Project profile — Growing Nutrition for Mothers and Children in Ethiopia

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project includes: (1) improved maternal, infant and child nutrition and care giving practices by women of reproductive age and caregivers of under-5 boys and girls; (2) improved nutrition-sensitive practices including hygiene, sanitation and water management for both domestic and productive uses; and (3) strengthened management of Government of Ethiopia gender-sensitive nutrition programs and approaches at the federal and local levels.

Results achieved as of March 2020 include: (1) reached 188,631 direct beneficiaries (of which 74,263 women and 22,465 girls under the age of five) and 825,218 indirect beneficiaries, meeting 100% of the projects’ target reach. The project was implemented in six woredas (districts) in East Hararghe, six woredas in West Hararghe and two woredas in Afar. Overall, the project covered 164 kebeles (wards); (2) achieved key activities planned in the project, from the output level to the outcome level. For example, the number of infants under six months exclusively breastfed increased from 58% at baseline to 77%. The number of infants introduced to complementary foods (between the ages of 6 and 8 months) increased from 73% to 89%. The number of infants between the ages of 6 and 23 months receiving minimum dietary diversity increased from 26% to 47%. The frequency of meals for children under the age of two increased from 58% to 73% and dietary diversity from 20% to 34%; (3) women increased their regular consumption of more than four food groups from 30% to 57%; (4) the number of households consuming self-produced foods increased from 67% to 84%; (5) the number of women growing their seeds increased from 54% to 67% and the number of women making final decision on distribution of food during shortages from 38% to 56%; (6) the number of households that own livestock increased from 73% to 84%, the number of households that have access to improved water facilities increased from 30% to 38%, and the number of households with closer access to water (less than 30 minutes walk) increased from 31% to 42%; (7) the number of men reporting that women make the final decisions on food increased from 46% to 57%; and (8) each Nutrition Technical Committee (NTC) and Nutrition Coordinating Committee (NCC) in all operational areas prepared its annual sector-specific gender and nutrition sensitive work plan, meeting the project target of 100% of these plans in place.