Bishkek, Oct. 4, 2018. /Kabar/. The staff of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations conducted training sessions for residents of Suzak region of Jalal-Abad oblast to improve the quality and diversity of nutrition.
The UN FAO reported that despite the significant progress made by Kyrgyzstan in reducing undernourishment, malnutrition, including low dietary diversity, remains an urgent problem for the country. According to the World Bank and UNICEF, Kyrgyzstan loses up to 2 million soms annually due to insufficient nutrition of the population.
The most vulnerable groups in terms of malnutrition are children and women of childbearing age from the poorest segments of the population living in rural areas. These include recipients of the Monthly Allowance for disadvantaged children, whose income is not more than 900 soms per family member. They are the ones most often face the problem of “triple burden” of malnutrition: undernourishment among children, obesity among adult men and women, as well as micronutrient deficit. This category of population not only does not have sufficient financial resources to provide themselves and their families with food, but also the knowledge and skills to improve and diversify their diets through affordable foods.
The Productive Social Contract / Cash Plus joint pilot project of the UN FAO and the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, implemented in Suzak region of Jalal-Abad oblast, aookies an integrated approach to solving the problem of poverty and malnutrition among beneficiaries of the Monthly Allowance.
In addition to the pilot initiative focusing on the cultivation of profitable and useful crops, the project provides for training of beneficiaries on nutrition. Such training is necessary in order to improve their knowledge, attitudes and nutrition practices, as well as change their eating and feeding behaviour and habits.
“It is very important for the FAO to teach people not only sustainable production of food products, including vegetables and fruits, but also proper consumption. A diverse diet that combines foods from different food groups in a balanced way will make it possible to significantly correct existing eating disorders among the various categories of the population. If we teach people to make a choice in favor of a healthy diet, then together we will be able to achieve the Zero Hunger by 2030,” Dorjee Kinlay, a representative of the FAO UN in Kyrgyzstan, said.
Nutrition training took place from August to October 2018 and coincided with the first crop obtained in the pilot project, which allowed the beneficiaries to use fresh vegetables and fruits, including new ones for them, such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, chickpeas and lentils. In addition, it gave the opportunity to make healthy food for the winter time, which was also included in the training program.
Nutrition training was implemented by the FAO, together with the Civic Alliance for Improving Nutrition and Food Security, and piloted a sustainable model of cascade training and multilateral work with vulnerable populations.
The Productive Social Contract / Cash Plus pilot project is being implemented with the financial support of Russia.
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