Eric Dossou-Gbete, Nutrition Animator at the Foundation

Beninese, 29 years old, married and father of a boy, I hold a state diploma of Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Since January 3, 2019, I have been working as a nutrition facilitator at the Foundation.

In this article, I would like to give a brief account of one of my days at the Foundation.

On Friday, May 10, 2019, in collaboration with the nutrition trainees at the Foundation, we carried out a series of activities in the commune of Tchaourou, more specifically in the schools of the community. At 7:30 a.m. we left for Parakou.

Our first stop was at the public primary school of Segourou where we met with the Girl Nutrition Ambassadors (FAN) for the payment of breakfast fees. The same exercise was done in the public primary schools of Koro, Papané Quartier A and B, Papané GAH, Kassouala Quartier and the general education colleges of Papané and Kassouala Centre. At the Papané CEG after the meeting with the FANs, we also conducted an awareness session for the providers of the restaurant of the said college.

In Kassouala, we also had a working session with the college’s FANs to take stock of the cases of acute malnutrition detected. Thus we noted that the FAN had detected 14 cases of acute malnutrition, including 2 severe cases. Guided by one of the FANs, we made a home visit of the cases of severe acute malnutrition for confirmation. Thus, we visited Charlotte Sambieni, 18 months old, daughter of Pauline Tchansi. Severe acute malnutrition due to early weaning was revealed. Without further delay we referred the little girl to the hospital in Papané where she is currently being treated. In the same house, we found another case of moderate acute malnutrition. For this one, we gave nutritional advice to the mother. We also referred the case to the closest community focal point to whom the case was referred for follow-up.

This is where our day of Friday, May 10, 2019 ended.

We took the way back to PARAKOU around 4pm.