Local Women Graduate as ‘Nutrition Ambassadors’ in Gasabo District, Empowering Community to Combat Malnutrition

By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU

Jabana Sector, Gasabo District—Twenty-five women and girls from Jabana Sector in Gasabo District received certificates on Saturday, October 11, 2025, after successfully completing specialized training focused on preparing a balanced diet and fighting malnutrition within their families and the broader community.

The ceremony, held in Bweramvura, recognized the graduates of the program, which was provided by Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts School. The training aims to promote good health and eradicate the problem of malnutrition, which is still prevalent in the area, particularly among children and pregnant women.

The event saw participation from various stakeholders, including local community members, leaders, and corporate partners such as Marriott Hotel and Four Points by Sheraton Kigali.

The training is designed to have a “multiplication effect” as the graduates are now sent back into their neighborhoods as “nutrition ambassadors”.

Trainees Ready to Teach Others

Trainees expressed gratitude for the practical, life-changing knowledge they acquired. Umuhire Diane, one of the certified mothers, shared how she plans to utilize her new skills: “I learned a lot about preparing and cooking a balanced diet. I plan to use it in my family so that we can have a good health,” she said.

Beyond her immediate family, Umuhire plans to share her expertise with others, especially lessons related to chronic conditions: “Apart from that, I am also ready to share this training with my colleagues who have not had the opportunity to study this course, especially those related to diseases such as diabetes, and show them how to cook using less oil and less salt as we learned,” she added.

Another graduate, Uwase Yvette, highlighted the specific focus of the lessons on preventative health: “I came to learn how to cook a balanced diet to help reduce the large number of children with malnutrition,” she explained. She emphasized the importance of dietary adjustments, noting: “We learned how to prepare nutritious meals, and we focused on reducing oil and salt because when used excessively, they cause many diseases. We gained important knowledge that will help us help others achieve good health”.

Partnership Aligns with National Goals

Local officials praised the collaborative effort. Uwera Justine, In Charge of Social Affairs in Jabana Sector, affirmed the activity’s significance, stating it is highly valued because it directly supports the country’s priorities in fighting malnutrition.

“We attach great importance to this activity because it is in line with the actions our country has prioritized to fight malnutrition,” she stressed, pointing out that educating parents benefits everyone, from pregnant mothers to growing children.

Niyirema Marie Immaculée, a Community Health Worker, noted the substantial support the newly trained parents offer to existing health services: “As health counselors, having other parents who know how to prepare a balanced diet gives us strength,” she said. She believes that these parents teaching others in their neighborhoods makes the job of sensitizing the population on good nutrition easier.

Madam Clare Effiong, the Director of Esther’s Aid, celebrated the graduation, which coincided with International Chef’s Day, emphasizing the power of food education. “Today is a very remarkable day, a day of celebration, a day of empowering those in the community… we celebrate food. So celebrating food, we know that food is life and if we don’t really eat it properly, food can kill,” she observed.

Madam Effiong noted that Esther’s Aid has been running the training since March and has already trained over a hundred individuals. She acknowledged that the organization cannot undertake this critical work alone: “We don’t really have the resources but we have the heart and the compassion to do this,” she admitted, stressing the need to reach out to corporate partners.

Corporate Chefs Join the Effort

Hotel partners enthusiastically participated in the event, which was also part of World Food Month activities. Aymen Ben, Executive Chef of Four Points by Sheraton Kigali, confirmed the hotel’s commitment to education: “We are honored to be with you here to teach the new generation about the kitchen, about the food, and then we hope to keep doing again and again,” he shared.

Adil Shaik, the Executive Chef of Marriott Kigali, explained that the collaboration was a “thoughtful event to giving back to the community”. Chefs from both Marriott and Four Points provided guidance to the community about nutrition.

Esther’s Aid reported that they have been training and feeding individuals, noting that after just two weeks, they have observed a “big change,” demonstrating that they are “going the right way”. The director concluded by stressing the necessary coordinated effort required to overcome the issue of malnutrition in the country: “If we do it here, and other people will do it, another group in the province, I think we will kill the giant”.