Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has handed over a fishpond ready for harvest to Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN II) programme beneficiaries in Shangombo District of Western Province.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in in Sipuma ward, Shangombo District Livestock and Fisheries Coordinator, Dr Charles Zulu said that the beneficiaries, who include pregnant women, children below the age of two as well as breastfeeding mothers, can now start harvesting the fish.
“Now that we have handed over the fishpond, which is ready for harvest, beneficiaries can agree on how many times per month they can harvest the fish, this is to add to their nutrition diet to help stop stunting in the area,” Dr Zulu said.
The SUN II, first 1000 most critical days programme with support from UNICEF is being implemented through the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC.)
Meanwhile, SUN II Nutrition Focal Point Person at Sipuma Rural Health Center, Brina Manda appreciated the SUN II programme in the area, saying the protein in the fish will help the healthy growth of children.
Ms Manda, Who a Public Health Nurse, added that the distribution of the fish to beneficiaries will help change the growth and monitoring of children in the ward.
And a beneficiary, Lungowe Ngondo thanked the SUN II programme implementers for not only teaching the beneficiaries nutritional best practices but also for demonstrating it by giving them free fish that will benefit their households.
“We had no idea that we shall reach this stage of even being handed over a whole fishpond, we thought these were just mere talks but today the fishpond has been handed over to us, we are grateful,” Ms Ngondo said.
