Food and Nutrition Security
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...
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...
McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Timor-Leste HATUTAN Sustainability Study Liquica
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has supported Timor-Leste through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Initiative since 2018. The McGovern-Dole funded Hahán ne’ebé Atu fó Tulun ho Nutrisaun no Edukasaun/ Food to Support Nutrition and Education program – HATUTAN - supported 455 schools and surrounding communities in four of Timor-Leste’s most disadvantaged municipalities: Ainaro, Ermera, Liquica, and Manatuto. Between 2018 and 2023, HATUTAN reached 431,244 students, out of whom 109,065 received school meals.
HATUTAN’s final evaluation show that the integrated intervention has achieved remarkable results, including:
-A gain of 4.8 percentage points in literacy scores, over and above the comparison group.
-A major reduction in teachers’ use of traditional practices: the proportion of students who spent the class copying from the board declined by 15 percentage points over and above the comparison group, while the proportion of students repeating after the teacher declined by 25 percentage points; and
- A major improvement in infant feeding practices, reducing by 13.6 percentage points in the proportion of mothers feeding formula to babies under six months of age.
In 2023, the schools14 in the municipality of Liquica – 101 in total, out of which 35 receiving the full intervention15 - graduated out of the program following demonstrated improvements in school management, SFP delivery, increased use of participatory teaching practices and reduction in negative teaching practices, and improvements in hygiene and sanitation. Among other results, the final evaluation showed that 91% of the schools in Liquica had reading corners in grade 2, compared to HATUTAN’s 65% average; the average attendance rate reached 78%, compared to a 64% average; and teacher attendance rate reached 85%. The second phase of the program has continued to support schools in Ainaro, Ermera, and Manatuto since 2023, and expanded operations to Oé-cusse in 2024. Read More...
HATUTAN’s final evaluation show that the integrated intervention has achieved remarkable results, including:
-A gain of 4.8 percentage points in literacy scores, over and above the comparison group.
-A major reduction in teachers’ use of traditional practices: the proportion of students who spent the class copying from the board declined by 15 percentage points over and above the comparison group, while the proportion of students repeating after the teacher declined by 25 percentage points; and
- A major improvement in infant feeding practices, reducing by 13.6 percentage points in the proportion of mothers feeding formula to babies under six months of age.
In 2023, the schools14 in the municipality of Liquica – 101 in total, out of which 35 receiving the full intervention15 - graduated out of the program following demonstrated improvements in school management, SFP delivery, increased use of participatory teaching practices and reduction in negative teaching practices, and improvements in hygiene and sanitation. Among other results, the final evaluation showed that 91% of the schools in Liquica had reading corners in grade 2, compared to HATUTAN’s 65% average; the average attendance rate reached 78%, compared to a 64% average; and teacher attendance rate reached 85%. The second phase of the program has continued to support schools in Ainaro, Ermera, and Manatuto since 2023, and expanded operations to Oé-cusse in 2024. Read More...
Community Nutrition and Health Activity Equity Gap Analysis
The Community Nutrition and Health Activity (CNHA) conducted an equity gap analysis to investigate the existing inequities in health and nutrition outcomes within its target areas in Bangladesh. This analysis aimed to identify not only the current inequities but also the underlying reasons for these disparities. Using USAID’s Unofficial Guidance to an Equity Gap Analysis, the CNHA team defined desired outcomes, assessed differential health and nutrition outcomes among various population groups through secondary data, and conducted stakeholder consultations with marginalized groups to understand the reasons behind these inequities. The findings highlighted that individuals in the two lowest wealth quintiles face significant barriers to accessing health care services, with persons with disabilities particularly excluded. Stakeholder consultations revealed issues such as lack of respectful care from community health care providers, restrictions on women's mobility, and inadequate participation in government safety net programs.
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Rapid Assessment of the FBMT Family Business Management Training
This rapid review was commissioned by CARE to evaluate the Family Business Management Training (FBMT) in Côte d’Ivoire using a qualitative approach.
