COMMUNITY AWARENES AND REDUCTION OF CHILD MALNUTRITION.

Child stunting is a global health concern. Stunting leads to several consequences on child survival, growth, and development. The absolute level of stunting has been decreasing in Tanzania from 50% in 1991/92 to 30% in 2016 although the prevalence rose to 34% in 2024 (MoH, 2024). Stunting varies across socioeconomic determinants with a larger burden among the socioeconomic disadvantaged group. The reduction of inequalities in stunting is very crucial as we aim to reduce stunting to 28% by 2025 and hence attain zero malnutrition by 2030 under Sustainable Development Goal 2.2. According to the Tanzania National Nutrition Survey (MoHCDGEC, 2024) about 31.8% of children under-five were stunted, 14.6% of children under-five were underweight and 4% were wasted. The prevalence of under nutrition in Njombe region in 2024, 26.4% stunted, 12.1% underweight and 3.8% wasted (MoHCDGEC, 2024) which was the highest prevalence. According to 2024 data from the ministry of Health, approximately 14.6% of children under five years old in Tanzania are considered underweight, making the country one of the regions with the highest rates of underweight children in East Africa; with a significant portion of children under five experiencing malnutrition issues, including stunting and wasting.
The factors like low birth weight, poor maternal nutrition, inadequate infant feeding practices, poverty, and limited access to healthcare contribute significantly to underweight children in Tanzania particularly Njombe region which tops other region in the country.
The underweight children are at increased risk for developmental delays, impaired cognitive function, and increased susceptibility to diseases.

Therefore, of the said above, WOCHFO engaged the local government, stakeholders and beneficiaries to identify interventions to be conducted so as to rescue the situation in the region. Among others are trainings, outreaches, medication support to most disadvantaged households on dietary changes, such as eating foods high in energy and nutrients, support for families to help them manage factors affecting the child's nutritional intake, treatment for any underlying medical conditions causing malnutrition and vitamin and mineral supplements. Promote the prevention method from the individual-household-community, promote daily dose of the essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, A, D, B, iron, and calcium. Promote and guide the community to prepare healthy meals and exercise good hand hygiene at home and promote sanitizing utensils, drinking glasses and cookware to avoid food contamination. Findings from different studies shows the most affected under five children are from rural community where access to social services is poor. Moreover, this community are subjected to high risk for HIV infection as the region also leads with high rate (12.4%) HIV prevalence at national level.

WOCHFO has skilled and literate staff to work for this project and make impactful to the community. Also, WOCHFO will collaborate with health officers from the community and health facilities to for medication and psycho-social support to the vulnerable children and households from the malnutrition in the region.
The organization anticipates to reach a total of 1,739 stunting under-five children in Njombe region for the three years. The project anticipates to use a total of USD 283,500 this include project activities (63%) and 37% for administrative costs include salaries for five project staff and office expenses. The project will reach; 24% of stunting under-five years children in Makete District, 37% in Njombe District, 21% in Ludewa District and 18% in Makambako Town.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES;
1. Updating the list of stunting under-five children by ward for fifteen days. The project team will collaborate with community development officers.
2. Reviewing Government policy, manuals and guidelines on reducing malnutrition on stunting under five children to 500 community and 500 health officers,
3. Conduct training to 500 most vulnerable household on mobilization of household nutritious resources and medication to stunting children for three days
4. Conduct workshops to 50 Community and 50 Health facility officers to establish services delivery mechanism on reducing malnutrition in the community of Njombe region
5. Purchase and support medication and vitamins to 1,739 stunting children in the region.
6. Conduct outreach for nutritious food preparation in 80 wards of the region with high rate of children underweight.
7. Facility reach for collaborating with Health Service Providers to establish and review child health improvements on malnutrition and disease prevention rate.
8. Establish public awareness presentation through local media once per quarter on reduction of child malnutrition.
9. Collaborate with the region officers to establish "region food nutrition day" which will be conducted once per year. This will invite different experts from different institutions in the country which offers food nutrition and child development courses.
10. Conducting workshops with agriculture officers, community development officers, Nutritionists, Child care centers owners on food safety and security.
11. Establish community desk on child development at each ward of the project. The community development officers will be in charge of this desk for counseling and linkage services of child or household with a need for any crosscutting issues.
12. Conduct monthly physical observation and mentorship to beneficiaries for improving nutritious, food safety and security practice.
13. Design and print material on nutritious food, food safety and security and distributing to all project beneficiaries.
14 Conduct semiannual project assessment and performance review. The activity will involve 5 project staff, 6 Government officers and five stakeholders from different institution with similar area interventions.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1. Establish community kitchens centers in targeted wards to provide nutritious meals skills preparation.
2. Improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations, especially children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
3. Raise awareness about the importance of balanced diets and healthy eating habits.
4. Enhance community engagement and participation in combating malnutrition.
5. Strengthen local capacity and empower community members to take ownership of the initiative.

PROJECT OUTCOMES
1. Increased access to nutritious meals for vulnerable populations, reducing the prevalence of malnutrition.
2. Improved nutritional status among targeted beneficiaries, particularly children, pregnant women and the elderly.
3. Raised awareness about the importance of balanced diets and healthy eating habits in the community.
4. Enhanced community engagement and participation in addressing malnutrition.
5. Strengthened local capacity and empowerment of community members in managing community kitchens.
6. Enhanced community health for productivity.

PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, we will focus on building local capacity, fostering community ownership, and promoting income-generating activities within the community kitchens. Additionally, we will explore partnerships with local businesses and seek government support to integrate the community kitchens into existing social welfare programs to the general population.

IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES;
(a). Assessment and Targeting: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the targeted areas to identify communities most affected by malnutrition. Collaborate with local stakeholders, health professionals, and nutritionists to define selection criteria for beneficiaries.
(b). Infrastructure Development: Identify suitable facilities or spaces to establish community kitchens. Ensure access to clean water, electricity, and necessary cooking equipment. Collaborate with local authorities, institutions, and community leaders to secure resources for infrastructure development.
(c). Capacity Building: Recruit and train kitchen staff on food preparation, hygiene practices, and nutrition. Provide training sessions for community health cares on community engagement, awareness raising, and monitoring and evaluation.
(d). Menu Planning and Food Supply: Develop nutritious and culturally appropriate menus in consultation with nutritionists and local dietary practices. Establish partnerships with local farmers, suppliers, and food banks to ensure a consistent supply of quality ingredients.
(e). Meal Preparation Outreaches: Establish a cooking schedule and implement standardized meal preparation practices. Collaborate with local health centers, schools, OVC &MVC centers and community centers to prepare meals
(f). Health Education and Awareness: Conduct regular workshops and awareness campaigns on nutrition, dietary diversity, and hygiene practices. Engage beneficiaries in interactive sessions, cooking demonstrations, and knowledge sharing to promote behavior change and healthy eating habits.
(g). Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the impact of the community kitchens. Regularly collect data on meal consumption, nutritional status, and community feedback. Analyze the data to make informed decisions, identify challenges, and implement necessary improvements.

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION
To ensure the success and sustainability of the project, we will seek collaboration and support from the following stakeholders:

1. Local government agencies and authorities for necessary permissions and resource allocation.
2. NGOs and community-based organizations with expertise in nutrition and community development.
3. Health professionals, nutritionists, and dieticians for technical guidance and training.
4. Local farmers, suppliers, and food banks for the provision of quality ingredients.
5. Community leaders, volunteers, and beneficiaries for active participation and ownership.