Out Patient Therapeutic Care

Concern has been implementing a new approach to the feeding of severely malnourished infants with the help of the British NGO Valid International. In the southern area of Weylita, Concern set up a feeding programme in the sub-district of Offa. Throughout a period of several months, Concern responded to food shortages with a combination of general food rations, supplementary feeding and CTC.

Concern’s CTC programme is coming to a close at the time of the visit in December 2003. A total of 9 children are still enrolled in the OTP in Ayekina.

OTP-1

Ameresh Asale is the mother of three-year-old Amsalo Dosa, she is pregnant with her third child. She was in the stabilisation centre for almost two weeks to recover from oedema. Amsalo has a twin sister, her mother can’t comprehend how one child could get so sick and the other not at all. “There is always a shortage of food in our household during the rainy season, it is the leanest time for us. Amsalo just got so think this year and then her skin started to swell. I was very worried about her, I’m glad she’s doing so much better now.”

“When I was in the SC in Gasuba the situation in the house was not good. My husband doesn’t know how to cook, so he was hungry and he complained a lot when I got back. The SC was nice, the food was good and the hygiene was great. Amsalo got better very quickly when we got there. I am glad I am at home again, all we do now is collect the parcels every week and come here to show Amsalo to the nurses. I can continue doing my work in the house while my child gets better. My husband does understand, he’s happy Amsalo is better, and he’s also happy that I’m back at home.”

OTP-2

Talgore Ukule has come to the OTP with her granddaughter Mulunesh Gambura. Mulunesh is four years old. Talgore explains that there is little food in the household, and that it’s hard for her and her husband to look after five grandchildren under the age of ten.

“Mulunesh’ mother left to go to Addis Ababa after Mulunesh was born. She left me with her and her 2-year-old sister. There was no work in the village, hardly any food and her husband had left her. The only thing she could do was migrate and hope she would find some work. I have been waiting for her to contact me and send us some money for the upbringing of the children, but no, I hear nothing. My other daughter left to go to Arbaminch [a town 5 hours south of Offa] She also went to look for work. She left three children behind, they are four, seven and nine years old. The eldest girl goes to school. It is terrible; the fathers of the children don’t help us, they live in the area, but they never even visits to see their children- and we get no support from them in the form of food or money. What can we do? My husband and I struggle to cultivate enough food to feed everybody, but my husband is an old man, he’s weak, and our land is not very big. We have no choice but the carry on trying to keep the children fed- it’s not easy.”

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