The relevance of the FBMT in relation to the objectives of the W4C (Women for Change) program was analyzed by comparing the FBMT content and the evidence from the interviews with the objectives and indicators of the W4C logframe.
It becomes clear that the FBMT was most effective in increasing IGAs, balancing decision making and improving relationships. The effect of IGAs on household income not entirely clear yet. Access to the training is determined by participation in VSLAs. While this is not detrimental in the first place, potential entry barriers to VSLAs need to be kept in mind when scaling up.
For men the main challenges to participate in the FBMT are a perceived loss of power and possibly the available time to attend. Yet, those who participated were attracted by potential economic gains and finally recognized the advantages of improved relationships.
A mapping of training courses that are related to the FBMT and are applied in the W4C program revealed that the couple dialogues, the gender strategy interventions and FBMT overlap in some areas but the FBMT goes beyond the objectives of the other two courses. The IGA training courses, which are complementary to the FBMT, overlap with some of the contents of the FFBS1 (Farmer Field and Business School). The FFBS also overlaps with some of the FBMT contents on gender and also addresses the couple rather than just the women. However, it comprises of about double the number of training modules of the FBMT.
Training application is divided between technical advisors and field supervisors. This arrangement was not evaluated in detail but might not be the most effective and should be reviewed critically. The FBMT sustainably changed some of the behaviour of participating couples, confirming the sustainability of some of the effects of the training. The provision of the training still depends on external funding and cannot be considered fully sustainable yet. Change plans and their follow up by CARE staff are time consuming, resource intensive and might reduce the ownership of these plans by the couple that developed the plan.
The FBMT has been successful in changing household economies and relationships. Specifically the daily calendar, the income and expenditure tree and the prioritization of expenditures as practiced in the NEEDS and WANTS exercise have proven to be very effective. The perceived economic advantages of the training attract men eventually they discover the rewards of an improved relationship. The benefits of the FBMT have motivated some community members to spread its concepts to other households, which is as an opportunity for future programming. Read More...
The relevance of the FBMT in relation to the objectives of the W4C (Women for Change) program was analyzed by comparing the FBMT content and the evidence from the interviews with the objectives and indicators of the W4C logframe.
It becomes clear that the FBMT was most effective in increasing IGAs, balancing decision making and improving relationships. The effect of IGAs on household income not entirely clear yet. Access to the training is determined by participation in VSLAs. While this is not detrimental in the first place, potential entry barriers to VSLAs need to be kept in mind when scaling up.
For men the main challenges to participate in the FBMT are a perceived loss of power and possibly the available time to attend. Yet, those who participated were attracted by potential economic gains and finally recognized the advantages of improved relationships.
A mapping of training courses that are related to the FBMT and are applied in the W4C program revealed that the couple dialogues, the gender strategy interventions and FBMT overlap in some areas but the FBMT goes beyond the objectives of the other two courses. The IGA training courses, which are complementary to the FBMT, overlap with some of the contents of the FFBS1 (Farmer Field and Business School). The FFBS also overlaps with some of the FBMT contents on gender and also addresses the couple rather than just the women. However, it comprises of about double the number of training modules of the FBMT.
Training application is divided between technical advisors and field supervisors. This arrangement was not evaluated in detail but might not be the most effective and should be reviewed critically. The FBMT sustainably changed some of the behaviour of participating couples, confirming the sustainability of some of the effects of the training. The provision of the training still depends on external funding and cannot be considered fully sustainable yet. Change plans and their follow up by CARE staff are time consuming, resource intensive and might reduce the ownership of these plans by the couple that developed the plan.
The FBMT has been successful in changing household economies and relationships. Specifically the daily calendar, the income and expenditure tree and the prioritization of expenditures as practiced in the NEEDS and WANTS exercise have proven to be very effective. The perceived economic advantages of the training attract men eventually they discover the rewards of an improved relationship. The benefits of the FBMT have motivated some community members to spread its concepts to other households, which is as an opportunity for future programming. Read More...
