The Improved Approach to Community-Based Nutrition in Turkana (IMPACT) program in Kenya
The Improved Approach to Community-Based Nutrition in Turkana (IMPACT) program in Kenya, funded by the Bayer Fund aims to significantly improve nutrition outcomes for pregnant and lactating women and infants and young children (<5 years of age) via a two-pronged approach:
- Address immediate causes of malnutrition by improving access to quality health services and increase knowledge for prevention and treatment of malnutrition, and
- Address underlying determinants of malnutrition by increasing household availability, access, and consumption of diversified and nutrient rich food.
Results of the project in 2020
- Total direct beneficiaries estimated at 8,200. This includes 880 farming households, 7,200 Care Group members, 72 health facility staff and 48 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs). The indirect beneficiaries are close to 150,000 benefitting from awareness raising initiatives
- Supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) in scaling up of infant nutrition activities such as improving the coverage infant health: 12,698 for Vitamin
- A Supplementation (VAS), 3,803 for deworming for infants and 2,610 for Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) in 24 health facilities.
- Conducted screening for malnutrition and referred 2,329 children.
- Held COVID-19 awareness talks in 9 health facilities (35,881 people)
- Supported development of County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) which will provide road map for health and nutrition activities that are implemented by the ministry of Health and other nutrition partners in the county
- Provided 2 high power water pumps benefitting 40 farming households to expand irrigation coverage.
- Supported bush clearing of 85 acres of land to clear prosopis which is an invasive species that reduces land productivity.
- Desilted 2,200 metres of canal benefitting 50 farming households.
- Distributed 590 farmers’ kits to farmers to support basic land preparation.
- Facilitated ploughing of 92.5 acres through joint effort with county government benefiting approximately 140 households
- Distributed assorted seeds (banana, mango, okra African spider plant e.t.c.) benefiting 220 households to improve food diversity.
- Conducted a training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to 40 lead farmers
Testimony from the Field
Increased income: In November 2020, one of our farm groups received GAP training in agriculture, supported in bush clearing and received assorted farm tools. As a result, the farm managed to harvest a total of 600 pieces of water melon to earn about Ksh. 180,000 (equivalent of 18,000 USD).
Having noted the potential of the farm, the program has further supported the group with a diesel water pump toexpand irrigation coverage and this is expected to further
increase food production and household incomes