Residents of Mubende District have expressed gratitude to the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) for introducing community nutrition initiatives that have not only helped families access balanced meals but have also improved household incomes and transformed lives.
Aisha Nakibuule , a resident of Madudu Village and one of Sasakawa's Commercial Community-Based Facilitators (CCBF), revealed that through her Nutrition Model Home—supported by Sasakawa—she has been able to work with Madudu Health Centre III to significantly reduce the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the area.
"I was introduced to Sasakawa in 2019. I embarked on sensitizing parents about a balanced diet and proper feeding of children. In the eleven local councils where I operate, we used to register over 500 cases of malnutrition, but ever since then, these cases have dropped to below 200, and we are looking to have this number reduced to zero," she said.
According to Nakibuule, most children in the area suffer from malnutrition because parents are unaware of proper feeding practices.
"Many parents, especially those with children below two years, want to feed them the same way they feed themselves. A mother may cook one type of meal without any greens for a full week, but after sensitization, many have completely changed their meal timetable," she explained.
Many families have also established small kitchen gardens where they grow greens, cabbages, pumpkins, and other vegetables to supplement their diets. These gardens not only provide food but have also become a source of income, with families selling surplus harvests.
She credited Sasakawa Africa for providing a shade where community meetings on nutrition are held, which also serves as an immunization shelter. The organization introduced iron-rich beans to farmer groups, provided furniture, a solar drier, and other equipment to support community efforts.
On a personal level, Nakibuule has benefited immensely, learning to prepare nutritional porridge made from millet, silverfish, and maize flour, which she sells to parents with malnourished children. This has enabled her to pay school fees for her children, support her household, and improve the livelihoods of other community members she has trained. Many families have even upgraded from grass-thatched homes to iron-sheet roofs.
Dr. Samuel Ifugute , Health Assistant at Madudu Health Centre III, noted that before Sasakawa’s intervention, the center received an overwhelming number of malnutrition cases.
He explained that referrals from Nakibuule and the community have now dropped to about one case every three to six months.
Dorotia Namuli , a local resident and beneficiary, said that prior to the program, they relied on traditional farming without using manure. After training from Sasakawa, she learned modern farming techniques that have significantly increased harvests.
"We used to harvest four bags of maize per acre, but recently, when I planted three acres, I harvested six bags per acre. This money enabled me to buy two cows, which will soon provide milk and manure," she shared.
Ms. Ethiopia Tadesse, Communications and Advocacy Officer at Sasakawa Africa Association, emphasized that media visits like the current one are aimed at amplifying the organization’s achievements in improving people’s well-being.
"As Sasakawa, we have done a lot. We can't be everywhere, but the media can share our success stories with the public," she said, adding that similar initiatives are ongoing in other African countries where Sasakawa operates.