RAJBIRAJ: The distribution of the food under the banner “Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program” (BSFP) was initiated from the last week of April 2021 to the first week of June 2021, which covered all wards of three local bodies of Saptari.
The program was conducted to respond to the global pandemic of COVID in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, the UK Government, and the World Food Program (WFP). It was implemented with coordination with the Local bodies, Health Office, and Province Health Directorate.
8911 beneficiaries were supported with the food Super Cereal throughout the program, including 1680 Pregnant women, 1382 Lactating mothers, and 5849 six-twenty three month children from Balan Bihul Rural Municipality, Bode Barsain Municipality, and Kanchanrup Municipality of Saptari.
They were provided per head six kilograms of specially made food Super Cereal also known as Wheat-Soya Blend (WSB+).
WSB+ is supplementary feeding for two months to each beneficiary, which is supposed to be prepared to fry with oil or ghee and adding water or if available with milk. It has major portion of wheat (63.3%), soya (25%), sugar (10%) and vitamin premix (0.2%), mineral premix (1.23%) and potassium chlorice (0.27%) made specially for the nutrition of the target group.
The Health Office of Saptari had supported the program with regular monitoring and guidance. It has supported the program by providing 1000 pieces of masks and face shields too. similarly, many of the ward offices and health sections also provided around 6000 face masks during the program for the beneficiaries.
Head of Health Office Duniya Lal Yadav said, “The program supports the needy pregnant, Lactating and children below two years at the crisis and lack of nutritious food, and also help on the awareness of regular health service visits and immunization of the targeted group”.
Along with the food, two flyers with information for COVID-19 and the food were also provided to each of the beneficiaries.
Salma Khatun, 25, of Kanchanrup Municipality expressed her happiness over in-kind support distributed thoughtfully to new mothers like her. Khatun said with the support she could provide nutritious supplementary food to herself and her newborn at the time of health crisis like this.
The program ended with the distribution at Kanchanrup Municipality where a Thanksgiving and Farewell program was also conducted by the Municipality on 8th June to UN WFP, and the team of Aasaman Nepal which implemented the program at field level.
On the program, Mayor Basant Kumar said that “The BSFP implemented amidst COVID crisis is very supportive which helped to preserve the goal passed by the municipality of making it free of Malnutrition”.
Similarly, Chief Administrative Officer, Nabaraj Khadka admired the program insisting that it has helped the target group of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Plan and meeting its aspired indicators.
Health Co-ordinator Ram Sevak Yadav appreciated the program highly stating that it was conducted at the right time as needed to the beneficiaries, and he also requested the stakeholders to continue the program regularly too.
In addition, Mayor handing over a Letter of Appreciation to Rakesh Kumar Yadav, District Nutrition Coordinator of UN WFP made an statement that the palika is grateful and looking forward for partnership with WFP on coming days expecting better results regarding the health and nutrition of mothers and children of the municipality.
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