IMUMA: Development Details

As part of our long-term plans to help support the development of IMUMA, SRI is committed to helping make sure the children are well nourished, healthy, and educated. This summer begins the IMUMA nutritional development plan as part of our overall goal to ensure that the centre is able to provide for the children’s daily needs while aiming for it to be sustainable.

In June and July of 2009, six SRI volunteers will conduct research in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, as part of a nutritional study of the centre’s children and community at large. This will include an assessment of local food items and prices, as well as creating a database of the centre’s children with individual nutritional and health information in order to understand specialized dietary needs.

Assisting the development of a feeding plan are John Gordon, international development consultant and lecturer at the University of Guelph, and Dr. Joan Jory, registered dietician and clinical nutritionist. The data collected in June and July will be used to build a feeding plan for IMUMA, with recommendations for diverse, affordable, and nutrient-rich meals on a long term basis. IMUMA’s volunteers will continue to monitor and update the children’s health and growth to record nutritional progress.

During the summer months of this year, Student Reach International will also be working with IMUMA to improve cooking practices. We will also be researching sustainable income opportunities that could be developed for IMUMA over the next three years. At the close of this summer, SRI hopes to have decreased expenses and improved the nourishment levels of the children being supported.

A detailed report outlining our work from this summer will be available later this year.