Lagos Food Bank Initiative is pleased to announce that Moridiya Babalola and Adeyemi Sofiat have been discharged in the month of March from the Nutritious Meal Plan Intervention for Vulnerable Mothers and Children (NUMEPLAN) program. They have achieved significant milestones in their growth and development, and we are glad to have been a part of their growth process. Moridiya and Sofiat were enrolled as malnourished babies as they had poor eating habits and were showing physical signs including loss of muscle mass, irritability, pale, and dry skin. 

Within eight months of their enrollment, their caregivers were given biweekly nutritional assessment and counseling sessions. Moridiya showed physical changes in weight from 2.3kg to 6.5kg, length from 41 cm to 61cm, and MUAC from 10.5cm to 12.5cm, while Sofiat showed physical changes in weight from 4 kg to 6.6kg, length from 49 cm to 60cm, and MUAC from 10.2cm to 13.4cm. For Moridiya, the first visible change was on her face; she started smiling. There was also an improvement in their food intake, and they can now sit, stand, and walk without assistance. 

As part of our nutrition intervention, their mothers and caregivers were provided with nutrition education, complementary feeding practices, food preparation techniques, and nutritious food items and supplements at every two-week visitation. “At NUMEPLAN we educate mothers to use what they have at home to prepare nutritious food for their children”.

Moridiya and Sofiat have not only gained weight but also gained an appetite for living. They will also be coming back monthly for follow-up to keep track of their growth and ensure there is no relapse in their health status. 

It’s great to know their mothers were compliant with the instructions given throughout the program, which has led to achieving this significant milestone in their growth.