Walking to Save Lives of Children in the Communities.

Community Nutrition Worker Nyawany, 27, visits one-year-old Machar*, who is receiving treatment for S.A.M, at her home in Akobo West, South Sudan. Photo: Save the Children

“This lady saved the life of my daughter.” These are the words of Nyadhial, whose baby daughter, Machar, fell dangerously ill with severe acute malnutrition.

“Machar started her sickness with diarrhea and vomiting to the point that it became serious. When I saw her condition wasn’t improving, I decided to take her to Save the Children’s centre.” That’s where they met Nyawany, the community nutrition worker Nyadhial credits with saving her daughter’s life.

Nyawany is one of ten community nutrition workers Save the Children has trained to identify and treat cases of malnutrition in this remote community in South Sudan. At the centre, Nyawany diagnosed one-year-old Machar with malnutrition and put her on a course of a specially formulated high-nutrient peanut paste called plumpy nut.

She followed up with a visit to Nyadhial’s home and saw a marked improvement in Machar’s condition.

So that Machar doesn’t fall ill again, and the family can get enough to eat, we’re providing them with cash transfers to buy what they need. “Since we received the money, we’ve always had food,” says Nyadhial. “Before we received the money it used to be scarce. I was very happy that we received the money.”

Save the Children is implementing integrated Health, Nutrition, Child Protection, WASH and Cash Transfer project funded by USAD/BHA and ECHO (Cash Transfer only) targeting IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

Watch the video here