Small Kids Slowly Returning to School
On the 4th of January 2021 a total of 1,312 children under the age of 5 were registered to attend 39 x Seibo-partner nursery schools & CBCCs (Community Based Children’s Centres). With school meals still not permitted, Seibo began distributing food packs to families of small children in early January. As children in rural areas were deemed to be the most needy we managed to reach 219 out of the total enrolled number of 321 children in CBCCs by end of week 1 in January. However 4 x CBCCs had yet to open due to various reasons such as: Chisomo CBCC (funeral), Kachimera (being relocated), Mwayi (under construction) and Tikondane (funeral).

Malnutrition a Concern among the Poorest of the Poor
In addition we also made it a priority to distribute food parcels to 46 children enrolled in nursery schools in Chilomoni under the Seibo Kids Programme. While carrying out food distribution the team in Malawi also conducted weight & growth monitoring which was last completed in June of 2020.
The results were mixed with most children registering as moderately underweight. Of concern however were the number of children whose results indicated severe underweight which in some few cases was also accompanied by severe wasting. For families of children deemed to be unable to provide for their families with current food provisions additional interventions in the form of food & nutritional support will be taken.

We Need Your Help More Than Ever
The coming weeks & months will be hard on the children of Malawi. While schools may yet re-open it isn’t clear when the government will allow school feeding on school premises. In the absence of a daily school meal many children are being deprived of a valuable source of nutrition. Emergency food packs are providing a lifeline for many families of small children. However these families are facing difficulties feeding all their children and many are using their emergency food supplies to feed the entire family. While our mission is to provide school meals to those in need we must also make decisions now to ensure no child is left hungry. More than ever we need your support. If you can help- no matter how little- please do. To donate simply click HERE– a little can go a long way.