In Zambia’s largest refugee camp, Congolese mothers face the challenge of protecting their children from malnutrition and infection with malaria - both potentially fatal. Kala Refugee Camp has over 16,000 refugees. There isn't always enough food, clean water or medical supplies.

The violence and political unrest in the Congo has seen thousands of people fleeing their homes, and having little choice available as to where they end up. Daria has been raising her family – 4-year-old Mutuka and 1-year-old Nghandwe – in Kala Refugee Camp since 2001. “We don’t live in good conditions because there is not enough food," she says softly.

Most mothers are anxious about their children’s health, but Daria has the added problems of malnutrition and disease. “Mutuka loses weight and his hair changes colour. His stomach is bloated.”

It’s a situation Kala Refugee Camp’s Commodities Officer Mangani Banda is all too familiar with. “There are children in the camp who are very bloated and their faces are swollen from malnutrition. Their hair colour also changes to a ginger colour.”

The camp relies on food from the World Food Programme - usually trucked in from South Africa or Kenya. Many children are given extra rations to fight malnutrition. According to Mangani, “Some families would die without the food, they entirely depend on it. They have very little other options.”

Daria and her family are threatened further by malaria infection and the likelihood of getting diarrhoea from the camp's poor sanitation.

“My main worry is the continuous sickness of my children. They are constantly sick,” says Daria.

Throughout the camp, preventable disease is rife. Head Nurse Herman Muchanga says: “The main causes of infant mortality in the camp are respiratory tract infection, malaria (the number one cause), malnutrition and diarrhoea.”

The under-resourced health clinic does what it can to monitor the health of children under 5. Weighing, a cursory eye examination and asking mothers about their child’s condition are used to determine if a child has malnutrition. Additional rations and high-energy protein supplements are given to children.

Daria visits the clinic as often as possible. “It takes about one hour to walk to the health clinic. Sometimes the medication we need is not available in the clinic.”

The clinic and food program are supported by World Vision but there is never enough. According to Daria: “Sometimes we just stay hungry and don’t eat. In a month there are about six days where we don’t eat at all.”

You can help a child suffering from malnutrition like Mutuka by sponsoring a child.