Activating Healthy Nutrition Habits in Kyrgyz Republic

Mavliuda Ergeshova is a mother of seven children in Lenin’s Village, Jalal Abad Oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic. She and her husband grow crops and breed cattle on their household plot, taking care of her 100-year old mother along with the children. When Mavliuda first became a mother, she and her husband knew very little about nutrition and the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and a diverse diet with local vegetables, fruits and animal source foods throughout the year. When she had her youngest child, a village activist from her community, Kunduz Zhakypova, made contact with her through WhatsApp, an important means of communication as social distancing prevented traditional household visits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mavliuda listened to the WhatsApp audio messages that explained how breastfeeding and improved hygiene were important for her family’s health. After having been in the activist’s WhatsApp group for a while, Mavliuda decided it was time? to improve her household’s hygiene routine. With income earned from selling livestock, she bought a washstand and her children can now wash their hands with soap after playing in the yard.

Mavliuda is diversifying the offerings on her family’s table, too. Her family was not accustomed to eating beans and peas, but after learning that legumes are rich in iron and could supplement meat, she added them to most of the family’s dishes. She also began to add more pumpkin as a source of vitamin A.

Mavliuda says, “I am a hero mother, a mother of seven. Unfortunately, I did not breastfeed my older kids properly and long enough, because I simply was not aware, and now they are skinnier than my younger children and constantly fall sick. I know I must have skipped an important phase where I could have guaranteed stronger health for them, but what I do now is try to compensate by preparing exclusively healthy and natural foods.”

Her story is not unique. Over the life of the project (2018-2023), USAID Advancing Nutrition trained approximately 5,000 community activists on nutrition, anemia, hygiene, and responsive care and early learning, benefiting over 42,000 households and reaching approximately 24,000 children under two in Batken, Jalal-Abad, and Issyk-Kul. In addition to direct communication with communities, the project also disseminated information and educational resources via social media, television programs, and printed handouts that they deliver to both Oblasts on a regular basis. It is through these targeted interventions and with the help of dedicated activists that the project was able to convey critical information that led to a sustained behavior change and improved nutrition practices.

Learn more about USAID Advancing Nutrition's work in the Kyrgyz Republic.