New Partnerships to Champion Nutrition, Transform Lives, and Empower Communities in Kenya

By Dorothy Waweru, Communications Assistant, Save the Children, and Joyce Nyaboga, Capacity Strengthening Advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition

"My passion for those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS began when I realized that many people in my community were dying due to the effects of this disease, and the biggest problem was the lack of information," says Eunice Owino, Director of the Jiupachi Community-Based Support Centre in Kisumu, Kenya.

Founded in 2004 by individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, Jiupachi is an organization committed to providing essential support to children and households affected by HIV and disabilities in Kisumu County, Kenya. Jiupachi is now working in partnership with USAID Advancing Nutrition, USAID’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project. Through this partnership, Jiupachi is prioritizing crucial nutrition interventions to tackle malnutrition within the community and mitigate the impact of these challenges on the overall well-being of vulnerable individuals.?

Through this collaboration, Eunice has come to recognize the linkages between HIV/AIDS, disability, and nutrition. "As a civil society organization (CSO), we had not yet realized how nutrition plays a key role in mitigating HIV/AIDS," Eunice said. “It was only through our collaboration with USAID Advancing Nutrition that we discovered the critical connection between HIV/AIDS, disability, and nutrition." This partnership has helped to improve Jiupachi’s operations, strengthening their systems and enhancing the capacity of their staff in monitoring, budget allocation, and nutrition assessment. USAID Advancing Nutrition conducted a rapid organizational capacity assessment with the Jiupachi that revealed both weaknesses and strengths within their systems. "Poor systems prevented us from capturing the impact of our good work."

Jiupachi has also developed essential documents with support from the project, including a strategic plan, a human resource manual, and a procurement policy. The CSO has implemented program-based budgeting and a scorecard to monitor nutrition indicators and document their progress. Participating in a financial tracking tool workshop has equipped the Jiupachi team with the necessary accountability measures to track investments made in nutrition, including funding allocation at the county level.

Eunice says the impact of the partnership with USAID Advancing Nutrition extends beyond Jiupachi's internal systems. They have formed invaluable linkages with other partners, strengthening their existing collaborations. Recognizing that nutrition intersects with various sectors, including water and sanitation, agriculture, social services, and academia, Jiupachi has expanded its scope beyond health. Engaging with academia, such as Maseno University, has equipped Jiupachi to contribute to research and documentation.

Eunice not only leads Jiupachi, she also serves as the leader of the Scaling up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance in Kisumu.

"The support from USAID Advancing Nutrition and other partners in helping to map out and establish the Kisumu chapter of the alliance has been invaluable,” she said. “The capacity strengthening, trainings, and partnerships have given Jiupachi a seat at decision-making tables and enabled us to amplify community voices."?

As a nutrition champion trained through USAID Advancing Nutrition, Eunice advocates for nutrition budgeting in the county. Recently, she had the opportunity to participate in discussions regarding fund allocation for nutrition in the Kisumu County Integrated Development Plan.

She actively engages with community health workers and households to ensure effective monitoring and tracking of nutrition indicators, including deworming, zinc uptake for caregivers, and vitamin A supplementation. Jiupachi promotes nutrition through a demonstration farm at their office, educating the community on nutrition-sensitive practices through small-scale agriculture. Eunice highlights the use of cone gardens, which maximize space for crop cultivation by arranging soil in a conical shape above the ground using plastic containers or heavy polythene sheets.

Jiupachi's dedication extends to schools, particularly early childhood development (ECD) centers, where they tirelessly work to promote the consumption of high-nutrition value foods among children. Eunice advocates for the establishment of cone gardens or kitchen gardens in ECD centers to ensure that children have access to nutritious foods.

To date, Jiupachi Community-Based Support Centre has supported over 4,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and 46 children with disabilities. Through their nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, the organization has reached over 1,600 caregivers and 120 community health workers, ensuring that no child lacks nutrient-dense foods.

Eunice remains optimistic that with the skills acquired through support from USAID Advancing Nutrition, Jiupachi will continue scaling up nutrition interventions, reaching even the farthest villages in Kisumu County.

Eunice's story highlights the profound impact that capacity strengthening, partnerships, and knowledge sharing can have on grassroots organizations like Jiupachi. With each step forward, they bring hope and transformative change to vulnerable communities. Through their relentless efforts, the vision of providing nutrition support to every child becomes an achievable reality, fostering resilience and shaping a better future for all.