Husband says babies in Ivory Coast are not weaned until well after a year. But between around age 6 months and a year, they also give them pounded-up maize (a sort of flour) mixed into a kind of porridge. Sometimes they add a little dried milk powder if they have the money for that.
After a year, the child is given what the adults have (white rice- not as good as brown!, with a 'sauce' made of onions and tomatoes, with tiny bits of whatever meat they can obtain)
This is not a good diet. My husband and all his siblings have bandy legs and fragile skeletons from poor nutrition during their childhood.

I wonder if there is a Health Visitor in your area leeneia who could advise the lady?