By: Tamba Borbor
Communication & Advocacy Officer
WHH Sierra Leone
Welthungerhilfe (WHH), through its Nutrition Smart CommUnity Project funded by Irish Aid Sierra Leone, has prioritized food diversification in communities within Pujehun District. With the aim of improving on the nutritional levels of the community people, WHH on Thursday 25th April 2024, conducted a Cooking Class to teach the locals in Njaluahun Community how to prepare food recipes with local ingredients that are found around their backyard.
A three-basket of food was categorized during the training exercise, which includes energy-giving, growth/body-building and protective foods.
For the Cooking Class, Cassava Leaves, Organic snails, crabs, groundnuts, maize, oysters etc. were assembled to be prepared as a special recipe.
Judith Titty Sandi, the WHH Agric and Nutrition Field Officer on Pujehun District, explained that they decided to prepare “corn rice” as an alternative to the staple food, which is rice.
“Corn is one of the carbohydrates foods that gives energy to human beings. The people have it in their communities but don’t know how to prepare it so that is why we are encouraging them to start using their local foodstuff to diversify their daily diet and not stick to rice alone,” Judith explained.
Hawa Bockarie, Head of WHH Nutrition Smart CommUnity Project in Pujehun District, said that the Cooking Classes, which have formed an integral part of the project’s activities, are aimed at diverting the heavy dependence on rice in remote communities, when there are many alternative foodstuffs in the communities.
“These Cooking Classes are in response and fulfillment of WHH Vision of a World Without Hunger and in achievement of Zero Hunger by 2023. That is why we are training the communities on how to prepare their local foodstuffs which are more nutritious and help their children to grow better,” Hawa explained.
She disclosed that WHH has developed ten new recipes, which will be rolled out in communities to tackle hunger and lessen the dependance on rice.
“Let us learn to eat more of what we grow and grow what we eat,’ Hawa urged project participants.
James Alpha, Partnership Manager of WHH Sierra Leone, said that the Cooking Classes are a major component of the project implementation to address nutritional deficiency of remote communities.
“These local foodstuffs have much nutritional value and of lesser cost which can be used to boost growth of children and Under-Fives in the communities. We are also focusing on hygiene and sanitation during these Classes to prevent illnesses borne out of dirty and unclean environment and handling of foodstuff,” James noted.
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) has been implementing the Nutrition Smart CommUnity Project from 2021 in Pujehun District, with support from Irish Aid Sierra Leone, to address the critical challenges of severe malnutrition and over-dependence on rice alone as a staple food.
This project intervention is also in line with WHH Vision of achieving “A World without Hunger’ and attaining “Zero Hunger by 2030.”
