By Karen Rivera, World Vision Philippines communications

Two year old Franz hides in his mother’s arms, a little shy but visibly healthy with gleaming eyes and full cheeks.

Franz is in a far better shape than he was a few months ago when he was diagnosed malnourished.

“He only weighed seven kilos, way below the normal weight of children his age,” says his mother, Lowela, 34, from the province of Iloilo.

When asked what could have been the cause of her son’s malnourished condition, Lowela blames it on the quick meals she used to prepare for her family.

“Before, I would just open a can of sardines, boil instant noodles, or served fish cooked in vinegar for our meals. I thought as long as you are able to feed your children, that was good enough. I was mistaken,” she wryly says.

Such quick fixes were convenient for a busy mother like Lowela who runs a household of four young kids while helping her husband earn income from fishing.

But beyond the problem of her packed day, Lowela’s lack of knowledge on health and nutrition, coupled with their poverty, contributed to Franz’s condition.

A simple measure for a prevailing concern

In the 2008 study of the Food and Research Institute of the Philippines (FNRI), one out of four Filipino children under 10 years old was reportedly malnourished or stunted.

Food security and lack of awareness on what constitutes a healthy diet are two factors that lead to the high prevalence and persistence of this problem in the country.

World Vision, through its Positive Deviance Hearth programme (PD Hearth), strives to address this problem by passing on vital health messages to mothers like Lowela on areas of nutrition, hygiene and sanitation.

Funded by World Vision Canada, this project organises community feeding programmes for 12 days for malnourished children, strongly advocating the production and consumption of vegetables that are indigenous in the area.

“There were six of us mothers who took turns to prepare a meal for our children. We mostly cooked vegetables mixed with fish which we call ‘laswa’ in our dialect. The children were a little picky at first but when they saw their mothers eat, they took to it too,” says Lowela.

“I was happy to watch my Franz eating vegetables because at home I couldn’t get him to eat it,” she adds.

Having learned that vegetables could be a home-grown remedy for malnutrition, Lowela has since then taken up vegetable gardening.

“Before, I was more into flower gardening, but then I realised, why would I need to buy vegetables when I could grow them myself” she says.

At home, Lowela tends to a vegetable patch which she plants with eggplant, okra and an assortment of local green leafy vegetables which not only supplies her family’s needs but also earned her a little income.

“My neighbours used to pick from my gardens for free. I gave them seedlings to start their own patch but some refused to plant them and just came knocking back. That’s when I thought of selling my vegetables to them,” she says.

Hand washing and proper food preparation, are also practices that Lowela learned from PD Hearth which she now diligently practices at home.

“Before we eat, I ensure that my children wash their hands first. They are also required to clean up before going to bed,” she adds.

Lowela is happy to note that much has changed in her household since she took her family’s health seriously.