Ella Alimenta Al Mundo Linea de Base/Baseline She Feeds the World Colombia
El proyecto Ella Alimenta al Mundo busca facilitar las condiciones para que mujeres productoras estén empoderadas y cuenten con medios de vida más seguros y resilientes para la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de ellas y su comunidad. Tiene como objetivo fortalecer el papel de las mujeres productoras a pequeña escala en cadenas de valor seleccionadas y mejorar los vínculos con los actores del mercado, incluida potencialmente la cadena de suministro de PepsiCo, para garantizar ingresos sostenibles y estables.
El presente documento corresponde al estudio de línea base que presenta los resultados en relación con la situación inicial y el contexto que viven las familias participantes del proyecto en los municipios de Pasto, Ipiales, Pupiales y Gualmatán del departamento de Nariño.
El análisis se orienta a dar a conocer las condiciones actuales con relación al empoderamiento económico de las mujeres, inclusión financiera, cadenas de valor inclusivas, procesos de comercialización justos y procesos productivos sostenibles, desarrollo de resiliencia y desarrollo de las asociaciones. De igual manera enfatiza en conocer las necesidades de capacitación en agricultura adaptativa, vinculación con el mercado, gestión financiera, prácticas de nutrición; de tal manera que sea posible fortalecer capacidades de la comunidad, especialmente mujeres para crear recursos propios y mejorar los vínculos con otros actores del mercado.
Brinda un análisis desde el enfoque de género que parte de la comprensión de cómo las relaciones de género influyen en todos los aspectos de una comunidad, tanto en el ámbito productivo como social. La distribución de tareas de las mujeres y de los hombres de un grupo social específico permiten comprender la dinámica de las relaciones de género, el apoyo mutuo, el intercambio, las cargas de trabajo con relación a otras labores, como son las tareas de cuidado y sostenimiento de la vida en el hogar.
La recolección, sistematización y análisis de la información fue realizada por el equipo consultor Tierra que Anda entre los meses de septiembre a noviembre de 2023.
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El presente documento corresponde al estudio de línea base que presenta los resultados en relación con la situación inicial y el contexto que viven las familias participantes del proyecto en los municipios de Pasto, Ipiales, Pupiales y Gualmatán del departamento de Nariño.
El análisis se orienta a dar a conocer las condiciones actuales con relación al empoderamiento económico de las mujeres, inclusión financiera, cadenas de valor inclusivas, procesos de comercialización justos y procesos productivos sostenibles, desarrollo de resiliencia y desarrollo de las asociaciones. De igual manera enfatiza en conocer las necesidades de capacitación en agricultura adaptativa, vinculación con el mercado, gestión financiera, prácticas de nutrición; de tal manera que sea posible fortalecer capacidades de la comunidad, especialmente mujeres para crear recursos propios y mejorar los vínculos con otros actores del mercado.
Brinda un análisis desde el enfoque de género que parte de la comprensión de cómo las relaciones de género influyen en todos los aspectos de una comunidad, tanto en el ámbito productivo como social. La distribución de tareas de las mujeres y de los hombres de un grupo social específico permiten comprender la dinámica de las relaciones de género, el apoyo mutuo, el intercambio, las cargas de trabajo con relación a otras labores, como son las tareas de cuidado y sostenimiento de la vida en el hogar.
La recolección, sistematización y análisis de la información fue realizada por el equipo consultor Tierra que Anda entre los meses de septiembre a noviembre de 2023.
Read More...
