How Feed the Children supports government efforts to ensure access to proper nutrition

Recently, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was awarded the Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Award for her significant work in reducing malnutrition, improving public health, and promoting the health and nutrition of mothers, children, and youth.

This award highlights Tanzania’s progress in combating malnutrition and enhancing health under her leadership.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, President Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized her commitment to strengthen health and nutrition programs, highlighting food fortification as a key strategy.

Feed the Children as one of the key stakeholders in nutrition in the country, has been supporting government efforts by providing education on the importance of proper nutrition to parents of children under five, women of childbearing age, and the community at large.

This involves educating on the best ways to prepare nutritious foods and cultivating bio fortified crops such as quality protein maize and orange fleshed sweet potatoes.

Health education is also provided, including the importance of vaccinations for children and environmental hygiene in collaboration with community health workers. This helps reduce the impact of diseases caused by poor nutrition and increases awareness about proper nutrition.

Additionally, Feed the Children works with schools through school committees to encourage parents to ensure the availability of healthy and nutritious food for students while in school.

This not only helps reduce hunger and improve their health but also enhances students’ attendance and performance in school, as well-nourishes children to have the strength and ability to learn.

Feed the Children’s projects on nutrition

Through its food and nutrition, health, and water departments, Feed the Children implements a project that offers training on proper nutrition and the importance of consuming nutrient-rich foods to parents and guardians of children under five to support their growth and development.

Nutrition education is also provided to women of reproductive age (18- 49 years), reaching over 1,500 mothers so far in two districts of Kisarawe and Morogoro. Through 18 primary schools, FEED has been educating students about proper nutrition and healthy eating (focusing on a balanced diet) to build their capacity in considering what they eat rather than just filling their stomachs.

The organization also collaborates with families to plan economic strategies, such as sustainable agriculture, to help them obtain sufficient resources for their daily family needs, including healthy foods.

Communities and children reached by Feed the Children projects

Currently, Feed the Children operates in Pwani and Morogoro regions. The organization has reached 22,516 primary school students and over 1,500 parents/guardians with children under five years.

Collaboration with government and community

Feed the Children has been at the forefront of collaborating with the government, from the regional to the village levels. Through meetings to evaluate the implementation of activities in the targeted regions, including local governments through the community development department, successes and emerging challenges are discussed.

Community leaders are directly involved in planning and managing the projects, enhancing efficiency and cooperation from the entire community thus ensuring sustainability.

The organization also engages parents and guardians in village meetings and open forums, providing an opportunity to collectively discuss project implementation. Influential figures in the villages are also used as ambassadors to promote the organization’s activities.

Achievements in supporting access to proper nutrition

Feed the Children is fully committed to improving nutrition in primary schools. For over 10 years, the organization supported 28 schools in Kisarawe District by providing children with fortified flour and sugar for mid-morning breakfast.

Parents are also encouraged to contribute to school food programmes to ensure the sustainability of this service, as school meal programmes significantly contribute to improved attendance and performance in participating schools.

Currently, the organization continues these efforts in Morogoro District by raising awareness among parents on the importance of school meals and providing essential tools to support access to nutritious food for school children.

Additionally, the organization has been leading in providing nutrition and health education to parents of children under five to ensure that children receive a strong nutritional foundation from pregnancy to when they start school.

Through nutrition and health clubs, the organization provides vital knowledge that helps the community gain a broader understanding of nutrition and health, promoting positive changes for the well-being of the entire community.

In 2024, the organization provided 140,000 sweet potato seedlings sunflower and quality protein maize to over 1,000 mothers with children under five to support access to healthy and nutritious food in Morogoro District.

Challenges and strategies

In implementing the organization’s activities to ensure children receive healthy and nutritious food, various challenges arise, including limited financial resources, which reduce the capacity to reach many people and communities in project areas.

Parents and communities lack awareness on the importance of proper nutrition for children and the best ways to prepare food for them, often influenced by past life experiences.

Climate change affects food production, leading to food shortages in families and communities. Government policies may not meet needs or hinder access to food for children.

For example, when the free education policy was implemented, it disrupted school meal programmes as parents misunderstood the policy as banning contributions for school food provision.