By Ahmed Ahmed
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi State Chapter, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi field office and the office of the Bauchi State First Lady, Dr. Aisha Mohammed, has trained representatives of 20 women development groups on utilizing local grains to combat malnutrition among children and pregnant women.
The two-day training aimed to enhance the capacity of women groups to promote nutrition in their community engagement, targeting various groups from state to ward levels for effective information dissemination.
NAWOJ Chairperson, Mrs. Rashida Yusuf, emphasized that the training focused on empowering women as influencers in their communities to adopt the use of locally available foods to curb malnutrition.
UNICEF Communication Partner, Mr. Umar Shira, urged participants to engage men on breastfeeding and nutrition, stressing that men, as household heads, should be targeted with key advocacy messages.
He also advised women groups to interact with elderly women to address myths and misconceptions about exclusive breastfeeding.
Mrs. Helen Ciroma, Head of Women in Agriculture, Bauchi State chapter, demonstrated local food delicacies and emphasized the significance of backyard gardening and natural herbs as repellents.
Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi, advocated for sensitization campaigns using physical demonstrations for better learning and awareness on traditional methods of preserving seasonal foods.
This initiative seeks to address malnutrition in Bauchi State by promoting the use of local foods and empowering women to drive positive change in their communities.
