Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Roma (Agenzia Fides) - Food insecurity is still a world problem. Some 850 million people do not have enough food. Studies estimate that by 2020 1.3 billion and one out of every four children aged 0-6, will go hungry, unless policies to guarantee the 'right to food' are adopted.
The Millennial Goal to halve poverty by 2015, is at risk. The “right to food” is the theme of World Food Day, today 16 October marked with numerous events all over the world.
For many years the Italian Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale (AVSI) has combated hunger with many successful programmes including two Nutrition Education Centres, one in Sao Paulo, in Brazil, and the other in Humure, in Rwanda.
In Brazil 40% of the children are undernourished. CREN national feeding centre for children, helps families feed their children.
After charity work in city slums by doctors and nutrition experts from the Sao Paulo Federal in 1994 CREN was founded with the help of AVSI. Today the city has three CREN centres which treat undernourished children .Medical assistance is accompanied with instruction of the parents.
AVSI started working in Rwanda July 1994, three months after the end of the genocide when 1,000 traumatised children were in need of medical, nutritional and psycho-physical assistance. In 2000 AVSI opened its Nutritional Centre in Humure, district of Gatsibo, in the north east of Burundi. Besides offer the children in care a high nutritive diet purposely trained assistants give lessons on feeding and the nutritional value of local foods and how they can be used in the family diet.
The Centre expanded rapidly. It now has a maternity department and a centre for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, especially to prevent mother/child transmission of the HIV virus. (AP) (16/10/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:42; Parole:485)
