‘'Thinking Big and starting small, K-MET has initiated nutrition project to address the food insecurity in the catchment area''.

Nutrition and Food Security As a Component of Home Based Care

Brief Project History:

The Nutrition as a component of HBC project was initiated in September 2003 with funds from American Jewish World Service (AJWS). It is situated within Kisumu city with its head office in Tom Mboya estate, Kisumu city: The field project sites are in West Kolwa location, Sagam, Rongo, Bware, Runyenjes, Embu and Mombasa communities. The project was introduced after conducting a needs assessment among the beneficiaries. The findings revealed that a third of the home based care clients had defaulted on T.B drugs due to lack of food. Hence, distribution of nutrition supplements to PLWHA and OVC at home was initiated as an intervention strategy to avert the health and nutrition crisis.

The goal of the project is to improve the nutrition status of the Infected (PLWHA) and the affected (OVC).

The goal above has been achieved through the following objectives:

•  To process and distribute Nutri-meal supplements to the vulnerable communities.

•  To offer nutrition supplements to PLWHA and OVCs at home.

•  To train Community Health Workers, youths and PLWHA on nutrition in HIV/AIDS and food security.

•  To conduct community mobilization and sensitization sessions.

•  To strengthen access to nutrition supplements through initiation of community nutri care kiosk.

•  To strengthen household food security activities in the community.

•  To facilitate community OVC feeding support.

ACTIVITIES:
The K-MET Model of HBC and Nutrition support entails offering clinical, nursing and nutritional support to the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the community with a focus on improving their nutritional and health status. This has been made possible through the following activities:

•  Processing of a highly nutritious flour blend supplements (EXTRA, NENE, and AFYA Nutri Flour brands)

•  Individualized nutrition education and home visits, including health nutrition screening and monitoring.

•  Community nutrition sensitisation and awareness creation.

•  Community nutrition counseling and education.

•  Advocacy for behavioral change and communication.

•  Offering nutritional feeding support to PLWHA and OVCs.

•  Advocacy for sustainable household food security.

•  Promotion of healthy dietary habits through consumption of local and readily available traditional foods.

•  Training community health workers and other community based action groups such as; women groups and youth groups on community nutrition in relation to home based care and proper dietary habits that promote healthy lifestyle.

 Achievements:
Since its inception in September 2003, the nutrition project has contributed to the following achievements of the vulnerable communities:

•  Training 140 Community Health Workers in nutrition and food security and equipping them with nutrition support kit.

•  The number of HBC clients benefiting from the nutrition support has increased from 75 to more than 3,483 PLWHA

•  The number of community members reached with Nutri meal supplements are more than 20,000 house-holds in the entire country.

•  The K-MET supported school feeding program has seen over 1,115 Orphans gone back to school to continue with their primary education.

•  Two community orphan feeding centres have been strengthened to offer nutrition support to more than 400 orphans in Sagam community in Siaya District.

•  Strengthening of food security activities to more than 400 PLWHA and 100 OVC (Youths) households.

•  Establishment of 6 community Nutri care kiosks within vulnerable communities.

•  Strengthening acceptance for nutri meal supplements through advocacy ,networking and collaborative venture with more than 20 like-minded government, private and NGOs i.e. Ministry of Health, Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute, MILDMAY –Int., HelpAge (K) e.t.c.
Community Nutri-care Kiosk.