To improve the community’s knowledge about choosing the right balance of food for good nutrition, the Hiam Health Organization plans to develop a mobile kitchen among the community.
The Hiam Health Director (HH) Rosalia da Cruz said the promotion of nutrition education to families was the most effective way to reduce the malnutrition rate in the country as Timorese people lacked knowledge of food diversity.
“We are thinking of the program in this year (2014) but I need the support,” said Director HH, Rosalia da Cruz in Aimutin Dili.
She added the organization wanted to develop the program to reduce malnutrition, but it was unable to implement it as the activity does not generate income.
“We think to make something for Timor-Leste’s development, but we are having financial difficulties,” she said.
She said the program was very positive as it operated on a grassroots level to directly raise awareness about malnutrition prevention and the practice of cooking nutritious, healthy food.
Member of Parliament MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said Timorese people still lack knowledge of nutrition as many believe eating rice is better than vegetables or fruit every day.
She said the government is obligated to create an adequate policy and partner with the civil societies to widen the education promotion program on nutrition.
“I assume there are no people in famine, but it needs to provide the rich nutrition for their health, I think it’s less in Timor, we don’t really know the food composition,” said the MP from bench Fretilin.
Juandina da Silva as a housewife said the plan was good and interesting, but there was no practice and it was difficult for the mothers to imitate the cooking.
“I presume the plan is very good, the government needs to support the ideas for implementation, as the mothers need to practice how to cook good and hygienic food for the people’s health, not to just talk,” she said.
