Harnessing local resources to improve community well-being through enhanced food and nutritional security

Session: Malnutrition is a major contributor to poor health and poverty among rural communities. Therefore, to improve the wellbeing of local communities, identification of signs and symptoms of malnutrition, poor health and the intersection between the two is critical. It is also important that the underlying causes of malnutrition and poor health are well understood. And lastly, to ensure sustainable solutions, there is need to leverage locally available resources in addressing these root causes.

Biographical information: Mrs. Rose M Opeli is a retired social worker with immense experience in community education, and psychosocial and mental health outreach. Although retired, Mrs. Opeli continues to engage community members on issues of mental health and nutrition. She currently directs the activities of Community Based Nutri Farm (CoBNuF), an organization with a mission of encouraging communities to adopt integrated farming as an important venture to improve nutritional and health status. Previously, Mrs. Opeli worked with organizations such as ACROSS in Sudan (Uganda Refugee settlements), MSF, ACORD and TPO Uganda, in internally displaced persons camps especially in Northern Uganda and among Sudanese Refugees in West Nile region.