Impact Case Study and Documentation of the Tea, Herbs and Spices Farmer’s Situation and Experiences in the Phase I of Her Money, Her Life Project Implementation
CARE International's two-year Her Money, Her Life (HMHL) project (2021-2023), funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, aims to empower and economically uplift women farmers in Tanzania's tea sub-sector. In collaboration with Kazi Yetu Limited and key industry partners, the project targets 150,000 individuals, including 30,000 tea smallholder farmers (80% women). HMHL project builds on CARE's Agri Fund model with aim of investing in women to increase independence and economic opportunities to boost quality, quantity and diversification in Tanzania’s tea sub-sector. The impact study, conducted by Solveris Consulting Limited in November 2023, assesses the project's outcomes across seven districts in four regions, offering valuable insights into its effectiveness.
carried out by Kazi Yetu, funded by the project's grant. This ROI is expected to be more than doubled (188%) in 2025. The partnership between Kazi Yetu and stakeholders
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significantly impacts the specialty tea sector, showcasing rapid grant recovery/factory’s investment rate of return within 2.5 years. The project fosters economic viability and tangible benefits for farmers, contributing to positive transformation in livelihoods. Kazi Yetu's project interventions, highlighted by the SSTC demonstration factory, bring substantial and lasting benefits to farmers. Premium prices for green leaf tea sales, employment opportunities, and transformative training initiatives have significantly increased income for women tea farmers. The project's emphasis on value addition, including a solar dryer in Bumbuli, enhances product quality and market opportunities. Diversification into tea, herbs and spices production and commissions from bulk orthodox tea sales further contribute to income streams. The project's impact extends nationally, shaping the tea strategy and promoting specialty tea. The success of SSTC has catalysed national interest, leading to scaling efforts and increased global recognition for Tanzanian tea, enhancing market opportunities. Effectiveness of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) on Collective Investment: VSLAs demonstrate a significant 30% increase in women's involvement from 46% during baseline to 60% now, indicating successful interventions that contribute to economic resilience and social cohesion. Regional variations underscore localized impacts. Additionally, the study reveals that the majority of respondents (87%) comprising 89% females and 84% males reported their VSLAs engaging in collective investments using mobilised savings. This level of collective engagement in collective investments through VSLAs is approximately double the baseline figure (47%). The investments take various forms, including small businesses, transportation equipment, and livestock husbandry. Further evidence suggests that collective investments have enhanced VSLAs' capital, improved members' access to loans, and overall increased income through dividends from collective investments. Read More...
carried out by Kazi Yetu, funded by the project's grant. This ROI is expected to be more than doubled (188%) in 2025. The partnership between Kazi Yetu and stakeholders
ix
significantly impacts the specialty tea sector, showcasing rapid grant recovery/factory’s investment rate of return within 2.5 years. The project fosters economic viability and tangible benefits for farmers, contributing to positive transformation in livelihoods. Kazi Yetu's project interventions, highlighted by the SSTC demonstration factory, bring substantial and lasting benefits to farmers. Premium prices for green leaf tea sales, employment opportunities, and transformative training initiatives have significantly increased income for women tea farmers. The project's emphasis on value addition, including a solar dryer in Bumbuli, enhances product quality and market opportunities. Diversification into tea, herbs and spices production and commissions from bulk orthodox tea sales further contribute to income streams. The project's impact extends nationally, shaping the tea strategy and promoting specialty tea. The success of SSTC has catalysed national interest, leading to scaling efforts and increased global recognition for Tanzanian tea, enhancing market opportunities. Effectiveness of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) on Collective Investment: VSLAs demonstrate a significant 30% increase in women's involvement from 46% during baseline to 60% now, indicating successful interventions that contribute to economic resilience and social cohesion. Regional variations underscore localized impacts. Additionally, the study reveals that the majority of respondents (87%) comprising 89% females and 84% males reported their VSLAs engaging in collective investments using mobilised savings. This level of collective engagement in collective investments through VSLAs is approximately double the baseline figure (47%). The investments take various forms, including small businesses, transportation equipment, and livestock husbandry. Further evidence suggests that collective investments have enhanced VSLAs' capital, improved members' access to loans, and overall increased income through dividends from collective investments. Read More...
