Supported by ADB/JFPR, this trial project is implementing with the main objective is to reduce children malnutrition rate, especially those in poor areas with high risk of malnutrition.
The project will be implemented in 60 districts belonged to six provinces including Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Ngai. The project will support Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa provinces to establish two new production lines that produce nutritious complementary food (nutritious powder). The two former production lines in Ha Noi and Quang Nam will be renovated in order to expand their production capacity to produce enough food for new provinces in project. Materials for producing the complementary food consist of rice, soy-bean, sesame complemented with vitamins and minerals. Although they are small scale productions (only 3 to 5 workers needed) they can provide enough food for children in their location and neighboring provinces. This help reduces money for product transportation leading to lower price of products. Good effects of nutritious powder on nutrition status have been approved in the studies of NIN, GRET/IRD. Distribution of the product is mainly by local collaborators (village VWU cadres) who are nutritional educators and also sellers to mothers.
They are trained on nutritional knowledge and nutritional education skills as well as supported with nutritional materials to raise their counseling ability to mothers. The project will also find out additional ways for product distribution to help the poor and vulnerable children have to be able to access nutritious complementary food in which trial distribution channels will be launched for the poor to choose their most suitable channel. In three years of project implementation, PMU (based in NIN) is responsible for supervision, monitoring & evaluation of project activities.