Zambia: INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING PROJECT

The project aim to provide adequate knowledge and skills on food processing, utilisation and storage to reduce malnutrition levels which a threat to child development in children below five(5) years. It is a good practice because it reduces child mortality and morbidity rates caused by high levels of malnutrition resulting due to poor feeding practices, inadequate food intake both in poor quality and quantity, HIV/AIDS, poor sanitation and inadequate knowledge by mothers on dietary preparation. The project is innovative because it improves child health, growth and development.

The key objective of this project is to improve the livelihood of infants and children through nutritional awareness and support to enhance quality life.

The main activities are:

• Conduct awareness and education.
• Community meetings.
• Capacity building.
• Food processing demonstration.
• Health education. For example, environmental and handwashing practices.
• Establishment of nutritional clubs.
• Linkage of clubs to cooperatives.
• Growth monitoring Conduct vegetable preservation.
• Nutritional and HIV/AIDS counselling.
• Monitoring and Evaluation.

The project has benefited about 500 direct beneficiaries . The project reaches 5 000 indirect beneficiaries.

key tools for monitoring and evaluation  are quarterly review meetings, monitoring forms, questionnaires, and field follow up.

The community is slow to adopt new cooking strategies. Negative cultural beliefs. Inadequate knowledge of food processing, utilisation and storage. Poor sanitation. Inadequate child spacing. Inadequate environmental and poor handwashing. Poor agriculture practices causing low production.

Women are empowered through capacity building, skills in dietary preparation,  entrepreneurship Skills, provision of inputs for conservation farming, and linkage to co-operatives.

Men have become very supportive in child care and are participating in nutrition cookery demonstration and awareness meetings.

There are improved good health. Reduction in child mortality and morbidity rates. Positive response to conservation and crop diversification.

There is stakeholder and mainstreaming of mother and child care both at key ministries e.g min of health and community development .

Community ownership is key in achieving good health. Volunteerism is important to activity planning, implementation and evaluation. Stakeholder participation is key to community support.