Bolivia - "Healthy Communities Project"
The Healthy Communities project in Bolivia aims to improve the nutritional status of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities of Cochabamba, Bolivia - especially of young children - by strengthening the local knowledge, production, access and consumption of healthy food.
Nutrition and health constitute the primary conditions, among others, to achieve societal welfare and break the cycle of poverty in developing countries. Current food production systems and agro-industrial activities are the main causes of nutritional impoverishment and the contamination of the food web. Many rural and marginal urban areas in Bolivia experience severe nutritional problems: 26.5% of children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The Healthy Communities project will contribute to improving the nutritional conditions of Bolivia's most vulnerable people - including mothers, farmers, teachers, local agricultural technicians, field workers and facilitators, health promoters, rural households, and children aged 1-5 years - and throughout the process, develop systems and methods for allevaiting unnecessary nutritional problems in other impoverished areas around the World.
Phase 1 of the project includes five major activities over the period of 12 months:
- Participatory assessment of the local situation in relation to the nutritional status of young children and access/production of food.
- Motivation and capacity building on healthy food, which will include a series of capacity building activities on health and healthy food systems. This activity is being carried out in three rural communities.
- Application of the knowledge assessed and capacities built by the elaboration of nutritionally enriched food supplements based on local knowledge and crops, and establishment of biodiverse organic vegetable gardens; both implemented at a household level.
- Elaboration and validation of educational material related to: a) simple methodologies to assess household nutritional status, b) methods for the elaboration of nutritionally enriched food supplements, and c) guidelines to establish and manage biodiverse organic vegetable gardens.
- Participatory follow-up of: a) the project activities along its execution and b) sustainable activities needed at the end of the project.
In addition to the benefits of food sovereignty and local healthy food systems, the project aims to promote sustainable use of natural resources and wildlife conservation, sustainable development, social and environmental safety of emerging agricultural technologies and public awareness and participation.
With your continued support we will continue to transform lives in Bolivia.