The First 1000 Days, Phase III in Sekong and Phongsaly Provinces
The First 1000 Days Project Phase III focuses on improving maternal and child mortality, improving health outcomes for women, adolescents, and children in the first 1,000 days of the life of children in Sekong and Phongsaly Provinces as well as to support poor and vulnerable households in remote, rural areas to facilitate access to and improve the quality of nutrition-related health services for mothers and children and improve food and nutrition security for community members. The project also integrates adolescent sexual reproductive health, women’s economic empowerment, responses to gender based violence, and stakeholder engagement in health.
This report examines the health, nutrition, and economic empowerment of women, adolescents, and children in Phongsaly and Sekong provinces of Laos. The baseline assessment aimed to understand the current situation and identify areas where interventions could have the greatest impact. Data was collected through a combination of surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interview with key stakeholders and interviews with mother of CU5, adolescent (age 15-19), men, healthcare providers, and community leaders.
The results showed that despite high antenatal care (ANC) utilization rates in both Phongsaly and Sekong, there remains room for improvement in overall healthcare delivery, particularly around childbirth. Home births remain common, highlighting the need for increased access to skilled birth attendants at health facilities and mobile outreach services. Sekong lags behind Phongsaly in skilled birth attendance rates.
Another area requiring attention is postnatal care. While attendance is satisfactory, there's potential to improve these services. Additionally, a concerning practice of some women lying over fire after childbirth needs to be addressed due to potential health risks.
Regarding family planning, awareness and usage vary significantly between the two provinces, with Phongsaly showing higher rates. Sekong especially needs increased access to family planning services, while both provinces could benefit from addressing confidentiality concerns surrounding these services, particularly in Phongsaly.
Food and nutrition security presents a significant challenge, as nutrition indicators showed poor nutritional status of children. Stunting rates among children under five are high, particularly in Sekong. Both provinces struggle with low dietary diversity, lacking adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and animal source proteins. While breastfeeding practices show positive trends in early initiation and colostrum feeding, there remains poor long-term rates of exclusive breastfeed. Sekong has lower rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding duration compared to Phongsaly, and even in Phongsaly, many mothers wean before the recommended 6 months. Read More...
This report examines the health, nutrition, and economic empowerment of women, adolescents, and children in Phongsaly and Sekong provinces of Laos. The baseline assessment aimed to understand the current situation and identify areas where interventions could have the greatest impact. Data was collected through a combination of surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interview with key stakeholders and interviews with mother of CU5, adolescent (age 15-19), men, healthcare providers, and community leaders.
The results showed that despite high antenatal care (ANC) utilization rates in both Phongsaly and Sekong, there remains room for improvement in overall healthcare delivery, particularly around childbirth. Home births remain common, highlighting the need for increased access to skilled birth attendants at health facilities and mobile outreach services. Sekong lags behind Phongsaly in skilled birth attendance rates.
Another area requiring attention is postnatal care. While attendance is satisfactory, there's potential to improve these services. Additionally, a concerning practice of some women lying over fire after childbirth needs to be addressed due to potential health risks.
Regarding family planning, awareness and usage vary significantly between the two provinces, with Phongsaly showing higher rates. Sekong especially needs increased access to family planning services, while both provinces could benefit from addressing confidentiality concerns surrounding these services, particularly in Phongsaly.
Food and nutrition security presents a significant challenge, as nutrition indicators showed poor nutritional status of children. Stunting rates among children under five are high, particularly in Sekong. Both provinces struggle with low dietary diversity, lacking adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and animal source proteins. While breastfeeding practices show positive trends in early initiation and colostrum feeding, there remains poor long-term rates of exclusive breastfeed. Sekong has lower rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding duration compared to Phongsaly, and even in Phongsaly, many mothers wean before the recommended 6 months. Read More...