Like in previous years, instead of gifts to its business partners, AWANTYS has made a charitable donation. This year, AWANTYS has supported the OKI Moringa Kindertafel© in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Oki-Moringa Kindertafel

The Oki-Moringa Kindertafel was established with the principal aim of helping children aged five and under in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC), many of whom are suffering from life-threatening levels of undernutrition. The DRC is one of three countries (together with India and Nigeria), which together account for 40% of all children who die before their fifth birthdays.

In the DRC, evictions, bad infrastructure and extreme poverty are among the chief causes of life-threatening undernutrition among children.

The OKI Moringa Kindertafel is the result of a concept developed by Elfriede Schüle, a German development aid worker, in cooperation with the German non-profit organisation Wiehl-hilft e.V. and the Congolese non-profit organisation OKI asbl.

It works to combat undernutrition by setting up treatment centres for malnourished children, referred to as “Kindertafeln” (the German for “Children’s tables”).

Every single Kindertafel is situated conveniently near to a health centre and a lot of the children who come to a Kindertafel are sent by their local health centre. Undernourished children are extremely prone to illness and the proximity of the Kindertafel to medical centres means that their medical needs can be met quickly. While they are at the Kindertafel the children are closely monitored and given regular weekly weight checks, in order to chart their progress.

In addition, members of the OKI Moringa Kindertafeln visit undernourished children in their homes or the shelters where they are staying and will refer them when necessary to their nearest Kindertafel.

Each Kindertafel provides the children in its care with a nutritious diet of locally grown food. The cornmeal that the children receive as their staple food is supplemented by the leaf powder of the Moringa Oleifera, extracted from the dried leaves of the Moringa tree. The Moringa leaf is rich in minerals, vitamins and proteins and is a cost effective and sustainable way of improving the children’s diet.

Plant a Moringa Tree

Moringa is held in high regard and is widely used in tropical areas. It also has the advantage of being fast-growing, with the Moringa tree growing to up to 4 metres during its first year. Every Kindertafel is required to plant at least 12 trees per month in the local area, to ensure the sustainability of the project.

The Moringa Oleifera tree is also referred to as the 'Miracle' tree because of its many benefits..

• Amino-Acid – Moringa contains 18 out of the 20 well-known amino-acids
• Antioxidants – Moringa contains 46 different antioxidants and is one of the most significant natural sources of antioxidants.
• Water purification – 0,2 grams of Moringa seed powder are sufficient to purify a litre of water

Additionally, the Oki-Moringa Kindertafel works with mothers living in the local area, in order to teach them how to cultivate the Moringa plant.