Aelama belongs to a Mother’s Club in The Gambia - a collective support system for mothers in local communities that provides information about nutrition, growing biofortified crops, and recipe ideas. As a mother to a young daughter, Aelama has seen first-hand the benefits of a more nutritious and balanced diet - and how simple changes can result in life-changing impacts for her family.
Image: Aelama feeding her young daughter outside her home
Aelama didn’t have an easy start to motherhood. In her own words: “My baby was born premature and was in an incubator … My child was small and weak when she was born, and it was important to build resilience in my daughter through better health.”
Our project has supported Aelama to grow a surplus of African Leafy Vegetables in her garden. Once her families’ needs have been met, she is able to sell the rest, allowing her to regularly purchase other nutritionally beneficial foods.
“Before, our diet was just carbohydrate-based. The cooking demos [at the mother clubs] have shown me different food groups to combine to create balanced dishes that meet our nutrition needs. I want to grow other crops and expand my land, as well as sell my African Leafy Vegetables in bulk to get a better price, this growth will pay for the welfare of my children”.
Aelama has experienced great changes over the past year. The shame she felt over her daughter’s poor health made her not want to leave her house initially; her daughter never played outside, and she felt separated from her community:
“Pre-project we didn’t go outside, I was ashamed of how my daughter looked. The changes in our lives brought on by the project has been a huge relief, it has given us all confidence and greater acceptance within the community, where I can share my experience with other mothers.”
Aelama also was keen to share her family’s favourite meal: “The best dish we now make includes Plasas, African Leafy Vegetables, Orange Flesh Sweet Potato and Moringan, it is a super stew!!”
Context:
The activities in this project took place as part of our emergency COVID response project in West Africa, funded by the Welsh Government. The project has focused on ensuring that immediate needs are met but has also built longer-term health resilience that will help families like Aelama’s.
Read more about our Welsh Government-funded COVID response project in West Africa:
