Reduce Infant Malnutrition Morbidity and Mortality Rates.

Our Program seeks to implement the PD/Hearth approach in its maiden pilot Program in Nanyumbu district, Mtwara Region in Tanzania. Nanyumbu district has high malnutrition rates where 23% of children are born with low birth weight, 59% of children <5 years are stunting, 40% of children <5 years are underweight, 4% of children <5 years are wasting, 41% of children <5 years have Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), 42% of school age children (5-10 years) are stunting and 47% of pregnant women are anemic (TDHS 2010). The lack of basic infrastructure in the region - from working roads to electrical supply - has helped turn hardship into hunger.

Our focus now is on ‘the doing’ ie. Visiting the pilot community, talking to key leaders and beginning the process for community mobilization and support. Another key focus point of work is focused around developing and exploring fundraising opportunities so the program can be launched and grow.

The longer term vision of this program is to expand the program to additional communities integrating lessons learned from the piloting thus creating a living University.