Nutrition and home-economics programme in Egyptian villages

Abstract

Miss Ross is an American home economist, who was sent by FAO to work in an Egyptian village in a cooperative venture with the Egyptian Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Social Affairs and Education, and with WHO. Miss Boss appears to have fitted herself into rural life extremely quickly. Her report is lively and practical. As it is probably not yet generally realized what home economists can contribute to problems of rural health, the following extracts from her report are given. " All my work has been done in association with Egyptian colleagues who have accompanied me on visits to villages and taken part in the surveys and demonstrations, as well as acting as interpreters... ... " During the 1st year of our work, all teaching was done in the homes. Neighbours would always gather to observe, listen and join in the conversation. We soon learned to limit our suggestions to simple changes that could be easily understood and accepted by the group and could be demonstrated on the spot with materials and equipment available to the family. The simple economy of the home, the ' barter ' value of eggs and chickens, the scarcity of fuel and the difficulty of carrying water must all be considered and understood in developing an educational programme. These are among the factors with which the home economist must learn to deal. " Cooking facilities in the homes are simple in the extreme. They may consist of a three-brick stove, a clay brazier in which maize cobs are burned, the huge oven for bread that also serves as sleeping space in winter, or, occasionally, an old primus stove. Equipment includes one or more tinned copper pots, clay bowls and jugs of various sizes, a large reed basket for storing bread, a flour sifter, a brass mortar and pestle and a few tin cans with twisted-wire handles. " The lack of any facilities for storing food or utensils, and the absence of established arrangements for meals, are constant sources of discouragement to the home economist... ... " Scarcity of fuel, lack of clean water in adequate amounts, absence of storage space protected from flies and dust, and the custom of preparing food on the mud floor all create problems of food contamination that are hard to solve. The incidence of intestinal infection is high. The difficulty of preparing foods that are safe for the weanling child is recognized and is reflected in the practice of nursing babies as long as possible, often into the 3rd year. Dehydration often occurs as the mother's milk supply fails, for the women fear to give the child any supplementary food or water. Eickets is common up to 2 years of age; it may be related to the practice of placing babies in the windowless room (oven), and covering them completely when they are outside. " The heavy responsibilities of the woman and the arduous labour she performs make it desirable to simplify rather than complicate her daily life. Water must be carried, butter churned and cheese made every day. Maize is removed from the cob, taken to the mill, ground and sifted by hand, and bread baked every 7-10 days. This is an enormous task that requires three women to complete... ... " Alertness on the part of the home economists and the receptiveness of the people have led to the demonstration of several home improvements. These include an improved mud-brick stove which conserves fuel, eliminates smoke and the risk of fires, and gives the cook a working surface of comfortable height; porous clay jars with double walls and fitted covers which keep food cool by evaporation; palmstalk cupboards and shelves, a child's cot and other simple furniture which contribute to convenience and comfort in the homes. Because of the scarcity of soap and water, we are now trying to develop improved laundry methods. " The home economists have selected a small group of teen-age girls in each village to act as their assistants and to receive special training, this being part of a plan to develop an extension service for women. In addition, nurses, midwives, female schoolteachers and other village workers in the Calioub Project receive practical training in nutrition and home economics. Young physicians about to enter service in government health centres are given simple instruction in applied nutrition." R. Passmore.