Dietetic Intern: Sarah Bigham

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Dietetic Intern: Sarah Bigham

Moni! ? Dzina langa ndine Sarah Bigham, ndipo ndine katswiri wazakudya ku University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Ndinabwera ku Galveston County Food Bank chifukwa cha kusintha kwanga kwa milungu 4 mu July 2022. Nthawi yanga ndi banki ya chakudya inali yochepetsetsa. Inali nthawi yopindulitsa yomwe inandilola kupanga maphikidwe, kupanga mavidiyo owonetsera zakudya, kuphunzitsa makalasi, kupanga zopereka, ndi kufufuza zotsatira za zakudya m'deralo monga mphunzitsi wa zakudya. Mwakutero, ndidawona madera osiyanasiyana ammudzi akulumikizana ndi Banki ya Chakudya, kuphunzira za malamulo ndi mapulogalamu othandizira chakudya, ndikuwona zotsatira za kufalitsa chidziwitso chazakudya kumagulu angapo azaka.

Pa sabata yanga yoyamba, ndinagwira ntchito ndi Aemen (Nutrition Educator) kuti ndiphunzire za mapulogalamu othandizira aboma, kuphatikizapo SNAP ndi Healthy Eating Research (HER), ndi maphunziro awo. Ndinaphunzira za momwe amakhudzira nkhokwe ya chakudya. Mwachitsanzo, akugwira ntchito yopangira chakudya chopatsa thanzi chokhala ndi zakudya zolembedwa zobiriwira, zofiira, kapena zachikasu. Chobiriwira chimatanthauza kudya nthawi zambiri, chikasu chimatanthauza kudya nthawi zina, ndipo kufiira kumatanthauza kuchepetsa. Izi zimadziwika kuti njira ya SWAP stoplight. Ndinaphunziranso za maubwenzi awo ndi Seeding Galveston ndi polojekiti sitolo ngodya kumene iwo akugwira ntchito kuti zakudya wathanzi mosavuta.

Ndinayenera kupita ndi Karee (Nutrition Education Coordinator pa nthawiyo) kukawona ku Moody Methodist Day School komwe ndinawona momwe amagwiritsira ntchito Maphunziro a Organwise Guys ozikidwa pa umboni, omwe amagwiritsa ntchito zilembo zamakatuni pophunzitsa ana zakudya. M’kalasimo munaphunzira za matenda a shuga, ndipo ndinachita chidwi kuona mmene anawo anali odziŵa za kapamba. Kumapeto kwa mlunguwo, ndinaona Alexis (Wotsogolera Maphunziro a Zakudya Zopatsa thanzi) ndi Lana (Wothandizira Zakudya Zam'thupi) akuphunzitsa kalasi ya Mabungwe achikatolika a Katolika, omwe ankaphimba mbewu zonse ndi chisonyezero cha hummus ndi tchipisi tomwe timapanga tokha.

Ndinayeneranso kuthandiza pa Galveston's Own Farmers Market. Tidawonetsa momwe tingapangire tchipisi ta veggie ndikugawira timapepala ta momwe tingachepetsere sodium muzakudya. Tinapanga tchipisi ta veggie kuchokera ku beets, kaloti, mbatata, ndi zukini. Tidazipanga ndi zokometsera monga ufa wa adyo ndi tsabola wakuda kuti tiwonjezeko kukoma osagwiritsa ntchito mchere.

Ndinagwira ntchito ndi Alexis, Charli (Mphunzitsi wa Nutrition), ndi Lana pa nthawi yotsala ya kasinthasintha wanga. M’sabata yanga yachiŵiri, ndinayamba kugwira ntchito ndi ana a Moody Methodist Day School ku Galveston. Alexis adatsogolera zokambirana pa MyPlate, ndipo ndidatsogolera zochitika zomwe ana adayenera kuzindikira bwino ngati zakudya zili mgulu lolondola la MyPlate. Mwachitsanzo, zakudya zowerengeka zisanu zitha kuwoneka pansi pa gulu la ndiwo zamasamba, koma ziwiri sizikhala masamba. Anawo adayenera kuzindikira zolakwika ndikuwonetsa zala zawo. Inali nthawi yanga yoyamba kuphunzitsa ana, ndipo ndinazindikira kuti kuphunzitsa ana ndi chinthu chimene ndimakonda kuchita. Zinali zopindulitsa kuwaona akufotokoza chidziŵitso chawo ndi chidwi chofuna kudya bwino.

