Nutrition

On March 23, 2020, the Rivers State Government shut all schools to combat the spread of COVID 19. Our nutrition program which is designed to feed the children weekly shifted to a new socially distanced form by spreading the kids out across multiple classrooms so we could continue feeding them at a time of enhanced hunger in their community. This photo is from April 10, 2020. Most of this page shows our nutrition program in its originally non-socially distanced form. Other pictures of it in its current socially distanced form can be found toward the bottom of this page and here.


In February 2017, we started a pilot nutrition program for 50 students at our school in Bodo.  Our nutrition program is based on Dr. Paul Farmer’s indisputable argument that “the only known treatment for hunger [is] something called food.”


Our nutrition program is centered around “Ogi Soy Plus” which for every 1 kilogram is 0.5 kg of soybeans, 0.2 kg of millet and 0.3 kg of crayfish. All three ingredients are locally available. In combination, they offer a wide array of nutritional benefits.  We are grateful to Pastor Ben Inaku, a local nutritionist, who originally devised or developed”Ogi Soy Plus” and shared it with us.


These students in May 2017 are eating Ogi Soy Plus with jollof rice, a spicy rice that is one of Nigeria’s most popular dishes.


These students in June 2017 are eating Ogi Soy Plus in a semi-solid form that Nigerians call “pap.” On this day, they were eating the pap with pancakes.

Our commitment to working with local Nigerians extends to our nutrition program where the two local women in this photo are preparing to serve Ogi Soy Plus.


The students here are eating Ogi Soy Plus in its pap formula with scotch eggs.

As funding allows, we hope to expand our pilot nutrition program to all our students in Bodo and then to our other schools in Bane and Bori as we have already done with our health program.

One example of the folder that we use for keeping records on each student enrolled in our pilot nutrition program.
Women preparing servings of Ogi Soy Plus for our nutrition program in Bodo, June 2018.
Another shot of women preparing the Ogi Soy Plus in June 2018.
Distributing food to the children, June 2018.
Scott Pegg joining the children to try the Ogi Soy Plus in its “pap” formulation in June 2018.
Scott Pegg and his son Kerem eating with the children, June 2018.
How do we know that our children are hungry and that the food we serve them is locally appropriate and familiar? Because they always eat it and finish their servings.
Even though Rivers State has shut schools to minimize the spread of COVID 19, our nutrition program continues to function with the children spread across multiple classrooms for more socially distanced feeding.
Socially distanced feeding (in response to COVID 19) at our school in Bodo on March 26, 2020.
A boy eating during our socially distanced nutrition program feeding on April 24, 2020.