By Yamikani Yapuwa

Thyolo, January 26, Mana: 300 extension workers from Thyolo have been trained on how they can handle issues of nutrition during emergencies in the district.

Speaking Thursday on the sidelines of a two-day training, Principal Nutrition and HIV and AIDS Officer for Thyolo, Kondwani Luwe, said the main objective of the training was to equip extension workers with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in addressing nutrition issues.

"Thyolo has, in the past, been affected by several disasters of different natures such as Cholera and floods. As such, the national nutrition cluster, in collaboration with several district actors, developed a Nutrition in Emergency training package to orient Thyolo District Nutrition Clusters in emergency response," said Luwe

Luwe said the district has taken a proactive step by operationalizing the training session to technically train extension workers.

“So, specifically the training wants to make extension workers to understand the nutritional needs of populations affected by emergencies as well as learn effective assessment tools for rapid nutrition analysis.

"Further, we want to develop their skills in planning and implementing nutrition interventions in emergency situations while enhancing coordination and collaboration among stakeholders in emergency nutrition response in the district,” he said.

Community Development Assistant under Nanseta Area, Thokozani Sumba, hailed the training saying it has deepened their understanding on what to do in times of emergencies in the areas they are working.

"The training has been an eye opener on what to do with people who take refuge in camps during emergencies such as floods. This will help to ensure that their nutrition is not compromised.

"We will be able to effectively assess if a child is malnourished or not because we have been given the technical knowledge of how to examine them as well as how to use the tools," said Sumba.

Area Disaster Risk Management Committee Chairperson from Traditional Authority (TA) Nanseta, Alex Sumani, said previously they used to experience a lot of challenges during emergencies like floods since they lacked proper knowledge to deal with such situations.

"With the knowledge given, we can respond quickly by intervening at the local level as we wait for district council team to arrive.

"We have been taught the importance of making sure that under five children, lactating mothers, elderly people as well as people with disabilities are given attention because of their vulnerability in times of emergencies," said Sumani.