Community Kitchen

These past few weeks my Health Center got a group of interns from the Kigali Health Institute who are specializing in nutrition. We’ve been touring the countryside doing different demonstrations and presentations on proper nutrition. Malnourished children are a huge issue in Kirehe District, which is incredible because the soil here is some of the most fertile on the planet. There is no shortage of food and there is an incredible diversity. So what is the issue? It seems to be education, or lack thereof, when it comes to creating a balanced meal.

One activity that I’ve become involved in is the Cuisine Communitaire, and initiative lead by Community Health Workers, where they teach new mothers, or mothers with malnourished children, how to create a healthy and balanced meal. We talk about the different kinds of foods (construction, energy, protection) and how they can mix and match these to create a whole plate. The demonstrations are fun because they are a time to talk about a variety of health issues because cooking for large groups on charcoal stoves takes a long time!

We recently went to a demonstration that was on top of a mountain! Here are some pictures.

Stomping around trying to find the right village.

Community Health Worker teaching about nutrition.

Discussing components of a well-balanced meal.

The kids enjoying their meal! Boiled bananas, beans, peanut flour, and avocado.

Awkward group photo.