Given Hapunda

204 economic, marketing and genetic factors (Lanham-New et al ., 2011). HIV and AIDS is the current main factor associated with nutritional deficiencies in infected children, influencing progression of diseases, increasing morbidity and mortality specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa (Crush et al., 2011). Feeding programmes are usually introduced to address hunger and malnutrition problems in children; however the impact on the nutritional status is not always assessed (Fatima et al, 2015). There is limited information available reporting on the outcome of these interventions. The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of a feeding programme (Sorghum-based meal) that was introduced in pre-schools to address malnutrition. Description of the intervention Feeding programmes are one of the strategies implemented to alleviate hunger and improve nutritional status (O’Neil et al ., 2014). JAM South Africa established a pre-school feeding programme in 2010 with the aim of improving nutritional status of the children. They provide nutritious porridge on daily bases to the children attending JAM-supported Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres (pre-schools) in seven provinces (Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West and Northern Cape). The porridge is known as Corn Soy Blend (CSB) and it contains 75% of the nutrients required. JAM provides the porridge to 1 700 ECDs, feeding 84 000 children from vulnerable communities aged from zero to six years. In Gauteng they provide the porridge to over 694 centres covering 37 500 children. The porridge is provided daily, except for Saturday and Sunday with the aim of improving the lives of under-privileged children (JAM, 2016). The JAM South Africa recommended daily consumption portion size was 50 grammes for children under the age of four and 100 grammes for children of four years and older after preparation. The sorghum- based meal (instant porridge) is prepared by mixing it with water or milk to a desired consistency. It has different flavours, such as banana, strawberry and original. Pre-schools were given serving bowls, which have measurements so that they can use them to measure the sorghum-based meal accurately, before preparation and after preparation to ensure consistency of portion sizes as well as to minimise wastage. One bowl of prepared sorghum-based meal fed eight children after preparation. Pre-schools food handlers prepared the meal by mixing sorghum-based meal with water referring to the preparation methods that JAM provided. Researchers together with JAM personnel visited the pre-schools randomly to observe if the meals were prepared and served accurately. Figure 4 is the JAM bowl and the prepared sorghum meal. Nutritional analyses of the sorghum meal are indicated on table 1.