Seeds of Change: How Local Women Leaders Pave the Way to Nutritious Diets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Published on January 10, 2025

The piece below originally appeared on USAID’s Medium blog. Read the original piece here.

Amy Cotter Fowler/USAID
A women’s support group in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, learns how to grow nutritious foods that they will use to cook and feed their family. Prior to USAID’s support, women in this community had to walk four hours to access foods that were not always nutritious. / Amy Cotter Fowler for USAID

For many communities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), adapting to constant change is a necessity. Armed conflict, coupled with the effects of climate change, regularly uproots families and challenges access to nutritious foods.

For mothers and children, the stakes are high: only 15% of children under age 2 consume an adequately diverse diet, according to the 2022 Global Nutrition Report. Promoting breastfeeding and complementary feeding is particularly challenging, as these same barriers disrupt access to healthcare and hinder the adoption of these proven, life-saving interventions against malnutrition.

Bridging the Gap

In South Kivu, DRC, where rugged terrain is dotted with small villages and close-knit communities often face challenges of limited infrastructure and resources, Winnie Mwachibiri is transforming lives through the power of nutrition.

Originally trained as a health worker, Winnie realized that good nutrition is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Today, she leads a vibrant women’s support group, known locally as a groupe de soutien, where she mentors and educates her neighbors on simple, practical ways to prevent malnutrition and ensure their families thrive.

Amy Cotter Fowler/USAID

Amy Cotter Fowler/USAID
Winnie Mwachibiri, a health worker holding the bullhorn, joined her community’s groupe de soutien after she decided that nutrition was the most important part of a healthy community. She teaches women how to grow and make healthy food with local ingredients, and about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding in South Kivu, DRC. / Amy Cotter Fowler for USAID

Through the USAID Integrated Health Program, local partner Kesho Congo — meaning “tomorrow” in Swahili — conducts a monthly training on nutrition. During these sessions, Winnie stresses the critical role of nutrition in overall health, advocating for exclusive breastfeeding, and counseling on the timely introduction of complementary foods — consistent with USAID’s legislative mandates under the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act (GMPTA).

As part of the program, the women learn about the importance of consuming a balanced diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals like folic acid, iron, and calcium, particularly during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Winnie shared: “My favorite part of my job is food demonstrations because many women don’t know how to cook healthy.”

The group’s efforts extend beyond education; they also enhance access to wholesome foods through community gardens, which helps participants to incorporate locally available nutritious foods into their diets.

When Claudine, a young mother who had just started her journey into parenting, first attended a nutrition training led by Winnie, she was introduced to the concept of complementary feeding — introducing solid foods and liquids alongside breast milk at around 6 months of age — and how to incorporate local crops like cassava and beans into her young child’s diet to meet her baby’s growing nutritional needs.

The training, combined with hands-on food demonstrations, helped her realize the importance of adding variety to her infant’s meals.

“I’m so happy because this is the first time I’ve come to a training. When I tasted the food, it tasted perfect. The tasting today gave me ideas to improve the food at home,” she said.

Amy Cotter Fowler/USAID
Nsimire is a mother of six living in South Kivu, DRC. She belongs to a USAID-supported women’s group, where she learns how to grow and cook healthy food for her family. / Amy Cotter Fowler for USAID

For mothers like Nsimire, who once had to walk miles to find nutritious food for her six children, the changes have been profound. “Before, we had to walk four hours to another village for food, and it wasn’t even healthy,” Nsimire recalls.

Now, she grows her own garden filled with nutrient-rich foods and has learned to prepare meals that provide essential vitamins and proteins for her family, including eggs from local chickens. This knowledge is not just about food — it’s about giving her children the best possible start in life.

In 2023, USAID reached 6.4 million women and children across the DRC with nutrition programs.

Through community groups like Winnie’s, participants learn about the critical connection between good nutrition and health — both for mom and baby. During pregnancy, the women gain valuable knowledge about how nutrient-dense foods lay the foundation for the baby’s growth and development, contributing to better birth outcomes and reducing the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth.

As new mothers begin breastfeeding, they receive guidance on how their own diet directly impacts their baby’s immune system, growth, and development.

Broadcasting Nutrition

About 210 miles from Kasihe, in Rukoko village, Nyrangongo, Clarisse Alutuma begins her day by tuning into one of her favorite radio stations — Musisimuke. At 31 years old, and a mother of four, Clarisse’s commitment to good nutrition began after a close brush with malnutrition that motivated her to seek support from a local community health worker.

“A year ago, two of my young children were screened with malnutrition,” she recalled. “Before that, we would often run out of food due to increases in food prices caused by armed conflict around us and the massive displacement of people.”

Enock Nzembela/USAID
Clarisse Alutuma’s family listening to Musisimuke radio. / Enock Nzembela for USAID

Like Winnie, Clarisse is no stranger to the impact of armed conflict on nutrition. But her determination to protect her children led her to act. Through the guidance of a community health worker, she learned to prepare nutritious meals using locally available ingredients. Thanks to her efforts, she was able to prevent the severe effects of wasting — the deadliest form of malnutrition — in her daughters, Marlen and Marcelene.

Clarisse’s commitment to her children’s health even grew stronger when she discovered that Musisimuke began airing live programs and radio spots on nutrition. The ability to call in and speak with experts gave her the tools and confidence to continue protecting her family from malnutrition, reinforcing the life-saving knowledge she had gained.

“That is when my passion for listening to the radio started,” she said.

With support from USAID’s MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience project, the DRC’s National Nutrition Program (PRONANUT) reached Rukoko village and its neighboring communities with dozens of live programs and 1,350 radio spots on nutrition and health, focusing on critical topics such as maternal nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding practices, and vaccination for children under 5.

Through the radio program, listeners discover the many benefits of breast milk — packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antibodies — which not only helps protect babies from infections but also supports their healthy growth and development. Mothers also benefit from learning how breastfeeding can reduce their risk of health complications including chronic diseases, empowering families to thrive.

“Where there is no health information, there cannot be life…Airing [nutrition] messages through radio stations enables us to reach more people in our community and to connect freely with them no matter where and when,” said Joseph Morisi, the nurse in charge at Nyrangongo Health Zone and guest speaker on two live nutrition radio programs.

Enock Nzembela/USAID
Joseph Morisi hosting a live program at the Musisimuke radio studio. / Enock Nzembela for USAID

From breastfeeding counseling sessions in South Kivu’s community gardens to radio waves in Rukoko village, the ripple effects of USAID’s nutrition programs demonstrate the profound power of equipping women like Claudine and Clarisse with better nutrition knowledge, paving the way for healthier and resilient communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for generations to come.

About the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act

The Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act (GMPTA) is a U.S. legislative initiative aimed at addressing global malnutrition by promoting evidence-based strategies to prevent and treat it, particularly in women and children. To explore more results like these, check out the FY 2024 Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Annual Report to Congress.

Your privacy and security are very important to us. Please be aware that MOMENTUM Knowledge Accelerator does not collect personal information when you visit our website, unless you choose to provide that information. However, we do collect some technical information about your visit. Read our Privacy Policy.