Child Nutrition

Baseline Report Evaluation of the CASCADE Programme in Uganda

The Global Alliance for Advanced Nutrition (GAIN) and CARE, with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, developed the CAtalyzing Strengthened policy aCtion for heAlthy Diets and resilience (CASCADE) programme application. The overarching goal of CASCADE is to improve food security and reduce malnutrition for at least 5 million women of reproductive age (WRA) and children in Benin, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia,
and Mozambique between June 2022 and December 2026. AIR® partnered with GAIN and CARE to design and conduct rigorous mixed methods impact evaluations of the CASCADE programme in the six target countries. The evaluations will answer questions about CASCADE’s causal impact, strengths, and challenges. The impact evaluation focuses on those aspects of the programme that are implemented at the beneficiary level. The evaluation team will also conduct, in 2027, a process evaluation to assess policy and systems-level change as well as implementation fidelity with support from local country teams.
The primary purpose of this baseline report is to document and describe the study sample in Uganda prior to the start of the programme, and to test for equivalence at baseline between the treatment and comparison groups. This report first explains the context, details, and motivation behind the CASCADE programme. Subsequently, it explains the theory of change (ToC), research questions, study design, baseline data collection, sample description, baseline measures of key indicators and domains, and baseline equivalence between the treatment and comparison groups. Lastly, the report provides insights about the nutritional status at baseline of the target population and identifies key areas to guide activities by the programme implementation team. Read More...

SATH (Self-Applied Technique for Quality Health Tool) Systems Level Impact Evaluation

Poor and marginalized women often encounter obstacles in accessing healthcare information and services in Nepal. In response to this equity gap, CARE Nepal introduced a social mapping tool named Self-Applied Technique for Quality Health (SATH) within Health Mothers’ Groups (HMGs) . The objective of this approach is to enhance women's access to health services and information, empowering them to take informed actions based on their learnings. Since 2008, CARE Nepal has implemented SATH in over 3,100 HMGs across 42 districts out of 77, through various projects. To assess the effectiveness of SATH, evaluation reports, case studies, relevant articles, and policy documents were reviewed and analyzed. It was found that SATH significantly contributes to strengthening the community health system by fostering women's involvement in health matters and operationalizing HMGs. Moreover, the tool aids in generating demand for, and utilization of, healthcare services by empowering women and supporting advocacy efforts.

As a result of these positive outcomes, the Government of Nepal adopted SATH as a successful approach under the Equity, Access, and Utilization Program in 2021. This initiative aims to improve access to, and utilization of, child health and nutrition services among marginalized communities, and it has since been expanded nationwide. This milestone marked a significant achievement in localizing the SATH tool within Nepal's health policy framework. CARE Nepal's rigorous policy advocacy played a pivotal role in this integration, highlighting its commitment to advancing maternal, newborn and child health initiatives. Read More...

Endline Report: Maman Lumière III Project Project / Etude Endline: Projet Maman Lumière III

In response to the major findings and to help achieve the objectives of the State's Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES°), CARE in Niger has negotiated the third phase of the "Projet Maman Lumière III" project, whose interventions aim to break the cycle of malnutrition, particularly in contexts of recurring crises. Financed in January 2020 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Luxembourg for a period of 48 months, the objective assigned to this project is to contribute to a substantial and sustainable reduction in malnutrition among children under 2 and women aged 15-49 in poor households in the Zinder region by December 2023. At the end of four years of project implementation, and in accordance with contractual requirements with the donor, a final evaluation is carried out to assess the performance, quality of activities carried out, results and sustainability of the project.

The methodology used for this study is based on a sample survey with two (2) sampling levels. It targets children under 5 and their mothers. In addition to quantitative data, focus groups were held to gather qualitative data from communities and groups. In all, 412 households were surveyed in 21 villages by 3 teams.
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Pour faire face à des constats majeurs et contribuer ainsi à l’atteinte des objectifs du Plan de Développement Economique et Social de l’Etat(PDES°), CARE au Niger a négocié la troisième phase du projet « Projet Maman Lumière III » dont les interventions visent à briser le cycle de la malnutrition, en particulier dans des contextes de crises récurrentes. Financé en janvier 2020 par le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères du Royaume de Luxembourg pour une durée de 48 mois, l’objectif assigné à ce projet est de contribuer à une réduction substantielle et durable de la malnutrition des enfants de moins de 2 ans et des femmes 15-49 ans des ménages pauvres de la région de Zinder d’ici décembre 2023. En effet à l’issue de quatre ans de mise en œuvre du projet et conforment aux exigences contractuelles avec le bailleur une évaluation finale est conduite pour apprécier la performance, la qualité des activités réalisées, les résultats et la durabilité du projet.

Ainsi la méthodologie utilisée pour cette étude est basée sur une enquête par sondage à deux (2) degrés d’échantillonnage. Elle cible les enfants de moins de 5 ans et leurs mères. Au-delà des données quantitatives, des focus groupes ont été animés pour recueillir de données qualitatives auprès des communautés et groupements. Au total, 412 ménages ont été enquêtés dans 21 villages par 3 équipes.
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Uganda: Food insecurity a pressing concern

The Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) was a 38-month long project (January 2020 to February 2023) with an aim to improve food security, maternal and child nutrition, and household incomes for smallholder farmers in 11 districts of Uganda. The project has three major outcomes: increased production of diversified food by both men and women smallholder farmers, enhanced market accessibility for these farmers, and improved nutrition and family planning services through gender responsive community-based approaches. As a result, here was a significant 16.3% increase in adoption and production of diverse food crops and animal products, as well as 23.8% increase in the adoption of climate-smart technologies among the project participants. Read More...

