The Mwanzo Bora Nutrition Program (MBNP) is a USAID-supported program through Feed the Future (FtF), Global Health Initiatives (GHI) and Africare Tanzania.  MBNP is designed to support the Government of Tanzania’s (GoT) goal to bring about significant and measurable changes in the nutritional status of Tanzanian people through the implementation of the National Nutrition Strategy, the Tanzania Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan (TAFSIP), and other relevant policies and strategies.

The overall goal of the program is to improve the nutritional status of children and pregnant and lactating women in Tanzania, with specific focus on reducing maternal anemia and childhood stunting by at least 20% in Manyara, Morogoro and Dodoma regions. The program also supports community and health facility – level interventions in Zanzibar.

To achieve this goal Mwanzo Bora Nutrition Program has two principal objectives:

• Strengthen the capacity of government and indigenous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to deliver quality nutrition education and communication;
• Strengthen the delivery of integrated community-based nutrition services and social behaviour-change education, resulting in a model that can quickly be scaled-up to reduce childhood stunting and maternal anemia.

A core component of MBNP is the engagement of government and civil society in the development of a vibrant national platform for nutrition, placing emphasis on the first 1,000[1] days of a child’s life.

The nutrition interventions aim at promoting the adoption of positive behaviours at household and community level through Social and behaviour Change Communication (SBCC). At the sub-national level, the program works through local CSOs to support efforts in building the capacity of local councils’ new and existing human resources, including nutrition officers, as well as health, agriculture (including livestock) and community development extension workers, to provide basic nutrition services to support reduction of childhood stunting and maternal anemia.

To achieve the two principal objectives, Mwanzo Bora Nutrition program is designed to implement activities within the nutrition component represented by six key result areas.

These are:

1. Increased Investment in Agriculture & Nutrition Related Activities
2. Improved Access to Diverse & Quality Foods
3. Improved Nutrition Related Behaviors
4. Improved Utilization of Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Services
5. Improved Enabling Policy Environment for both Agriculture & Nutrition

The Manyara Regional Civil Society Network (MACSNET) is one of the project partners which works to contribute to overall program goals through SBCC component in partnership with Africare Tanzania. Therefore the Organization implements the program in two districts namely Babati Town Council and Hanang District Council in Manyara region. However, to facilitate that the intervention utilizes Community Health Workers in every village or/and street as a changing agents.

INTERVENTIONS

At community level; the interventions are focused on Agriculture for Nutrition, and through Health Facilities where monitoring of vitamin A supplementation to children, Fefol distribution to pregnant women and Clinic attendance to pregnant women is done. Moreover orientations related to Siku 1000 model used to address maternal anaemia and child hood stunting are monitored

In contributing to overall program goals, the organization works towards implementing activities for achieving 3 Intermediate Results which include;

1. Improved access to diverse and quality foods
2. Improved Nutrition related behaviours
3. Improved use of maternal and child health, and nutrition services

Partners and Beneficiaries

Local communities especially children under 2 years and Women at reproductive age in all districts within the zones of influence and the central governments of Tanzania are regarded as both beneficiaries and partners of the project.