Caregivers gain knowledge that keeps their children strong and thriving.
Rokonta, Sierra Leone – It’s a bright morning in Rokonta, a quiet community tucked within Bombali District. The sun has just climbed over the hills, and the open yard outside the Rokonta Community Health Centre (CHC) is slowly filling with mothers with babies, some wrapped in colorful cloths on their backs, others holding toddlers by hand. A few fathers are also around, listening attentively as community health workers prepare for the day’s engagement session.
The session is part of a wider effort through the Vitamin A in a New Age (VINA) project to ensure every child has a healthy start in life. While community dialogue is the focus of the day’s session, it also includes administering Vitamin A supplements to young children (6-59 months), a simple yet vital step to boost immunity and prevent illness.
The Vitamin A in a New Age programme, funded by the Government of Canada over the past three years, has significantly strengthened Sierra Leone’s capacity to deliver life-saving Vitamin A supplementation and nutrition services for children under five. With UNICEF’s technical support, the Ministry of Health has successfully integrated Vitamin A delivery into routine child health services—including immunization, growth monitoring, and community health outreach (including the community health workers) —ensuring that even hard-to-reach communities are not left behind. Coverage has remained consistently high since 2022, with more than 70 per cent of eligible children reached nationwide. The programme has also enhanced the skills of nearly 2,900 community health workers and 270 primary health unit in-charges, developed national Standard Operating Procedures on micronutrient programming, and strengthened supply chain management and data systems for sustainability. These achievements reflect how strategic partnership and sustained investment—made possible through Canada’s generous support—are helping Sierra Leone build a stronger, more resilient health system that protects every child’s right to survive and thrive.
UNICEFSierraLeone/2026/Mason Six-month-old Haja gets a dose of Vitamin A at the Rokonta Community Health Center.
“We don’t only give the supplements; we explain why they matter,” said Nurse Abibatu Jalloh, the Maternal and Child Health Aide at Rokonta CHC. “When parents understand the benefits of good nutrition, hygiene, and immunization, they become our strongest allies in keeping their children healthy.”
The community engagement brings together residents from 13 nearby villages, a cross-section of the over 6,000 people who depend on the Rokonta CHC for essential health and nutrition services. Under the shade of a mango tree, health workers speak in the local language, using real-life examples to explain the importance of Vitamin A, exclusive breastfeeding and routine immunization.
For Mohamed Tholley, a father of eight-month-old Morlai Tholley, the session is a reminder that childcare is not just a mother’s responsibility. “I came today because the nurses have encouraged me to be involved,” he said proudly. “The nurse explained that the liquid in these small red and blue capsules help my baby’s eyes and keep him strong. I’ve learned that my role as a father matters too.”
The involvement of men like Mohamed is one of the quiet successes of the VINA project. By encouraging fathers to take part in discussions, the initiative helps shift traditional norms and strengthens shared caregiving within households.
According to Mariama Bah, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, this community-centered approach is key to sustaining progress. “When parents and local health workers come together like this, we build trust and shared responsibility,” she explained. “It’s not just about giving out supplements—it’s about empowering families with the knowledge and confidence to make healthy choices for their children.”
Reflecting on the day’s activities, Janet Dugba, Nutritionist at the Bombali District Health Management Team, said the engagement was successful in both participation and impact. “Today, we have not just reached children with Vitamin A supplements. We’ve also reached the parents with valuable knowledge,” she shared. “When caregivers understand why these supplements matter, they are more likely to return and encourage others to do the same. That’s how we build stronger healthier communities, one session, one family at a time.”
As the crowd slowly disperses, mothers tuck their children’s immunization and growth monitoring cards safely into their bags, chatting as they make their way home. The day’s event may have ended, but its lessons, and the protection those tiny capsules provide, will continue to ripple through Rokonta’s 13 communities, giving every child a better chance at a healthy start in life.
Source: UNICEF