Projects
The rising waters of Lake Chad and the Logone River during the severe 2024 rainy season flooded vast areas of the Makary and Biamo communities, causing devastating material and human losses. Crops such as rice, beans, and sorghum were washed away, leading to extremely poor harvests. As a result, malnutrition increased sharply, especially among children aged 6–59 months, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly. While humanitarian programs offered treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), support for Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) was very limited due to resource and capacity gaps.
Our Solution
To address this urgent crisis, SEMBE launched the project “Sembe Pap: a high-energy custard to overcome moderate acute malnutrition in Makary and Biamo.” Pap is a popular staple food in the region. Building on this tradition, our team developed a fortified version using locally available ingredients—corn, soybeans, dried fish, millet, and groundnuts—rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. This enriched pap was designed to treat MAM, while also promoting food diversity and introducing climate-smart farming techniques to improve local production of the raw materials needed for the pap.
Our Approach
The project was built on five main pillars:
Capacity building: Ten Community Health Workers (CHWs) and four nutrition assistants were trained on malnutrition screening using the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) method, as well as on nutrition counselling, healthy eating, and climate resilience.
Mass screening: CHWs conducted door-to-door malnutrition screening in Makary and Biamo, reaching even hard-to-access villages.
Pap production: Two Sembe Pap recipes were developed—one based on corn, groundnuts, and fish, and another using millet, beans, and fish. A local production unit was established in Makary, engaging women agro-pastoralists in ingredient preparation, grinding, and packaging. Forty vulnerable women also received start-up kits to run small businesses selling corn, millet, beans, and groundnuts in their communities, helping families reproduce Sembe Pap at home.
Nutrition management: Two centres were set up at Makary and Biamo health facilities to distribute Sembe Pap. Beneficiaries attended weekly sessions for health checks, nutrition counselling, malnutrition screening, and pap distribution. Each beneficiary followed a 12-week program managed by trained health staff.
Climate resilience: Fifteen farmer groups were trained on climate adaptation techniques and provided with seeds and tools to boost the production of staple crops used in Sembe Pap.
In short, the SEMBE Pap project developed a nutrient-rich pap using local ingredients, empowered women and CHWs to detect and manage malnutrition, and built resilience against climate impacts.
Our Achievements
This community-led approach transformed lives across Makary and Biamo:
- Over 16,500 children under 5, pregnant and lactating women, and elderly persons screened for malnutrition.
- 611 MAM cases enrolled in the nutrition program, exceeding the target of 350. An additional 209 SAM cases were referred for hospital treatment.
- Our 12-week nutrition program achieved a 94% recovery rate among beneficiaries, surpassing the goal of 75%.
- 99% of beneficiaries reported being “highly satisfied” with Sembe Pap and said they would recommend it to other families.
- Over 2500 people sensitised on food diversity, healthy eating habits, climate change and climate resilience
- 50 farmers from 15 groups trained in climate-smart farming, organic fertilizers, and crop conservation.
- 40 vulnerable women supported with business start-up kits to strengthen their economic independence.
Voices from the Community
The impact of Sembe Pap is best reflected in the voices of those it touched:
A grandfather’s gratitude: “I was already desperate with this situation… I thank Allah for putting Sembe in my path. After just one month, my daughter is doing well, she has gained weight, and she consumes this porridge like mother’s milk.”
A nurse’s pride: “We see children and pregnant/nursing mothers recovering from malnutrition, and families protected from disease. We see hope and resilience being reborn.”
A caregiver’s empowerment: “The training and sensitization we received helped us raise awareness among others about the nutrition of children, pregnant/nursing women, and the elderly.”
Looking Ahead: From Project to Legacy
The SEMBE Pap project is only the beginning. The results are being shared through academic publications, and we are now working to transition the initiative into a sustainable social enterprise led by local women. With your support, we can scale this innovation, ensuring SEMBE Pap becomes a lasting solution in the fight against malnutrition.
Join us in building a brighter, healthier future for children and communities across Cameroon.