Food security and nutrition

VVIVA addresses malnutrition and food insecurity by focusing on influencing adoption of new behaviors and technologies that promote household food security. VVIVA facilitates nutritional education to the women and teenage girls/mothers that involve promoting optimal infant feeding practices and improved WASH practices within households. Integrated community nutritional awareness campaigns on adequate food and nutrient intake focusing on the 1,000 days window of opportunity from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday are conducted. Breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding at six months, feeding during illness, food preparation, hygiene and health care-seeking to promote child health are emphasized.  Women are more productive and successful when their households are food-secure and economically stable.