Saving lives through community liaison officers

Up in the mountains of North-Kivu, you’ll find Kilonge village; its name means bamboo in the local dialect. Until 2023, 10,570 people lived in Kilonge. Then, about 6,000 people fleeing armed conflict in the province settled there in search of refuge. Kilonge’s small health facility was soon overwhelmed, not being able to cope with the needs of the displaced. Little by little, malnutrition settled, affecting children under 5 first.

Imani, a mother of five, still remembers: “We were so scared to go to our field when the conflict started. Dangerous people were plundering our crops. Our stock of cereal and the quality of our food diminished drastically. My children were losing weight every day. I had no idea it was because we weren’t eating properly. I thought someone had poisoned them or that a witch had cast a spell on them.”

The has had a terrible impact on the communities’ capacity to produce food, and has weakened their economy. Medair has been working in Kilonge since 2021, supporting the outpatient therapeutic feeding unit at the health centre. In September 2023, thanks to the DRC Humanitarian Fund’s support, Medair was able to extend its nutritional work and include more communities in North Kivu.  

At the beginning of the project, a wide malnutrition screening campaign was carried out among the community’s children under 5. A large number of malnourished children were sent to the unit, where they received the care they needed to get back on their feet. With the support of the area’s health authorities, Medair hired several community members to become liaison officers, and trained them on active malnutrition screening. Their job is to go from household to household, finding malnourished children, referring any cases of severe malnutrition to the health facility.

Mapendo, a 33-year old liaison officer, tells us about her experience: “As a community member, I feel responsible for the protection of the people in our village, especially our children, who are our hope for the future. As liaison officers, we participate in Medair’s training sessions, and then, we teach what we’ve learned to our neighbours. Malnutrition was a real challenge here in Kilonge, but we now know how to change our eating habits, which has improved our overall health. I often take part in the screening campaigns; I take my role as guardian of our children’s health very seriously. I believe that part of our responsibility is to make sure families understand which feeding and eating practices are safe.”

The impact of Kilonge’s liaison officers’ work is a testimony to the community’s engagement against malnutrition.  

Thanks to their efforts, Iman was able to send one of her children to the nutrition unit. “I thought someone had cast a spell on my children before Medair’s arrival. The liaison officers screened them for malnutrition and told me I needed to take my youngest urgently to Medair’s health facility. When we arrived, they told me my son was suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Once he was healed, the team of liaison officers asked me to join a group of mothers that meets regularly. Through demonstrations, we learn about healthy eating practices and recipes. I’ve since been able to prevent malnutrition in my family, and protect my children. They will never again become malnourished.”  

Thanks to the DRC Humanitarian Fund’s support in 2023-2024, 350 children under 5 (among 1,573) were treated through our nutritional programme in Kilonge. The involvement and support of the community liaison officers throughout the project has made it possible for Medair to expand its activities within the region.

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This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.