The first round of our biggest project to date has been completed... what trends are we seeing?

The first round of food distribution for Project Miatrika is now complete. This milestone marks a significant step towards addressing the pressing issue of malnutrition in the southern region of Anosy, Madagascar.

For many communities in Anosy, malnutrition is a growing threat, and those situated further south experience pronounced implications of a naturally dry climate compounded by the drought, something we're witnessing first hand. In the Commune of Andranobory for example, Project Miatrika’s most southwesterly site, 240 children, nearly 13% of those under five, were found to have acute malnutrition after our pre-distribution screening.

Project Miatrika seeks to mitigate the effects of food insecurity by meeting the immediate nutritional needs of children and families through food distribution. During the project’s first round, 1,112 children with acute malnutrition received 66,720 sachets of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF). SEED further supported families of children with acute malnutrition by distributing 37,980 Kg of rice, 5,064 L of oil, and 25,320 cups of beans.

In addition to food distribution, an important element of Project Miatrika is building long-term community resilience to food insecurity and climate induced shocks. SEED is working with the Ministry of Health and health workers to facilitate community-led social behaviour change sessions. These education sessions aim to promote the sustainable adoption of positive behaviours that reduce susceptibility to malnutrition.

Project Miatrika acknowledges the importance of the climate-food security nexus and seeks to support communities to protect their livelihoods in both the short and long-term. Learn more about how Project Miatrika works with health centres, caregivers, and communities to create a holistic response to food insecurity here.