Main Nutrients When Floods Hit
Do you remember the flood events that occurred in several areas in West Kalimantan at the end of 2021? Several assisted areas of Wahana Visi Indonesia in Sekadau Regency also experienced this, including Merapi Village. Most of the people's houses were flooded for a month. Floods make it difficult to access transportation, clean water, and nutritious food.
Faced with this situation, Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) Sekadau Program Area took an emergency response to the flood disaster. One form of response is to open an Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) kitchen for toddlers. WVI cooperates with posyandu cadres to provide nutritious food for toddlers in the affected areas.
Sutinawati (34) one of the beneficiaries of this program felt helped by the response. She is also a parent of a toddler who is very diligent in taking food to the IYCF kitchen.
“During the flood, it was very difficult to find vegetables, there was no vegetable seller, where else there was no income, my husband couldn't work because of the flood, so I was very happy when there was an IYCF kitchen for toddlers. I am grateful because, during this flood, my child can still eat nutritious food,” said the mother of three.
Meanwhile, Sutinawati found it a challenge to access the kitchen. She needed to use a canoe to get there. However, because she did not have a canoe, she had to borrow someone else's canoe and pay IDR5,000 each way for 20 minutes.
“I also brought a basin for food to keep it from getting wet. I 'swim' for about half an hour and back home in about half an hour. And in the afternoon, I back to take food in the same way," she said.
All of this was done for the sake of the child. Her enthusiasm did not fade because of the challenge. Sutinawati's children enjoyed the food. Every day the child waits for the food, and this adds to the mother's enthusiasm to provide healthy food.
“I am happy to see my son loves to eat vegetables, fruit, and sometimes there are green beans. And when the food program was over, my son asked why his food wasn't there anymore because the kids enjoyed putting food in the lunch box,” she recalls happily.
In a disaster situation, WVI conducts a disaster response with the support of many parties. WVI focuses on meeting the needs of children and families as a vulnerable group.
Written by: Herna Sinulingga, TP CWN Coordinator of Area Program Sekadau, Wahana Visi Indonesia
