Hauwa Isa Lawan, a 37-year-old mother from Zango in Karasuwa Local Government Area, had no idea her son, Sani Mohammed, was malnourished. It was during one of the LDS-REDEEM community sessions that CARE staff members used the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes to identify Sani as malnourished.
“Honestly, I didn’t know anything about malnutrition until CARE staff came,” Hauwa recalls. “When they measured Sani, they told me he had Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). They gave me a white card (Referral Slip) and asked me to go to Gasma Health Facility.”
At the health facility, Hauwa received Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for Sani and began giving it to him immediately. Slowly but steadily, she began to notice remarkable changes in his health.
“Since I started giving him the RUTF, he began to improve. Before, he was 11 cm, but he moved to 12 cm and is now 12.5 cm. The women were even praising me; they said that I took proper care of my son because he’s better than when he came.”
Through the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding (MIYCF) group meetings and cooking demonstration sessions, Hauwa learned how to prepare nutritious meals like Tombrown and use iron-rich ingredients to improve her family’s diet. She also received a MUAC tape, which she now uses daily to monitor Sani’s recovery, and even helps other mothers do the same.
With knowledge, tools, and life-saving support, Hauwa has gained confidence and hope.
CARE’s health volunteer measuring Sani’s upper arm with the MUAC tape during house-to-house visitation.
Hauwa feeding Sani the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)
