I think it should arouse the interest and attention of the government to collaborate with the church in this direction.”
Rebecca Sobere, Welfare and Self-Reliance Manager, Port Harcourt – Aba Coordinating Council and Coordinator Child Nutrition, Nigeria Region, Africa West Area Office lauded the response of members noting that the initiative encompasses training and education of members to understand the essence and importance of nutrition in children.
Sobere pointed out that, “This exercise is just a starting point for us to know the health status of our children. They shall be a follow-up to ensure that all children are captured and in the next few years all our children will not be malnourished.”
On his part, Christian Onovughe, Welfare and Self-Reliance Manager, Uyo Coordinating Council, said the screening exercise is to look out for malnourished children and ensure that every child from six months to four years 11 months is healthy.
Onovughe disclosed that the three-day exercise began with a dry run where volunteers were trained and that medical personnel including Doctors, Nutritionists, Dieticians and Nurses were engaged to give the initiative the professional touch it requires explaining that those highly malnourished would be referred to the hospitals for adequate attention while the church takes care of the expenses therefrom.
Beneficiaries derived from inputs from the various wards of the Church in the Calabar North Stake received supplements and other interventions administered by qualified medical personnel assisted by trained volunteers from the church as the case may be
Those who were part of the screening team include Ikechukwu Ibe and John Chigbu, Welfare and Self-Reliance Managers Benin and Ibadan Coordinating Councils respectively.
