The sweet (potatoes) taste of PANITA’s “Accountable District Nutrition Steering Committee” Innovatio
Awarded by the SUNCSN Learning Route Innovation Plan Competition, Partnership for Nutrition in Tanzania (PANITA) has successfully completed the innovation plan: “Accountable District Nutrition Steering Committee”. The award was established to scale up innovations and learning gained from the Rwanda Learning Route.
Stunting in Tanzania stands at 34%, 57% of under-five children and 45% of women of reproductive age are anemic. The under-five stands at underweight 7 % and wasting 5 % and there are limited resources for nutrition interventions.
There is a need of initial working budget to elicit advocacy for a model district, trigger local resource allocation and scale up.
The Innovation Plan has been a source to trigger accountability of Kalambo District. It has also rekindled the sense of collective responsibility.
We are reporting here the "top three" achievements (3 months of implementation):
1. The Vice President of United Republic of Tanzania Her Excellency Samia Suluhu during the National Summit on Food Fortification ordered to sign Performance Contract with All Regional Commissioners on the fund allocated for nutrition intervention as well as all agreed nutrition activities. The President’s Office Regional Administrative and Local government are finalizing the contracts, expected to be signed before the end of September 2017.
2. As per today (14 September 2017) nutrition is included as permanent agenda at VC, WDC, DC, RCC (Kalambo): each meeting will discuss the nutrition agenda in addition to others agendas.
3. Commitments with concrete actions to scale up nutrition have been signed by 21 stakeholders including community, CSOs, Governing bodies and are currently implemented. Among the commitments: preparation of vegetable gardens, organization a football tournament for nutrition, harvesting nutritious sweet potatoes, developing workplan and strategic plan for nutrition, engaging media.
To achieve these results PANITA mobilized, trained and collaboratively worked with 15 of Steering Committee (RNSC); 1Ward Development Committee (WDC) meeting; Regional Secretariat (RS) – 32 participants (Rukwa and Katavi regions); 2 District Nutrition Steering Committee (DNSC) – 30 participants (Kalambo District Council and Sumbawanga Municipal Council); 13 CSOs Members; 27 teachers; 1,980 students (Primary and secondary school); 5 churches.
The innovation Plan Award was 5,000 USD to be spent within 3 months. PANITA complemented the budget doubling the investment (12,245 USD) to conduct advocacy and bilateral meeting at regional level.
Congratulations to PANITA, who demonstrated great ability to transform learning from the Rwanda Learning Route into action, applying inclusive, transparent approach, with a long term vision and outstanding collaboration among all stakeholders.
Isn’t this value for money?
Would it be possible to achieve all these without SUN?
Find out more about the results and the changes occurred thanks to PANITA’s intervention (Achievements overview; Project documents).
