Orphans in Congo fed palm weevil larvae in bid to beat malnutrition

FILE PHOTO: Jules Amour Mahinou, an agronomist, shows a palmful of black soldier fly larvae, intended for animal feed, that is left to dry after harvest, at Elevar Group's production unit in Ouidah, Benin May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Charles Placide Tossou/File Photo

KINSHASA (Reuters) - At an orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, more than 60 children stared at their plate of palm weevil larvae fried up in spices, sharing nervous smiles, before curiously digging into the thick white worms.

The orphans are being fed the protein-rich larvae, known locally as mpose, as part of an initiative from Kinshasa-based non-profit organisation Farms for Orphans, which is seeking to address malnutrition in the west African nation.