Aged 26, Hawa Traoré lives with her husband and three children in the village of Nèrèkoro in the Djenné health district of Mali’s Mopti region. Last September, Hawa’s 12-month-old girl had her first episode of moderate acute malnutrition. "I was not surprised when I was told her nutritional status, as she was refusing to eat for quite a while," she says.
After her daughter's screening, Hawa was reassured by her community’s Nutrition Support Group (GSAN) that her daughter's case could be easily managed at home by preparing rich and balanced meals for her using local, nutritious foods. "However, I was worried because it came at a time when we didn't have the money and I wasn't sure I could buy the flour and other ingredients I needed to provide her with nutritious meals," adds Traoré
The Mopti region has been hard hit by insecurity, climate change, and rising prices for food and agricultural inputs caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Children aged 6 to 59 months have suffered as a result, with Mopti recording an acute malnutrition rate of 11.5% according to SMART 2022, a national nutritional survey conducted by Mali’s national statistical service.
To help people in the Mopti region affected by malnutrition and insecurity, Feed the Future Mali Sene Yiriwa, a USAID funded agriculture project, and USAID Keneya Nieta, a community health project, worked together to deliver nearly 1.2 million 500g bags of fortified flour to people in 588 villages.
This emergency assistance came at just the right time during Mali’s lean season and benefitted 33,500 children aged 6-59 months, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. Hawa’s daughter is one of 28,440 children who received 34 bags each of 500g fortified flour for the prevention and management of moderate acute malnutrition in the Mopti region.
“The fortified flour donation, at this precise moment, was a precious contribution for me because it gave me hope in my ability to cure and save the life of my child,” Traoré attests.
After four weeks using fortified flour along with locally sourced nutritious foods, Traoré’s child was re-assessed by the GSAN members using a measuring tape called a Bande de Shakir, and had achieved normal nutritional status. "I am very happy today for my child. I am very grateful to USAID Keneya Nieta and Sene Yiriwa for offering these fortified flour bags and supporting the GSAN which helped to save the life of my daughter,” she says.
USAID Keneya Nieta has worked with Feed the Future Mali Sene Yiriwa since September 2022, helping communities to prevent and manage malnutrition in the Mopti region. By working across the health and agriculture sectors in Mali, USAID is saving lives and maximizing the benefits of United States foreign assistance.