Ntarama Pig Farm has trained parents in Nyamabuye Village, Ntarama Sector, Bugesera District, on how to prepare pork with vegetables to make balanced meals that support children’s healthy growth and help combat malnutrition and stunting.
The training took place on Friday, November 13, 2026, as part of a community awareness campaign dubbed ‘Ntarama, Hehe n’Igwingira’ (Ntarama, Say No to Stunting), organised by Ntarama Sector and Ntarama Pig Farmers in partnership with other stakeholders.
The campaign aims to encourage parents to prioritise children’s nutrition, prepare balanced meals and play an active role in preventing malnutrition and stunting.
Peace Niyoyita, the head of Ntarama Pig Farm, said one of the challenges limiting pork consumption in households is that many people do not know how to prepare it properly.
“One of the challenges we often face as people in this industry is that many people do not know how to cook pork at home. They associate it with meat served in bars, which women rarely visit. That is why, through this programme, we came to train parents on simple ways of preparing it using vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, green peppers and onions,” she said.
For the training, Ntarama Pig Farm brought in a professional chef who demonstrated how to prepare pork with different vegetables, enabling parents to incorporate it into nutritious and well-balanced meals.
Niyoyita said the farm wants to change public perceptions about pork consumption and help people understand that it is not only meant for special occasions or meals in bars, but can also be prepared at home whenever a family can afford it.
She said a kilogramme of pork processed at Ntarama Pig Farm costs Rwf4,600, a price she described as relatively affordable compared with some other types of meat on the market.
She added that Ntarama Pig Farm has committed to providing pork to children identified as stunted in Ntarama Sector. Under the initiative, the children will be brought together at Ntarama Health Centre for growth assessments and will receive balanced meals, including pork supplied by the farm every week.
The programme is expected to run for six months.
Ntarama Sector Executive Secretary Patrick Rwasa thanked Ntarama Pig Farm and other partners for supporting the initiative, noting that tackling child stunting requires cooperation among different stakeholders, although the most important responsibility begins within families.
He emphasised that parents have a duty to care for their children, protect them from diseases, monitor their growth and provide balanced diets that support their health.
“My child is my pride. That is why we must care for our children, protect them, ensure their well-being and support their growth. When we talk about a village free from stunting, it starts at home, where families care for their children and prepare balanced meals that protect them from diseases, give them strength and help build their bodies,” he said.
As part of efforts to recognise and encourage community participation in the fight against malnutrition, 32 households that performed well in the programme were each awarded two chickens to help improve nutrition within their families.
Some parents who attended the training welcomed the initiative, saying they had previously lacked adequate knowledge of how to prepare pork at home. They said the skills acquired would help them prepare it and include it in family meals, particularly those served to children.
The ‘Ntarama, Hehe n’Igwingira’ campaign focuses on encouraging every household to take responsibility for preventing child stunting through balanced diets, proper childcare and regular monitoring of children’s growth.
