Eat What You Grow - tackling food taboos in Sierra Leone

Scaling-up Nutrition and Immunisation Civil Society Platform Sierra Leone (SUNI-CSP SL) combined behaviour change communications with agriculture and nutrition-focused activities to promote the benefits of eating locally available foods.

"For many years farmers in Koinadugu district have being producing of vegetables and rearing livestock. Despite this, the district still has one of the highest levels of malnutrition, particularly stunting."

Earlier this year, SUNI CSP-SL was selected as one of the winners of the SUN Civil Society Network 'Innovation Plan Award' for their concept 'Eat What you Grow'. As part of this, SUNI CSP-SL was awarded with a small grant to make their idea a reality.

SUNI CSP-SL carried out an initial assessment in Koinadugu District to identify the causes and drivers of the high malnutrition rates. The assessment involved all key stakeholders in the district (e.g. government, CSOs, community leaders). Food taboos, not just the food accessibility, were identified as one of key barriers to good nutrition. Some of the food taboos identified, for included: • Lactating mothers should not eat vegetables, meat or fish in the first forty days after child birth • Children should not eat banana, fish, egg or meat

Through their 'Eat What you Grow' project, SUNI CSP-SL is tackling this by delivering social mobilisation and awareness raising activities to promote good nutrition behaviour and tackle food taboos.

Central to this has been effective multi-stakeholder collaboration among local CSOs, authorities, farmers, religious leaders as well as the training of “champions” and “lead farmers” to promote good nutrition behaviours, particularly increasing the consumption of nutritious, locally-produced foods.

These champions will also train other champions in order to reach more communities.

The project aims to change the dietary habits and therefor improve the nutritional status. of approximately 2,000 people in Koinadugu District.

Check out the short video documentary created by SUN CSP-SL to find out more about the project.