Eradicating hunger is about more than giving people food to eat: it requires creating the capacity to have sustainable access to adequate food and nutrition, including clean water. CWS promotes food and nutritional security in Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala), Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These programs provide inputs, protect land rights, promote soil conservation and use of natural resources, teach nutrition and food diversification techniques, and value indigenous knowledge.
Growing Healthier CWS Regional Program for Food and Nutritional Security in Central America
Four CWS partners in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua have recently come together in Growing Healthier: a regional program integrating food security and nutrition education and monitoring.
Their first step: a detailed study of food production and nutritional conditions for the 1,245 families involved in the three countries. The study found that despite gains in food security, malnutrition still persists in part due to lack of adequate water systems, and scant nutrition education and poor practices. Click here for more information about the baseline nutritional study.
When more food is not enough…
Food security programs are often designed and run by agronomists, and usually do not adequately integrate nutritional education. As such, families may be increasing and diversifying their food supply but failing to implement improvements in breastfeeding and other feeding practices that are necessary for reducing child malnutrition.
Growing Healthier staff says that the program’s advances go beyond increasing crops: it’s “an integral approach to sustainability and community development,” incorporating water, sanitation and a focus on nutrition. “We see the importance of an approach that includes agriculture (…), integrated with establishing clean, potable water and sanitation to enhance the nutrition of families.”
Growing Healthier is about empowering marginalized communities where malnutrition is most prevalent, including indigenous communities in Guatemala and Nicaragua.
The Food Security Program is supported by contributions from CROP Hunger Walks and CWS member communions, and major support from the Foods Resource Bank. We also gratefully acknowledge contributions from congregations such as Ripple of Hope - Mt. Synod (United Church of Christ) and First Christian Church of Tyler, Texas.
CWS is a member of ACT Alliance
and the American Council for Voluntary International Action (InterAction).
Recognized as one of America's Most Efficient Charities,
Church World Service has earned
an A rating from the American Institute of
Philanthropy and was named
one of the Top 100 Highly Rated Charities by GiveSpot.com.
Photos left to right:
Doug Smith, Projeto Meninos e Meninas de Rúa, Paul Jeffrey,
Rick Reinhard, Martha Farmelo
