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Two major issues identified were food insecurity and poor feeding practices. Therefore urgent actions require intensified education of caregivers on the importance on feeding the children adequately and timely. Further, sensitization on the importance of preserving enough foods for home consumption as opposed to sailing everything. In order to ensure that the is achieved, the nutrition volunteers will work together with the traditional leaders and other volunteers.

1.Governance and Welfare Support Ensure strong commitment and accountability from government officers in service delivery. Introduce transparent beneficiary selection processes, including involvement of external assessors to reduce bias and favoritism. Engage Samurdhi officers together with the community in selecting beneficiaries to improve fairness. Avoid misuse of funds by ensuring resources are allocated only for intended welfare purposes. Provide essential rations instead of cash or vouchers to ensure families receive necessary food and basic items, including sanitary products. Address al... Read morecohol-related issues through community awareness and control measures. Recognize and strengthen the role of women as key financial decision-makers within households. 2.Community and Livelihood Practices Encourage communities to utilize available local food resources and promote income-generating activities instead of relying solely on sharing existing food. Strengthen community resilience and self-sufficiency, especially during crisis situations. 3.School Food Environment Improve the taste and attractiveness of school meals while maintaining their nutritional quality. Introduce variety and colorful presentation of meals to increase children’s interest in healthy food. Regulate school canteens to ensure availability of nutritious options instead of mainly instant and fried foods. Promote the preparation of meals within schools where possible to ensure fresh and hygienic food. Encourage making nutritious food easily available, so children gradually develop healthier eating habits. 4.Student Food Habits and Behavior Motivate students, especially older children, to bring home-cooked meals instead of relying on money to buy food. Address peer comparison of lunch boxes, which influences unhealthy choices. Educate children on the benefits of traditional eating practices, such as eating with hands in primary school years. Develop a meal timetable or structured plan for schools. Read less

Participants committed to reviving and establishing nutrition gardens to support school feeding programmes and teach learners food production skills. They proposed growing vegetables, fruits, legumes, and rearing small livestock to improve dietary diversity. Schools also committed to increasing community engagement through School Development Committees to strengthen ownership and support for the programme. Some schools plan to seek assistance from development partners to improve food safety and hygiene standards. Participants emphasised the need for training, stronger monitoring systems, and i... Read moremproved infrastructure to support programme implementation. Read less

Participants identified several urgent actions to address child nutrition in Wa West. First, they emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, proposing a formal multi-stakeholder coordination platform to align efforts across health, agriculture, and social welfare. Nutrition education was seen as critical, with calls for continuous community sensitization and practical demonstrations to challenge harmful cultural practices and promote dietary diversity. Strengthening social protection programmes, such as expanding LEAP enrolment for vulnerable households, was prioritized... Read more to safeguard families during lean seasons. Participants also urged improvements in the School Feeding Programme, including removing political interference and ensuring consistent quality. Economic empowerment initiatives, like promoting income diversification, fish farming, and poultry keeping, were proposed to increase household resilience. Finally, operationalizing Home Science Committees and establishing school gardens were identified as practical steps to embed nutrition education and food production at the community level. These actions were framed as urgent, achievable, and requiring coordinated follow-through. Read less

While there was general agreement on the importance of healthy diets by parents, caregivers and the community leadership, some differences emerged regarding parental influence. Some participants believed that parents still play a strong role in shaping children’s eating habits, while others felt that children are increasingly influenced by peers and external factors, reducing parental control. There were also mixed views on school meals, with some participants appreciating their role in supporting vulnerable children, while others expressed concerns about lack of variety and adequacy. These ... Read morediffering perspectives reflect variations in experiences across households and schools. Read less

Participants suggested reviving school business units with the aim of improving the HGSF programme, they intent to widen the scope to include projects such as rearing of small livestock such as chickens for meat and eggs which can complement the programme. Some schools proposed to engage with alumni students in search for support for the programme and in the expansion of their agriculture projects. Other schools committed to exploring viable anergy sources for the programme other than firewood. The district team committed to sourcing avenues to ensure they periodically monitor implementation o... Read moref the programme in schools having noted many inconsistencies in the programme. There was also a proposal to ensure day schools budget for the programme before approvals are made as a means to ensure programme runs smoothly in schools. Other participants proposed drilling of boreholes, fencing of gardens, rehabilitation and solarization of water sources and training of school authorities and food preparers as possible solutions to improving the programme. Read less

Inappropriate feeding practices were identified as one of the causes of malnutrition urgent actions require educating mothers and caregivers on feeding times, food preparation and dietary diversity. In addition to this, male involvement in fighting malnutrition was identified as a critical step in achieving nutrition at household level, this is because currently males do not participate in nutrition care and support for under five children. The responsibility to care for children has been left with mothers only. The nutrition volunteers will work hand in hand with the traditional and faith lea... Read moreders to sensitize the community during any community level platform. Furthermore, nutritional volunteers will report parents and caregivers who are failing to comply with the nutrition education messaging to the traditional leaders. Lastly, strengthening nutrition education, household food management and community support systems was identified as critical for reducing malnutrition and improving child health outcomes in the community. Read less

Participants identified several urgent actions needed to address child malnutrition within their communities in Kageyo AP, located in Gicumbi District. One of the key actions highlighted was the need to strengthen community awareness on proper child feeding practices. Participants emphasized the importance of continuing practical learning through the 12-day Hearth sessions so that caregivers can better understand how to prepare balanced meals using locally available foods. Another urgent action discussed was the promotion of improved hygiene and sanitation practices at household level. Partici... Read morepants proposed increasing community education on regular handwashing, safe food preparation, and maintaining clean cooking environments to reduce illness among children and improve nutrient absorption. Read less

Overall, participants agreed that these actions should be taken forward through strong multi-sectoral collaboration among government institutions, development partners, faith-based organizations, and communities themselves. Regular monitoring, community engagement, and alignment with national nutrition priorities will be essential to achieving sustainable progress toward ending child malnutrition. Participants proposed identifying and developing a model village within the areas where Caritas Byumba and AEE operate. This village would serve as a demonstration community where all stakeholders in... Read morecluding families, local leaders, health workers, and development partners work together to achieve and maintain zero malnutrition. The model village would promote good feeding practices, hygiene and sanitation, kitchen gardens, and strong community support systems. It would also provide a practical learning site for other communities to replicate successful nutrition interventions. Participants identified several urgent actions needed to improve child nutrition and prevent malnutrition among children under five. First, they emphasized the importance of strengthening community-based nutrition education. Caregivers need continuous awareness on appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, including exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, timely introduction of complementary foods, and preparation of balanced meals using locally available foods. Participants proposed that this education should be delivered regularly through community health workers, nutrition promoters, faith-based groups, and local leaders to ensure that behavior change is sustained at household level. Read less