The Nutrition Nexus: Connecting people, ideas, and solutions
Urgent actions
Participants in the Bomet dialogue identified several urgent actions to address the county’s nutrition challenges. First, they emphasized promoting mixed farming to increase access to diverse food groups. This approach would ensure households grow a variety of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich foods, rather than relying solely on cash crops like tea. The participants also highlighted the importance of adopting kitchen gardening as a practical solution. Kitchen gardens would allow families to grow nutritious foods close to home, making it easier to prepare balanced meals u... Leer mássing locally available ingredients. This would particularly benefit households where parents are preoccupied with tea farming and have limited time for meal preparation. Another key recommendation was to raise awareness about the benefits of a balanced diet and train communities on how to use locally available foods to meet nutritional needs. This education would involve teaching proper food preparation techniques and addressing cultural barriers that prioritize income generation over nutrition. Participants stressed the need to encourage the use of medical interventions over herbal remedies for nutrition-related health issues, particularly for mothers and children. They proposed conducting community-based health campaigns to build trust in medical solutions and improve healthcare access. To move these actions forward, participants suggested engaging local agricultural extension officers, health workers, and schools to provide training and resources. Additionally, they called for collaboration between local government, non-governmental organizations, and community leaders to support initiatives like kitchen gardening and mixed farming. These efforts would help ensure sustainable improvements in household nutrition and overall well-being. Leer menos