The Director of the Hamutuk Ita Ajuda Malu (Together Helping Each Other) Program being implemented by health NGO HIAM Health, Rosaria Martins da Cruz said extension officers need to have adequate knowledge and be educated about the nutritional value of food and plants so they can share this knowledge in the community.
Director da Cruz said the community needs to know what foods and plants have high nutrition so they can grow these and reduce malnutrition rates in the country.
HIAM Health plans to build the capacity of the extension officers on nutrition starting with a pilot project in Ermera district in June.
“They will attend the training for five days on agriculture and also nutrition,” said Director da Cruz.
Meantime Village Chief of Lemia Leten, Jose de Araujo urged HIAM Health to keep providing information to the extension officers in Ermera district so they can keep on providing information about nutrition to families in his village.
“We urge you to keep supporting the extension officers so they can educate the community to prevent malnutrition in their families.
Extension Officer Eugenia de Araujo thanked HIAM Health for this initiative because access to specific information on nutrition is hard to come by.
“Thank you for telling us which plants have the highest nutrition and which provide greater health benefits to people and the types of vitamins contained in plants,” said officer de Araujo.
