Holystic Nutrition Organization provides mid-year food relief for vulnerable children in Obuasi

Holystic Nutrition Organization has provided food relief boxes to vulnerable children in Obuasi as part of its mid-year food relief support project.

This initiative aims to mitigate food insecurity and prevent malnutrition among 34 vulnerable children from 28 households across 13 communities in Obuasi.

The beneficiaries of this mid-year food relief project are children who were previously treated for acute malnutrition under the Obuasi-based NGO's SMALCHILD (Save the Malnourished Child) Program. According to the organization’s chief nutritionist, Sampson Kawuo, these children are at high risk of relapsing into malnutrition and require ongoing nutritional support. Each food relief box, costing about GHC 500, contained: 5kg rice, a crate of eggs, a liter of vegetable oil, tomato paste, beans, gari, spaghetti, mackerel, milk powder, and fortified cereal mix (TomVita X & Tombrown).

UNICEF’s first Report on Child Food Poverty highlights that 1 in 4 children under 5 years old (181 million children) suffer from severe child food poverty, making them up to 50 percent more likely to experience wasting—a life-threatening form of malnutrition with irreversible impacts on survival, growth, and brain development. Alarmingly, 65% of these 181 million children live in just 20 countries, including Ghana, where approximately 657,000 children under 5 are chronically malnourished, according to the World Food Program.

“With ongoing economic challenges and associated food inflation, it is critical to protect vulnerable children from food insecurity and malnutrition, which could push their households further into poverty,” said David Ameyaw, Founder of Holystic Nutrition Organization. “That is why we have provided this food relief.”

Expressing her gratitude, Madam Akua Abi, a 65-year-old woman caring for her orphaned grandson, said: "This food relief box means a lot to me because sometimes I have nothing to feed this boy since I am economically unproductive. In such situations, I fear he will relapse into severe acute malnutrition. But the frequent, timely intervention and support from this NGO have kept this boy alive and well.” Other beneficiaries also shared how rising food costs have affected their ability to secure nutritious food for their children, praising the NGO for its timely support.

Since 2017, Holystic Nutrition Organization has supported the nutrition of over 12,000 children across the Obuasi East and West districts. The NGO's mission is to secure GDP for every child—an equal opportunity to Grow physically, Develop cognitively, and Prosper economically—by ensuring equitable access to food, nutrition, and healthcare. Since its inception, the organization has successfully treated over 400 children for acute malnutrition through its weekly SMALCHILD clinic and community outreaches and has provided food relief to thousands. It strives to be a leading organization in the prevention and management of childhood malnutrition in Africa.