Alzahir district is one of the remote areas in Al Jawf governorate and has many scattered villages. Residents of Alzahir had no access to health services and used to walk for hours in order to reach the nearest health facility. Accordingly, they used to visit the health facility in case there was a life-threatening illness but weakness, lethargy and other symptoms of malnutrition were not considered serious enough, from their point of view, to bear the hardship of the road. Therefore, the number malnutrition cases were significantly increased particularly amongst children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW). 

Mohammed Yahya saif is a health worker in Al Zahir district of Al-Jawf who could not stand watching the suffering of the surrounding people without doing anything to help. Out of social responsibility and strong desire to help the people of this village, he and his sister, who works as a midwife, have prepared a part of their own house to be a health unit “Al Mabna Health Facility”. This health center was providing basic health services for the residents of the area “it was painful to watch all these children suffering and not reaching their potential growth,” said Mohammed. When YFCA started implementing the promotion of preventive and lifesaving nutrition intervention in Al Al zahir district in August 2021, Al Mabna health facility was nominated for the activities of the project to be implemented in. shortly after, when the siblings noticed the number of cases who are visiting the health facility were increased, they got encouraged to build a new building to accommodate the increasing number of the patient. Now people of Al Zahir are pleased with the health and nutrition services provided by Al Mabna HF. In addition, the awareness of the community about the healthy diet got increased and the general health status of the children under the age of five was remarkably improved.

Furthermore, The residents of the village are grateful for the support they received “ can you imagine how hard it is to watch your son weaken day after day when you don’t know what to do to help, now thanks for WFP, YFCA and the health workers of Al Mabna health center for the provided service” one of Alzahir citizn said.