How Right2Grow is Driving Lasting Change on Nutrition and WASH in Communities

Nyaruon Kang is a 28 year old mother from Tungdol Village, Mission Boma of Bilkey Payam, Akobo East County, South Sudan. Akobo is faced with harsh climatic changes leading to flooding and drought, farming proves to be difficult leading to insufficient food. Nyaruon Kang’s situation was no different; struggling with insufficient food sometimes having to eat one meal a day and living far from the source of clean water meant that she could only easily access water from the river in her neighbourhood. She was no exception, and her children practiced open defecation, as she had no latrine.

With the integrated approach employed by CIDO in one of the sessions for MtMSGs , Nyaruon heard about the Right2Grow programme. The key message passed was the establishment of a demo farm to support women cascade the same to their homes to improve child and household nutrition while practicing good hygiene. Women were invited to join mother-to-mother support groups where they could learn more. Fortunately, Nyaruon happened to be one of the members!

‘’The mother-to-mother support group changed my life. We learned about breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and preparation of nutritious meals using local products from the kitchen garden. We also learned about the importance of hand washing using ash in the absence of soap. We were encouraged to build simple latrines using locally available materials and boiling of water before drinking. They also taught us how to grow vegetables at the main demo farm and encouraged us to do so at our homes to support our families and children,’’ Nyaruon narrates.

Right2Grow, through CIDO, has been providing WASH and Nutrition advocacy messages through engagement of key stakeholders comprised of women's associations, youth leaders, and hygiene club leaders. They also supported the formation of mother-to-mother support groups and provided ongoing support and guidance. “If it wasn’t for CIDO’s Right2Grow intervention, I would not have had this knowledge! Am a proud mother now, together with my family we have established our own Kitchen garden, we have our own toilet and going in the bush for open defection is no more, we can take our selves and our children to a nearby health facility if we fall sick, we can now drink boiled water without a problem! Am now an ambassador to my community, I encourage everyone to have a kitchen garden and seek medical attention from the health facilities and ‘kujuru’ as I used to do! May God bless CIDO Team,” says Nyaruon.