WISHH News

Africare and WISHH Launch Pilot Program Textured Soy Protein and Soy Flour on Their Way to Angola

Textured soy protein and soy flour are headed to Angola where they will supplement the diets of 1,700 moderately-to-severely malnourished children in a World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) pilot project. Photo credit:  Africare

August 2002 ...A ship loaded with a container of 12 metric tons of soy products, including soy flour and textured soy protein, is on its way to Angola where a 30-year war has ended but left tremendous suffering in a country pockmarked with landmines. The soy foods will supplement the diets of 1,700 moderately-to-severely malnourished Angolan children under age five who face mental and physical stunting due to their poor diets.

 The foods launch a pilot project between the (state name)-supported World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program and Private Voluntary Organization Africare, which will use the soy products in their program in cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP). The products from Archer Daniels Midland Company are scheduled to arrive in Angola on August 28 and are then headed to a pilot project at three feeding centers in Kuito, Angola.

 "These soy foods could not come at more timely moment," says Africare's Regional Director for Southern Africa Kevin Lowther. "The need for therapeutic feeding has expanded, following the peace agreement in April, and having these supplies will enable us to serve--and save--many more children. We will also get a better sense of the foods' acceptability in Angola."

“This project exemplifies how we at WISHH like to work with food assistance organizations,” said WISHH Program Director Jim Hershey.  “We can offer the technical assistance that helps meet the nutritional needs of undernourished people.”

The Kuito Feeding Centers serve porridge made from corn-soy blend, oil, sugar, and depending on availability, milk.  For lunch, the Centers offer a boiled corn-meal dish called fungi.  Africare will use the soy products to increase the protein content of such foods. For example, the tsp can be used to make stews while the soy flour will be mixed with the corn to make fortified fungi.

WISHH has already provided technical training to Africare’s Country Director Samson Ngonyani. In addition, WISHH is committed to providing other technical support during the next year. This support ranges from developing nutritional monitoring programs to offering recipes on use of the products in local foods.

Africare will determine the exact protein requirements of the children as well as assess the adaptability and ease of use of the product. In addition, Africare will coordinate delivery of the soy products from the Port of Luanda as well as make its findings on the project available to WFP and other development organizations. 

More information about Africare is available at www.africare.org