This story begins with a dream, that of Jorge Munyandi, 22 years old, who wants to become a nutritionist. As a child. Jorge suffered from malnutrition and he is now determined to pursue the dream of supporting the children and their families who are experiencing the same pain. Today he lives and works as CUAMM community health worker in Mucope, Angola, one of the areas most affected by drought in the last 40 years.
Laura Villosio – CUAMM doctor, tells us more about Jorge: “Jorge has combined the health skills from the training course with the techniques learned in his community and has managed to bring about a change among his people. Thanks to interviews and home visits, he is able to identify cases of malnutrition at early stage to refer them to health facilities. As a boy, he had to interrupt his studies, shelving the dream of a degree in education because he did not have the financial support to continue his university studies. When the opportunity arose, he was interviewed and agreed to collaborate with Cuamm, altough at the time he did not have a precise idea of what the work would have been like. He followed a training course that provided him with the necessary knowledge on community health, particularly about malnutrition, and today he carries out his commitment with dedication and professionalism. Today, he does not give up in the face of difficulties as he did not as a child. Every day he walks long distances to take the families in need to the nearest health center. He spends a lot of time with mothers, shares nutritional advice, and teaches good nutritional and hygiene practices for their children”.
Jorge still look at the future with great hope and he is serious about helping his community by sharing health knowledge that will not only make it healthier but also set it free from taboos.
“I decided to start studying again. Thanks to my encounter with Cuamm, I understood that I want to become a nutritionist to help my people.”
