Browsing by Author "Muzanila, Y."

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Assessment of complementary foods and child feeding practices in Dodoma Region, Tanzania
(2014-06) Lyimo, M.; Muzanila, Y.
A study was carried out in Dodoma region, Tanzania to assess complementary foods and child feeding practices. Three hundred and twenty mothers with children aged between 6 to 24 months were selected randomly in four districts (Bahl, Chamwino, Dodoma Municipality and Kondoa) and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using the descriptive statistics. Results show that maize, sorghum and linger millet were commonly used cereals JOr child Pods In Dodoma region. All respondents introduced complementary food's using available cereals before their children attained the age of six months. The average age when children were introduced to complementary foods was between 3.2 and 4.7 months; being lowest in Dodoma Municipality and highest in Kondoa. Utilization and preference of cereals used in complementary foods varied among districts. Utilization of sorghum porridge hi respondents ranged from 23.8% in Chaniwino to 27.8% in Dodoma Municipality. Maize porridge ranged from 24.7% in Chamwino, to 31.3% in Kondoa. Finger millet was the most highly used cereal in Kondoa at (61.2%). Grounchnits, common legumes in Dodoma, were used in complementary fouls at different rates varying from 20.5% in Chal1710110 to 32.4% in Kondoa. Respondents who Jeed children three meals per day ranged from 23.9% in Chainwino, to 26.4 % in Dodonia Municipality. These results show that most respondents did not adhere to the recommended practices of exclusive breast jeeding for six months. There is a need 1hcrelbrc' to sensitize Wainen and the community at large on the importance of recommended practices for breast feeding and promote appropriate complementary Pods and feeding practices in order to avoid likely health complication among
Enhancing child nutrition and livelihoods of rural households in Malawi and Tanzania through postharvest value-chain technology improvements in groundnuts
(2013-09-30) Spieldoch, A.; Cardwell, A.; Fleckenstein, M.; Clarke, S.; Schafer, B.; Siambi, M.; Gondwe, L.; Madzonga, O.; Msere, H.; Muzanila, Y.; Chove, B.; Lyimo, M.; Remmy, E.
Historically, investments in improved groundnut production through agricultural research and development efforts have been devoted to increased productivity and production in the field (i.e. preharvest) whereas much less attention has been paid to postharvest crop processing and value addition. Researchers and development professionals are now realizing that yields cannot simply be measured at harvest time but more importantly must be measured at time of ultimate use. The numerous postharvest processing steps for these crops cumulatively lead to significant food wastage and loss as well as requiring substantial, tedious family labor on a nearly continuous, daily basis. On the food quality and safety side, aflatoxin remains a persistent problem in groundnuts produced in Africa, not only for families consuming groundnuts but also for export. In fact, the EU effectively banned the import of groundnuts from Malawi in the 1990s because of unacceptable aflatoxin levels. If the best-quality groundnuts are exported, either regionally or internationally, and the poorer quality lots are kept for local consumption, then the health impacts of aflatoxin may be worse than many might think. CTI and its partners therefore considered this as a major issue and gave it high priority in evaluating harvest and postharvest technologies and the foods developed for children in the child nutrition studies by SUA. The project was aimed at identifying major challenges faced during the harvesting and postharvest processes in order to make recommendations on technologies that will address yield losses in terms of both quality and quantity but also reducing labor. This is ultimately expected to improve income generated through sale of high quality processed or raw groundnuts, but more importantly to improve health and well-being of smallholder families in Malawi and Tanzania. Despite the region’s high potential for groundnut production, malnutrition is common among the rural people. It is widespread in Tanzania and Malawi, and is particularly acute among children under five who are weaned onto the staple maize-based diet that is deficient in protein, oils and micro-nutrients. Therefore, there was an urgent need to develop improved nutritious weaning foods using locally-available groundnuts and other crops, and to reduce drudgery associated with food preparation, which is borne mostly by women and children.