Pambuyo pa sabata, tinapita ku Seeding Galveston ndi sitolo yapangodya. Apa, ndidawona koyamba momwe mgwirizano ndi kusintha kwa chilengedwe kumakhudzira zakudya. Zikwangwani pazitseko ndi makonzedwe a sitolo zinandionekera kwambiri. Si zachilendo kuwona masitolo apakona akulimbikitsa zipatso ndi ndiwo zamasamba kuchokera m'deralo, koma uku kunali kusintha kwakukulu kuchitira umboni. Zomwe banki yazakudya imachita kudzera m'mayanjano awo kuti apange zosankha zathanzi zambiri ndi gawo la zomwe ndimakonda kukumana nazo.

M’sabata yanga yachitatu, ndinasumika maganizo kwambiri pa ntchito yothandiza anthu a Katolika. Banki yazakudya imaphunzitsa kalasi kumeneko, ndipo akuyamba mndandanda watsopano mu Ogasiti. Nthawi ino, ophunzira atenga bokosi lomwe lili ndi zonse zofunikira kuti apange maphikidwe omwe timawonetsa mkalasi. Ndinakhala sabata ndikupanga maphikidwe, kuwapanga ndikuwajambula, ndikupanga makanema oti ndiike pa njira ya YouTube ngati chothandizira popanga njira. Inali nthawi yanga yoyamba kusintha mavidiyo, koma ndinakulitsa luso langa lopanga zinthu pano, ndipo zinali zokhutiritsa kupeza zakudya zotsika mtengo, zofikirika, zosavuta kuti anthu azipanga pa bajeti yomwe imakondabe kukoma!

Wojambulidwa ndili pafupi ndi bolodi lomwe ndidapanga sabata yanga yomaliza. Zinapita ndi cholembera chomwe ndidapanga pa SNAP ndi WIC pamsika wa alimi. Nditawunika anthu ammudzi ndikuwona Msika wa Alimi a Galveston's Own Farmers, ndidazindikira kuti si anthu ambiri omwe amadziwa kuti angagwiritse ntchito SNAP pamsika, osasiya kuti phindu lawo liwonjezeke kawiri. Ndinkafuna kufalitsa chidziwitso kwa anthu ammudzi muno kuti apindule kwambiri ndi phindu lawo ndikugwiritsa ntchito zipatso ndi ndiwo zamasamba zomwe zimathandiza alimi athu m'deralo.

Ndinatsogoleranso makalasi aŵiri m’mlungu wanga womalizira pa nkhokwe yosungiramo zakudya. Ndinagwiritsa ntchito maphunziro a Organwise Guys ozikidwa pa umboni kuti ndiphunzitse ana pakati pa K ndi kalasi yachinayi za ziwalo ndi zakudya zabwino. Makalasi onsewa adayambitsa ana ku zilembo za Organwise Guys. Kuti ndiwathandize kukumbukira ziwalo zonse, ndinapanga Organ Bingo. Ana ankazikonda, ndipo zinandithandiza kuwafunsa mafunso pa ziwalo ndi kuyitana kulikonse kwa chiwalo kuti ndiwathandize kukumbukira. Kugwira ntchito ndi ana mwamsanga kunakhala ntchito yokondedwa ku banki ya chakudya. Sizinali zosangalatsa zokha, komanso kupititsa patsogolo chidziwitso cha zakudya kwa ana kunali kothandiza. Zinali chinachake chimene iwo anasangalala nacho, ndipo ndinadziŵa kuti akapita ndi chidziŵitso chatsopanocho kwa makolo awo.

Kugwira ntchito m'deralo, kawirikawiri, kumamva ngati kukhudzidwa mwachindunji. Ndinayenera kuthandiza pa kagawidwe ka chakudya cham'manja ndikudzipereka m'chipinda chodyeramo. Kuwona anthu akudutsa ndikugula zinthu zofunika, komanso kudziwa kuti tikuchitira anthu zabwino zinandipangitsa kumva ngati ndili pamalo oyenera. Ndapeza chikondi chatsopano cha chikhalidwe cha anthu m'magulu a zakudya. Kubwera mu pulogalamu yanga ku UTMB, ndinali wotsimikiza kuti ndikufuna kukhala katswiri wazachipatala. Ngakhale ndikadali chidwi changa chachikulu, chakudya chamagulu chakhala chokondedwa kwambiri. Unali mwayi wocheza ndi banki yazakudya komanso kukumana ndi anthu ambiri mdera lathu. Chilichonse chomwe banki yazakudya imachita ndi yolimbikitsa komanso yosiririka. Kukhala gawo lake ndi chinthu chomwe ndidzachikonda mpaka kalekale.