By Baraka John
Twelve young people in Yambio celebrated a major milestone on Thursday, January 3, 2025, as they graduated with pre-diploma certificates in nutrition after completing a one-year training program. The cohort, consisting of five women and seven men, marked the occasion at the Charlotte Technical Vocational Center, where the curriculum emphasized clinical nutrition.
Mangu Gloria Anthony, managing director of the center, explained to King Media that the program included 10 months of classroom instruction, followed by two months of hands-on practical training at Yambio State Hospital.
This marks the third graduating class since the institute’s establishment, highlighting its growing contribution to building local expertise in nutrition.
“And so far, we have graduated three batches, one for three months and the other one for six months, and today we graduated one year pre- diploma certificate in nutrition.
She explained that the institution offers a range of courses, including Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), livelihood, gender-based violence (GBV), agriculture, and English language. However, Gloria noted that it was the nutrition course that attracted the most interest from the local community.
One of the graduates, Ueko Moses, who earned a certificate in clinical nutrition, shared his experience. He explained that the course began in June 2023 and concluded in June 2024.
Moses expressed his commitment to improving the nutrition of his community, particularly emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet.
Mose said many children in our community are suffering from malnutrition due to a lack of awareness, saying with the knowledge gained, he is now in a better position to combat malnutrition.
“Having trained in that department of clinical nutrition, our focus is to go to the communities and emphasize nutrition and how our children are malnourished; being leaned, I have learned something: our people die because of ignorance”. Moses asserted
Another graduate, Emmanuel Juma Ramadan, highlighted how the course equipped him with the necessary skills to care for malnourished children.
“I am glad to receive this certificate because I have learned a lot during the training; I learned to care for malnourished children through this course. Now, to my fellow brothers and sisters who haven’t gotten this knowledge, you should to register to get similar skills so that we can save our communities,” Juma urged
The training program is seen as a significant step toward addressing malnutrition in Yambio, with the graduates expressing readiness to make a difference in their communities by promoting proper nutrition and providing essential care for those in need.