29/05/2026
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Children in the Letlhakeng district have historically been vulnerable to malnutrition, with poverty serving as the primary cause. Letlhakeng District Council and its consequently decided to organise a Malnutrition Outreach campaign at Ditshegwane in order to explore "why" the situation has not changed despite years of efforts.
Following a collaborative success in other ECD areas, Letlhakeng District Council has been actively highlighting hunger as a major ECD concern. Therefore, Deputy Council Secretary Dr. Delic Sehunwe stated that this outreach program, which brought together all sectors with an interest in ECD, was intended to increase awareness and capacity building among parents and carers. Furthermore, she stated that it also intend to offer useful interventions to prevent and manage child malnutrition at the household and community level. Since child malnutrition is still a major public health concern in the district, Dr. Sehunwe stated that a multidisciplinary approach was required to determine why supplemental feeding does not yield the desired results.
Dr Shikha Trivedi, Head of the Early Childhood Development Department at Botswana Open University, cited the theme 'Building Healthy Bodies, Brighter Minds', emphasising the importance of healthy minds in children's development and urging parents to understand the importance of nutrition. She urged parents to be conscious of what their children consume, its nutritional content, and how it is prepared.
Dr. Trivedi stated that combating malnutrition in Letlhakeng is essential for a child's growth in order to protect long-term public health, avoid irreparable cognitive stunting, and end the intergenerational cycles of poverty that are prevalent throughout the district. She informed parents that in the long run, it protects vulnerable children, guarantees a productive local workforce, and relieves the terrible socioeconomic strain on rural health systems. Dr. Trivedi reminded parents and ECD partners that the First Lady's inauguration of Mpepu in Letlhakeng District essentially positions the district as a yardstick for the entire country, calling on all stakeholders to play their respective roles as we accelerate efforts to combat ECD concerns.
Statistics show that Khekhenye, Ditshegwane, Diphuduhudu, and Kaudwane have significant child malnutrition rates, and the outreach will follow up with them to address their issues further. Looking into social issues that contribute to undernourishment, Ellen Eymen, Country Director for HOPE Worldwide, expressed concern about parents who only take their children to welfare clinics when there are supplementary rations such as Tsabana, denying children early malnutrition detection and intervention. As child moms become more common, Eymen noted that the majority leave their children with grandparents, who frequently fail to feed these children effectively owing to a variety of socioeconomic issues. She stated that a door-to-door strategy will be used to handle individual household issues directly.
Dr. Pearl Lefadola, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Botswana and an expert in Culinary and Food Management, directly addressed child malnutrition by spearheading community outreach into locally grown, inexpensive, and nutrient-dense, sustainable foods. She proceeded to educate parents on the importance of providing children with a balanced diet that includes fibre, vegetables, and proteins. Dr. Lefadola further stressed that children were physically fit and illnesses were uncommon when we were eating native cuisine. Parents were cautioned to avoid giving their children regular snacks that are low in calories, to cut back on sugar and salt, and to avoid hardening fats in their children.
For Letlhakeng District Council, the fight against malnutrition in the district continues.
