Sharing Experiences and Changing Behaviors to Improve Nutrition: Stories of Hope and Transformation from Burkina Faso

By Zenabou Bere, Communications Manager, SOS Sahel Burkina Faso

"...we have understood and become aware that most of the problems we encounter are common to communities elsewhere. We can help each other overcome nutrition problems, and each of us can contribute by sharing what we learn and know to find solutions." —Alimata Sawadogo, mother of four from Pien, a village in Burkina Faso’s Ziro Province.

Malnutrition was a significant public health problem affecting the lives of women and children in Burkina Faso’s Ziro Province, prompting SOS Sahel Burkina Faso, a local grassroots organization working to improve nutrition in the area, to launch Projet d’appui à la lutte contre la malnutrition dans la Province du Ziro (PALM-ZIRO) in October 2021—an initiative made possible through?USAID Advancing Nutrition and USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative (NPI).?

PALM-ZIRO focused on supporting families in rural and remote areas to adopt health and nutrition-related behaviors, and improve access to health and nutrition services for women and children. The project coordinated a range of community-based activities to prevent and manage cases of severe and moderate acute malnutrition in collaboration with 33 health centers in 59 villages, in six municipalities in Ziro Province. The project’s activities directly benefited more than 25,000 pregnant and lactating women and children under the age of five, with an extension program that included malnutrition screening, monitoring, and follow-up, as well as social and behavior change communication on infant and young child feeding best practices.

In February 2023, PALM-ZIRO partnered with NPI-sister project Projet d’Action contre la malnutrition dans le Centre-Oues (PAMCO), implemented by PanAfricare in the Sanguié Province, to organize an exchange visit. The exchange visit allowed staff from the two projects to share experiences and expertise. A few participants from the PALM-ZIRO project were also invited to participate in the exchange visit to learn from the experiences of others benefitting from PanAfricare’s efforts. Invitees included Alimata Sawadogo, mother of four, and Aminata Gnangao, mother of three, from Pien village in Ziro Province.

The trip was a first for the two mothers.

“This is our first time to go out of our village of Pien to go somewhere else. And this is already a new discovery for us, because we learned we are not alone, and that our village is not the only one affected by malnutrition,” they said.

Alimata and Aminata, both mothers with children under the age of five, were able to participate in community exchange dialogues and a cooking demonstration organized in Laba village. “We have seen the importance of the role of the lead mother. She proceeded step-by-step in preparing the enriched porridge and explaining the benefits. At the end of the preparation, the lead mother added monkey bread powder made from baobab fruit to enrich the porridge. This is a new experience for us, and we were not aware of the nutritional value of this food.”

“We also noticed that many men are involved in activities to help their wives in the fight against malnutrition. Back in our village, we will try to discuss with our husbands what we have seen and heard [during project interventions] to motivate them to change their behavior, but this is not always easy”, said Aminata.

While Alimata and Aminata embarked on a journey of discovery and transformation, Souma?la Diallo, a young child from Bolou village, also in Ziro Province, had his own remarkable story of triumph over malnutrition.?

Souma?la's journey began when he was just eleven months old. Emaciated and suffering from severe acute malnutrition, his mother, Rasmata Diallo, initially hesitated to discuss her child's condition with others, fearing blame or superstitions. She recounted, “Before the arrival of the project, I was afraid to discuss with other women the state of my child. He was losing weight day by day; he had become unrecognizable.”

PALM-ZIRO brought hope to Rasmata and her son, screening and treating hundreds of malnourished children like Souma?la at health centers in Ziro Province. The project's comprehensive approach not only included medical care but also focused on educating mothers about proper infant and young child feeding practices. Rasmata's transformation was profound. "Today, I understand the importance of nutrition because my little Souma?la could have died, due to my fault. I refused to believe it, and I couldn't even imagine that my little child was suffering from malnutrition. I'm very thankful to the project for opening my eyes," she said.?

Rasmata not only changed her behavior but also became an advocate for better nutrition within her community. She participated in cooking demonstrations and actively practiced what she learned at home, which significantly improved Souma?la's health.

She proudly declared, "I changed my behavior. I followed the cooking demonstrations with the community-based health workers for preparing the enriched porridge, and I continued to practice this at home. This helped stabilize Souma?la's health. Today, I'm proud of myself."

Alimata, Aminata, and Rasmata's stories, and the impact of the PALM-ZIRO project, illustrate the power of community-based initiatives and shared knowledge in the fight against malnutrition. As these stories converged, they painted a picture of resilience, empowerment, and the collective determination to ensure that no child or mother would have to face malnutrition alone.

Learn more about USAID Advancing Nutrition’s work through the New Partnerships Initiative. Visit the SOS Sahel website, for more information about the organization's food security and nutrition programming in rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.