Final Performance Evaluation of the ENSURE Development Food Assistance Program in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is rich in human and natural resources. However, for decades it has experienced food insecurity and poverty rooted in recurrent drought, economic instability, and policy decisions that severely undercut economic growth, agricultural production, and employment opportunities. The ENSURE project goal was to increase long-term food security among chronically food insecure rural households in 66 wards in six districts of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces, where food insecurity and stunting are higher than the national average. ENSURE’s main activities were to 1) improve nutrition among women of reproductive age and children under five years of age (CU5), 2) increase the income of vulnerable households, and 3) improve household resilience. Promoting gender equity in decision-making, access to financial services, and participation in project activities were cross-cutting priorities, as were environmental protection and disaster risk reduction. Read More...

Collective Impact for Nutrition (CI4N)

The objective of the Collective Impact for Nutrition (CI4N) initiative has been to improve the nutritional status of women aged 15 to 49 and children under 2, through a multisectoral approach and initiatives based on two strategic axes: (1) Alliances for learning and advocacy and (2) community nutrition. [34 pages] Read More...

Estudio sobre la situación de la seguridad alimentaria y las prácticas de alimentación infantil en hogares del ámbito de intervención del proyecto “Ella Alimenta el mundo”

CARE Perú es una Organización No Gubernamental que ha venido trabajando por mas de 50 años en intervenciones comunitarias para mejorar la nutrición y desarrollo en niñas y niños, alrededor de todo el país.
El presente estudio, buscó obtener información de primera mano sobre el estado actual de algunos de los indicadores del componente nutricional del proyecto del proyecto “Ella Alimenta al Mundo”, con la finalidad analizar los posibles efectos que pudieron darse un año después de la Línea de Base y considerando los potenciales factores influyentes en estos indicadores de estudio, en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19.
Ante ello, la consultora responsable del estudio diseñó y adaptó un protocolo adecuado con las variables de estudio que pudieran ser medidas de manera online (vía telefónica) como lo han venido haciendo otras intervenciones y estudios en salud pública alrededor del mundo, dado el contexto de la pandemia. La recolección de datos se dio entre los meses de junio y julio del 2021 bajo la modalidad telefónica teniendo en cuenta las restricciones de tránsito y recomendaciones vigentes de los organismos gubernamentales para evitar la propagación de COVID-19 en el país. Se reclutó un equipo de 11 encuestadores con formación de nutrición, quienes fueron designados a tres equipos según ámbito de estudio: i) Piura (Sullana), ii) Ica (San José de los Molinos y Subtanjalla) y iii) –Lima (Pachacámac), quienes aplicaron las encuestas bajo la supervisión de los especialistas y practicantes de cada ámbito, además de la consultora, asegurando la total objetividad y precisión de la información recolectada.
El estudio recolectó información de 569 niños menores de 5 años acerca de sus indicadores sociodemográficos e inseguridad alimentaria, así como también información en prácticas de alimentación infantil en un total de 115 niños menores de 24 meses.
El presente informe final de la evaluación de medio tiempo, resume los resultados de esta información según los indicadores clave y por distritos.
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Cocoa Sustainability Initiative III

The Cocoa Sustainability Initiative phase 3 (CSI III) is a three-year partnership between General Mills Foundation and CARE International that will be implemented over the period December 2020 to November 2023. The project seeks to improve the food and nutrition security of over 3,500 cocoa farmers and their families in 20 communities in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District in the Central Region of Ghana by promoting sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, inclusive agriculture systems, women’s empowerment and improved nutrition practices. Building on the success of CSI phase I and II, CSI III addresses a range of interconnected issues, from low agricultural productivity and income to gender equality and voice to inclusive governance, child protection, nutrition and climate change resilience. The aim of the study was to provide baseline values for project indicators to help track the progress and impact of the project during and after implementation. Drawing on face-to-face interviews, a mixed method approach with critical gender lens was employed in data collection and analysis. Specifically, data were collected through a household survey (N=225) and Focus Group Discussions with men and women (N=10). A summary of key findings and recommendations are presented below. [71 pages] Read More...

Programme Sante USAID/Kenya Ciwara Rappor D’Analyse de L’Enquete D’Evaluation Finale

The program is part of Strategic Objective 6 (SO 6) which aims to increase the use of high impact services and improve health behaviors / practices. These services relate to the survival of the child (vaccination, malaria, diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, nutrition and vitamin A). The final evaluation takes place two years after the mid-term evaluation and four years after the baseline evaluation. The report is 55 pages long. Read More...

Evaluation Finale du Project USAID/Nutrition WASH

The Mission of the United States Agency for International Development in Mali (USAID / Mali) through the NGO Care Internationale entrusted Kurugan Fuga Consulting with the final evaluation of the USAID / Nutrition and Hygiene project in the regions of Koulikoro, Ségou and Mopti in Mali. At the end of this program, which spanned a 5-year implementation period from October 2014 to September 2018 extended in 2019, its final evaluation was required. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the IRP's integrated nutritional strategy combining nutrition, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and breastfeeding women and children of less than 2 years. The report is 80 pages long. Read More...

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