International Development Grant
Southern African Nutrition Initiative
Project Number: CA-3-D002000001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $21,121,438.00
Start Date: March 17, 2016
End Date: June 30, 2022
Duration: 6.3 years
Project Description
This initiative aims to improve the nutritional status of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and children under 5 years while working with local health authorities. Activities include: (1) training health workers to provide education on and identify monitor and treat malnutrition in mothers pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants and children under 5 years; (2) delivering campaigns to encourage optimal breastfeeding establishing household and school gardens to grow a diversity of nutritious foods and holding cooking demonstrations to encourage use of new and unfamiliar foods; (3) constructing rehabilitating and maintaining community water sources; and (4) raising awareness on good water sanitation and hygiene practices as well as promoting open dialogue on gender norms and distribution of food resources and assets within households and across household members. This initiative is expected to contribute directly to the improved health of approximately 190 000 women children and men directly and over 1 million individuals indirectly. The initiative is being implemented in Malawi (Dowa and Ntchisi districts) Mozambique (Funahlouro and Homoine districts) and Zambia (Mpika and Shiwa Ng’andu districts). It is implemented through a consortium led by Care Canada and including McGill University CUSO International and the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development. Project implementation is also supported by the following local partners: in Malawi: Development Aid from People to People; in Mozambique: Associação Para Promoção e Desenvolvimento da Mulher Associação Juvenil para a Educação e Promoção de Juventude and REDE Pastoral de Homoine; and in Zambia: the National Food and Nutrition Commission and the CSO SUN Alliance.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved nutrition of mothers pregnant women newborns and children under 5 years through consumption of nutritious foods; (2) improved maternal infant and young child nutrition and gender sensitive agriculture and water sanitation and hygiene practices of men women and caregivers; and (3) strengthened governance and accountability of gender-equitable nutrition policies and programs for mothers pregnant women newborns and children under 5 years.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2021) include: (1) trained 814 community health workers (of which 426 women) on gender-sensitive maternal child and infant nutrition exceeding the target of 428 community health workers; (2) 8 136 households grow nutritious food in their household gardens compared to a target of 7 500 households; (3) conducted 4 459 gender-sensitive cooking and feeding demonstrations by Community Health Workers and community groups to raise awareness about preparing and consuming locally available nutritious food; (4) constructed or rehabilitated 71 water points exceeding the target of 54 water points; (5) established or strengthened 470 farmers’ groups comprising 10 185 members (of which 6 177 women); and (6) improved the nutrition of women of reproductive age and girls and boys under five years old in the project’s target areas.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
CARE Canada
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Call for Proposals