YAWE-Youth and Women Emancipation worked in partnership with Doctors with Africa-CUAMM to implement the Guaranteeing the Future Project in Bariadi district council. The project aimed at improving the nutrition status of children under five years in 8 wards and 31 villages for a period of 12 months.
Given Tanzania’s large proportionate population of young people, 43.9% are below 15 years with young children of 0-9 years at 31% of the population. However, it is unfortunate that a large proportion of this population is at risk of not attaining their full developmental potential while exposed to high rates and multidimensional poverty because of poor health, nutrition, learning and insufficient knowledge on Early Childhood Development.

To address the problem, YAWE mobilized and engaged parents/caregivers through a series of nutritional interventions. These included provision of education on Early Child Development, cooking demonstrations, and demonstration on preparation of sack-gardening and nutritional assessment exercise for children under five years.

"…today I learned about ECD that emphases on a child development and growth starting at the first 1,000 days. Provision of early plays to a child such as walking, laughing, looking a face to face to a child, playing games and giving simple toys combined with exclusive breastfeeding are important aspects in brain and physical development of a child. I am so happy for what I have gained and grasped during the village health and nutrition day"
She goes on saying..........
“also I have learnt how to prepare nutritious food for a child and to the entire family members, for example mixing sweet potatoes, pumpkin, nuts, cooking oil will increase the appetite for eating; on the side of increasing stimulation to children can be developed through playing different sports and games, for developing his or her brain, for examples playing football, driving wood or boxes cars, chasing games, I am gratefully to Doctors with Africa and YAWE for their great support on nutritional education in our village, through this good education Songambele village to fight against malnutrition disorders which threatens the lives of our children”. SUMAYI SAGUDA from Songambele Village

To YAWE, and the children of Bariadi, this achievement marks a significant milestone not only for the children but also for the country, which has been tirelessly working for years to provide and improve nutrition services for children.