Component C: Improving Nutrition Security (US$4.8 million)
22. This component will support nutrition-related interventions that are expected to systemically
address the underlying causes of malnutrition, through the following subcomponents:
Subcomponent C1: Institutional Capacity Strengthening
23. This subcomponent will engage in capacity building of 16 RMs to entrench, sustain, and advocate for improved nutrition and climate resilience outcomes in their communities. This subcomponent will provide capacity building for political leadership, bureaucracy, and/or program/technical leadership responsible for agriculture and livestock development and health and nutrition at the municipalities and for established ward- and local-level Nutrition and Food Security
Steering Committees. Where ward- and local-level Nutrition and Food Security Steering Committees are not constituted, the project will advocate with the abovementioned stakeholders of the municipalities to constitute and make these committees functional. The subcomponent will provide support in the following areas: (a) orientation on the Government’s current Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) II and MSNP III (pending approval of the Cabinet) through annual orientation sessions for stakeholders mentioned above; (b) advocacy and technical support for prioritization of a defined package of nutrition related investments in annual work plans and budgets and securing resources from the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Program to implement the same; and (c) selection of municipalities on a pilot basis to conduct a minimum service standards review for health posts/primary health care facilities to assess readiness for delivery of the prescribed of health and nutrition services and to advocate during annual stakeholder orientation sessions, with an evidence-based approach, for resources through conditional grants to ensure such services to communities.
Subcomponent C2: Nutrition Field School (NFS) and Home Nutrition Gardens (HNGs)
24. This subcomponent will support the newly constituted 650 nutrition groups from 16 RMs, with exclusive participation of women of reproductive age (preference will be given to pregnant and nursing women and mothers of children 0–2 years of age) and beneficiaries from schools, to (a) participate in at least 128 NFSs; (b) establish 650 HNGs; and (c) access 400 small grants. Each of these activities will be complemented with a strong social and behavior change communication package to improve the production and consumption of nutritious and diverse foods at the household level. The allocation of small grants will be based on demand and implemented as per small grant guidelines, but with contributions from the groups in kind only. Cash contributions will be sought only in cases where contribution in kind is not feasible. Associated technical support to establish and maintain these grants will be provided, where relevant. In addition to the crops and breed interventions of the ongoing project, the NFSs and HNGs will also promote local nutritious and neglected crops. The existing package of social and behavior change communication for improved maternal, infant, and young child nutrition behaviors on will be reviewed and updated to respond appropriately to the nuanced needs of the established nutrition groups. Where feasible, nutrition gardens will also be established in schools of participating communities.
