balanced diet

🥗 Combating nutritional ignorance in rural areas: a public health issue

In many rural communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a lack of knowledge about the principles of a balanced diet remains a major challenge. Out of habit, lack of resources or information, families often rely on a single food source – usually cassava or maize – consumed almost exclusively throughout the year.

This monotonous diet, while it may provide temporary satiety, does not meet essential nutritional needs, particularly those of the most vulnerable groups, such as orphaned children. These children, still growing, require a diverse range of nutrients to develop their immune system, brain, and body. Deficiencies in protein, iron, vitamins A and B, and zinc are common and can lead to stunted growth, decreased concentration, increased susceptibility to illness, and even irreversible damage.

🌾 EBaM: promoting agriculture that serves nutrition

Faced with this worrying reality, EBaM places nutrition at the heart of its agricultural action. The organization encourages the cultivation of various cereals (maize, sorghum, millet), legumes (beans, peas), leafy vegetables, tubers and local fruits, in order to guarantee a balanced diet, rich in fiber, plant proteins, vitamins and minerals.

This agricultural diversification aims to break with dependence on a single commodity, while promoting local resources and traditional know-how.

👩‍🌾 Training to better nourish: empowering widows

EBaM pays particular attention to the training of widows, who are often heads of large families. This training covers:

• understanding food groups and their roles in the body (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals);
• planning balanced meals, taking into account locally available resources;
• cooking techniques that preserve nutrients;
• the consequences of an unbalanced diet, particularly in children: malnutrition, anemia, developmental disorders, etc.

These sessions are designed to be participatory, with culinary demonstrations, exchanges of experiences and visual aids adapted to the local context.

🌟 Lasting change through awareness and practice

By combining diversified agricultural production and nutritional education, EBaM works to sustainably transform the eating habits of rural communities. The objective is clear: to enable every family, even modest ones, to eat better, to prevent malnutrition-related illnesses, and to provide children with the optimal conditions for growing up healthy.