The FeedtheFuture, program by USAID Zambia which saw the establishment of mothers’ support groups to help women learn to prepare nutritious meals using local and seasonally available foods is bearing fruits.
And USAID-Zambia has described the program as a huge success in promoting livelihoods in the province, and this is also said to have seen a reduction of stunting.
“Through FeedtheFuture, USAIDZambia established mothers’ support groups to help women learn to prepare nutritious meals using local and seasonally available foods for improved family nutrition in Eastern Province where stunting has dropped from 46% to 36% over five years,” says USAID.
The government once highlighted that it is committed to the reduction of stunting among Zambian children by half by 2030.
It also promised to put agriculture at the center of its plans for nutrition and economic development and to take a multi-sector approach that will prioritize all forms of stunting and malnutrition, especially among children.
Meanwhile, the USAID program has also witnessed the establishment of community savings groups to offer women a safe space to save and borrow money.
“Women’s financial inclusion supported a reduction in the prevalence of poverty, from 88% to 76%, in Zambia’s Eastern Province,” adds the American humanitarian agency.
Apparently, Zambia experiences a malnutrition burden among its under-five population.