Fresh-food vouchers are ‘changing my life’
Cash transfers combined with lessons in nutrition to improve diets for families in Ethiopia
Mekia Ahmed is attentively watching the cooking demonstration arranged by WFP for pregnant and nursing mothers in Kukura village.
Over 30 other expectant and nursing mothers have gathered to learn new ways of preparing of food for their daily meals here in Woldia district, capital of the Semien Wollo zone in the Amhara Region of northern Ethiopia.
This is all part of WFP’s pilot Fresh Food Voucher programme, designed to address stunting in Amhara Region by promoting the benefits of diversifying diets especially among pregnant and nursing women and children aged under two years.
Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, the location for the pilot programme in over 120 villages of North Wollo zone, has been identified as having the highest stunting rates in the country.
Mothers are given practical lessons on food and how to prepare meals that provide the maximum nutritional benefits for their children and themselves.
Most families are used to eating baked teff or wheat with sauces of lentils, beans or peas, and are not aware of the nutritional values of fruit or mixing varieties of vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods into their dishes.
‘My son has already started gaining weight.’
Participants like Mekia say they have learnt a lot from the demonstration and are already seeing the benefits of the programme.
“My son has already started gaining weight. He is quite healthy and has never been sick,” she explains.
The programme provides families with phone-based cash transfers every month, allowing them to buy food direct from retailers who have entered into an agreement with WFP.
WFP’s emphasis on community-based outreach for health and nutrition education has already seen families feeling healthier and less prone to illness.
Demeku Fantahun, another participant of the programme, says she could not afford to feed her children with more nutritious food
“I’m a housewife and my husband’s job as a carpenter doesn’t earn enough money to purchase nutritional foods, but thanks to WFP I can now because I’m included in the Fresh Food Voucher Programme. It is bringing change to my life.”
Demeku, who is 5 months’ pregnant with her second child, has already learnt the importance of improving her diet by adding nutrient-dense food like eggs, milk, vegetables and fruit into her dishes.
“My phone is now charged with money that will enable me to purchase the food I need,” she adds.
Another issue WFP’s training addressed were the taboos against certain types of food, due to religious and cultural reasons.
Generous support makes a real difference
The Fresh Food Voucher pilot programme is supported by KfW, a German-based development bank that helps foster economic and social change in improving people’s quality of life.
KfW Representative and Project Manager Katharina Pannwitz believes the initiative is well designed.
“This is an impressive programme implemented jointly by WFP and KfW and there is a possibility to continue our support,” she said.
The one year pilot is also implemented in partnership with the regional government. Based on the achievements seen since the start of the pilot programme in 2018 , the Vice Head of the Health Department of North Wollo Zone, Feleku Mekonnen, hopes to see it expanded further.
“We acknowledge the generous support of Germany’s KfW to implement this programme in our region,” she said. “We would like to see the extension of the programme to all districts, and we’re optimistic that it will bring tremendous and quick results in the health status of kids and mothers in our area.
