Bonga Feeding Centre (BFC & BFCK)
Bonga, Ethiopia
Coordinated by Christine Hoffman ce.dj.hoffman@bigpond.com
The Bonga Feeding Centre project started as a feeding centre support for 90 malnourished children but with WFA support has now become a pre-school providing food and education for the regions most disadvantaged children aged 3 to 7yrs.
This is having a direct impact on both the children’s health and their progression into the educational system. Common nutritional deficiencies of this region Protein malnutrition (including Kwashiorkor), Vitamin A deficiency (leading to blindness), iodine (leading to a high prevalence of goiter) and zinc deficiency.
These nutritional deficiencies are linked to a high rate of mortality in the under-fives and for those who do not die, decreased brain and physical development which impacts on many other development agenda’s as a result.
Nutritional and health education for parents and staff are provided as part of efforts to address the high levels of malnutrition in south-west Ethiopia.
Sponsorships are available both for individual children attending the kindergarten and the feeding centre.