Nigeria: Utilizing the Porridge Mum Approach in Rapid Onset Emergency Situations

The Porridge Mum approach employed by Action Against Hunger in Borno State, Nigeria, provides a platform for women to come together, learn and discuss issues related to improved child caring and feeding practices. Porridge Mum groups ensure that children under five and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) receive one supplementary nutritious meal per day. The groups also provide a strong foundation for promoting optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, offering breastfeeding support, creating “safe spaces” for sharing and discussion among women, and screening regularly for undernutrition in children under five.

Taken as a whole, the Porridge Mum approach provides an example of how practitioners can identify creative solutions to overcome the ever-evolving, complex challenges associated with rapid onset emergency situations and better meet the needs of beneficiaries, even in the most insecure contexts.