At FIDR‘s project sites in Kampong Chhnang Province, the rate of malnourished population among under five years old is high. In order to improve mothers' knowledge and consciousness about nutrition, we have been conducting the various activities such as instruction on how to cook complementary diets and measurement of children's growth. In addition to normal trainings and workshops, we sometimes visit each house to check child's nutritional status.

One day at the end of last year, FIDR staff and volunteers of health promotion activities holding weight scale visited a house. At the house, a child who had been identified as undernourished in May stayed at home with her grandmother who looked after her because her mother was out to work at a factory.

We asked the grandmother the child's daily diet. She replied with concerned face, “we have cooked complementary diets more frequently since having informed that she was undernourished at the growth measurement in May; however, she often leaves food and doesn't seem to grow ---we all are worried about it.” After hearing her anxiety, we measured her weight again, but could not see clear improvement.

FIDR staff and the volunteers suggested her to cook complementary diet so that her granddaughter would has more appetite to complete the served meal; in particular, to change recipes every day, to avoid strong taste, and to make food colorful by using eggs, carrots and others. After giving those suggestions, FIDR staffs and the volunteers promised to visit them again.

Seeking to strengthen the system of community to support families that have undernourished children as reported above, FIDR has been setting occasions for information sharing among health volunteers and health center staff, in which all the participants can know respective children's nutritional statuses. It is expected that the health volunteers in each village will develop their capacity and lead home visits.

FIDR will continuously work to build communities where residents support one another, and children can grow up healthily.

*Complementary diet is porridge with various ingredients cooked especially for infants from six months old to two years old to make up for the lack of nutrients taken only by breast milk. As it is effective to improve nutrition of child, Ministry of Health recommends the nation to practice it.