My name is Yuri Nemoto, 2nd year Nutrition student at King’s College London. From July 2018, I will be training as a Nutrition Assistant in Arusha, Tanzania, in both clinical and community settings for 8 weeks. This is being coordinated by Medi Trip, with a focus on malnutrition and poverty-related conditions. During the term, I will observe a senior doctor specialised in malnutrition under busy conditions (60-70 patients/day) at the paediatric outpatient clinic and practice nutrition assessments; mainly anthropometry and dietary assessments. At the community children’s centre, I will assess the children’s development by considering their social and behavioural context and talking with families to promote healthy eating habits.

Aim

I want to use the knowledge obtained from my Nutrition BSc course to improve local nutrition and dietary practices in Arusha – especially with children, who are most at risk of developing health issues due to a lack of adequate nutrition. In Arusha, ambulances are unable to provide help when it’s raining due to road blockages; families take up to 24 hours to reach their nearest hospital; understaffed and underfunded healthcare services have queues of patients waiting in the hallways. Currently, hospitals in Arusha has neither Nutritionists nor Dietitians due to a lack of funding – I hope to make a positive difference in Arusha by bringing my knowledge of the subject. In particular, I will focus on the impact of early life malnutrition on later physical development and general health. This volunteering opportunity falls outside of my curriculum, but will be invaluable to my growth as a practitioner, as well as broadening my perspective on the challenges of improving nutrition in countries with fewer resources and greater financial constraints. I look forward to sharing international perspectives on nutrition with the team in Arusha, and working collaboratively with local and foreign professionals to improve the health and quality of life of Tanzanian citizens.

Why Tanzania?

I strongly believe that good nutritional status leads to a nation’s benefit and global development. Nutritional status during the first 1000 days between a women’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday matters for the rest of their life. Tanzania has a very high infant mortality rate, caused by malnutrition and reduced immunity. Good nutrition enables healthy growth and cognitive development in children, hence educational success, increased labour productivity and economic growth in the long run. (Horton & Hoddinott, 2014) In 2017, Food Agriculture Organisation reported the prevalence of stunted growth in children aged <5 years in Tanzania is to be 34%, which is one of the highest in Africa. 32% of Tanzania’s population is undernourished, and this is significantly higher than the average in other areas, such as Northern Africa (4%), Middle Africa (25%), Southern Africa (7%), Western Africa (11%). (FAO, 2017)

Thank you!

The money raised by this crowdfunding will pay for my volunteering, accommodation, meals, and flights. Thank you for reading and all donations would be very appreciated.

Reference

(1) Horton, S., & Hoddinott, J. (2014, 11 18). Food Security and Nutrition - Perspective Paper . Retrieved from Copenhagen Consensus Center: http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/sites/default/files/food_security_and_nutrition_perspective_-_horton_hoddinott_0.pdf

(2) FAO. (2017). The state of food security and nutrition in the world . Retrieved from FAO: http://www.fao.org/3/a-I7695e.pdf.