In the Namtumbo district, Ruvuma region, southern Tanzania, there are approximately 6,791 square kilometers of arable land but only 5% of this is actually cultivated. The factors that affect the actual cultivation capacity of farmers are many: rainfall that is becoming increasingly scarce and increasingly limited to short periods; access to water resources is guaranteed to less than 50% of the inhabitants and each well serves at least 500 inhabitants (mainly at unprotected wells, unprotected springs, surface water).Food security in the area is therefore at risk: according to estimates released by the government of Tanzania, 25% of the population is still malnourished, 3.8% of children under 5 years of age suffer from global acute malnutrition (GAM), 0.9% from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 34.7% of children under 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition (growth arrest), according to the WHO classification.
In 9 regions of Tanzania, including Ruvuma, this parameter is even higher than 40%. COPE, thanks to another project carried out in the same area, "Maji Safi" (OPM/2022/30498) aimed at improving access to water in the target villages (Msindo, Nambehe, Lumecha and Mtakanini of the Namtumbo district) aims to reduce malnutrition of the vulnerable subjects identified, thanks to the training, awareness-raising and improvement of agricultural technologies that will be implemented with this project proposal.
The project "Kua Vizuri-Growing well, supported by the funds of the Otto per mille of the Waldensian Church, aims to improve safe access to nutritious and sufficient food throughout the year (target 2.1 agenda 2030), through the training of teachers (A3), raising awareness among children through play (A3) and screening in schools (A4) that will allow the improvement of awareness on the importance of a varied diet (R1) and decentralized training for 200 women (A5) and the creation of 50 vertical gardens (A6) that will allow the improvement of the productive capacities of 200 women from the villages of Msindo, Nambehe, Lumecha and Mtakanini of the Namtumbo district (R2).
Direct beneficiaries of the project will be:
- 40 teachers from the 8 schools of the 4 target villages trained on good nutrition and hygiene-sanitary practices;
- 1,700 children and young people between 0 and 16 years old subjected to malnutrition screening;
- 200 families made aware of the issue of malnutrition and trained on how to improve their daily diet;
- 50 families equipped with vertical gardens.
9,000 inhabitants of the target villages will also benefit indirectly from the improvements envisaged by the project, having been sensitized on the topic of good nutrition and hygiene and sanitation practices.
