To ensure that women, who are the Chief nutrition officers of the homes offer healthy foods to the family, an agriculture firm, X-GEM’s Global Limited in conjunction with Foundation for Livelihood Advancement has empowered 100 rural women on capacity building.
Speaking during the training held at Umuiche and Umuakiri in Elelem communities of Ngor Okpala local government area in Imo state, Nkwocha Chinonso Elizabeth of X-GEM’S Global Limited who spoke on Good Agronomy Practices taught the women on how to nurse and plant vegetable seeds for both family and commercial benefits.
She urged the women to take seriously what they eat by making use of every space within their environment for seed planting, adding that nutritious feeding is very essential for the healthy living of their household.
In his remarks, the Program Director, Foundation for Livelihood Advancement, Elder Kenneth Amogu who spoke on Biofortified with Vitamin A Crops (Vitamin A Cassava, Vitamin A Maize and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes) advised the women to take Vitamin A crops which are rich in vitamins A and other micro nutrients, and very essential to the functioning of the vital organs. He also urged them to feed their families with the crops, to enable them prevent some ailments that are silent killers, like bad eye sight, high blood pressure, etc.
In her presentation, a staff of the Imo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs. Susan Nkemakolam encouraged women on effective breastfeeding so that the child will be healthy and mentally sound as the child grows up. She urged the women to maintain the habit of eating fresh and natural foods especially ones grown themselves.
Cynthia Ebele, a manager at X-Gem’s Global Limited together with Adaugo Obioma and Mrs Delight Chioma Ohaka trained the women on various nutrient rich pastries and encouraged them to start up businesses with the knowledge obtained which could in turn generate income to manage their households.
One of the participants who gave her name as Kosisochukwu Ekeh expressed gratitude to the organizations for coming to teach them how to nurse and plant tomatoes, vegetable seeds for healthy living, stressing that she equally learnt how to bake pastries from High Quality Vitamin A cassava flour (HQCF). Eke who’s a nursing mother according to her, learnt the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
Participants were not left with their questions unanswered on how to get the seeds and vitamin A crop planting materials, as they were asked to reach out to X- Gem’s Global Limited for more information.
In a statement by the Manager of X-Gem’s Foundation Akahibe Cynthia Chidera, she stated that adoption of the biofortified with Vitamin A crops and foods will help curb malnutrition and reduce food insecurity, she also elaborated on the need to increase awareness and sensitisation among women in poor rural communities.
Highlight of the program was the production of Combo bits, combo strips and Chin Chin using the High Quality Vitamin A Cassava flour by the rural women.
