In many communities across Illela LGA, families continue to face harsh economic realities. The rising cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for households to afford nutritious meals, leaving many children especially those between 6 to 59 months of age, highly vulnerable to malnutrition. For mothers like Zainab Umar, providing nutritious meals for her family daily is a struggle, often made harder by the need to balance childcare with small-scale trading just to make ends meet.
Zainab grew deeply worried when her daughter, Hawau Abdullahi, began to lose weight rapidly. Once an active child, Hawau grew weak and visibly thin with each passing day. Fearing for her child’s health, Zainab sought help during a community outreach led by Sadiya Muhammad, a Community Nutrition Mobilizer with Albarka Health Spring Foundation (AHSF).
During the outreach, Hawau was screened using MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) and recorded a measurement of 11.5 cm, indicating acute malnutrition. She was immediately referred to a nearby health facility where the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) is been implemented.
Upon arrival at the facility, Zainab described the admission process as being smooth. With her referral, Hawau was reassessed and enrolled in to the programme. Alongside receiving Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF), Zainab also benefited from vital sensitization sessions on proper hygiene and child feeding practices, knowledge that would prove essential in her child’s recovery.
Back home, she followed the instructions carefully, giving Hawau one sachet of RUSF each day. Gradually, signs of recovery began to show. Hawau regained strength, her weight improved, and her overall appearance became healthier week by week. What once felt overwhelming began to look hopeful.
After two months, Hawau’s MUAC had increased from 11.5 cm to 12.7 cm, signaling her recovery. Today, she is active and healthy again. Zainab, now better informed, continues to prepare balanced meals using locally available foods like beans, soya beans, maize, rice, eggs, fish, and milk to keep her daughter on track.
“I am grateful to WFP and Albarka for this assistance, it came at the right time when I felt I had lost hope. This intervention has made it possible for my child to regain weight and look healthy once again. Now when ever I look at her I smile”
Yet, Hawau’s story is only one among many. Across Illela LGA and nearby communities, children are still at risk due to ongoing hardship and limited access to nutritious food. Program like TSFP by World Food Programme (WFP) are making a real difference, but more children need to be reached.
There is a clear need for stronger support from partners, donors, and stakeholders to expand these life-saving efforts. Expanding access to TSFP will ensure that mothers like Zainab can get the help they need for their children. Every child deserves the chance to grow, stay healthy, and thrive.
