Written by Heather Lewandowski
– Women and Children Program Specialist
Feeding Children in South Sudan
One of the highlights of traveling to South Sudan with Linda Noah, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Petros Network, was meeting an amazing woman named Alice, our Children’s Feeding Nutrition Specialist. Her role is to provide nutrition programs that feed children and also provide training that helps to improve the health of mothers and children in these food-insecure areas.
This past year, it was projected almost half of the population in South Sudan experienced high levels of food insecurity, and 1.65 million children suffered from acute malnutrition.
To witness firsthand this dire need, I needed to look no further than the front gates at our Petros Network offices. Right across the dusty road is a school where many of these vulnerable children attend. Often, their only meal of the day is served here. The school faces many challenges, including malnourished children who lack the energy to concentrate on their studies. Since the Petros Network food program launched, these children are now being fed and have the energy to study, and their scores are increasing. The headmaster and the teachers are excited.
Nourishing Schools
On a tour of the school, it was exciting to see the new kitchen recently built in partnership with Petros Network and Convoy of Hope. Inside are three stoves for cooking, giant pots for porridge, and a small pot for tea. Outside of the kitchen is an open area where the food is prepared. You could see the teachers and children’s pride and gratitude and what this has done to nourish and increase morale.
Alice's Impact
Alice works diligently to help these children and families. She is a highly educated woman with graduate-level certificates in nutrition. She worked for the Ministry of Public Health for over fifteen years and is passionate and highly proficient in nutrition for pre and post-natal women and children. I was impressed with her passion for teaching kids and women how to cook with local ingredients and food from their gardens. She shared how she mixes peanuts and soybeans to make porridge, using silverfish and adding boiled soup with greens for folic acid.
Three more schools are waiting for her to start this same program, and her desire over the next year is to train mothers and caregivers on nutrition and breastfeeding. She has a big job ahead of her. She is hoping to train and reach over 1000 participants in these programs.
Please pray for Alice as she launches these programs. Her heart is not only to feed hungry children but also to share the love of Jesus. Pray that the Lord gives her strength and wisdom and helps her reach even more schools and communities in South Sudan.
