HELP NUTRITION FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES AND BOLD STEP INITIATIVE EMPOWER COMMUNITIES IN ZAMBIA AND KENYA

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH IMPROVED HEALTH NUTRITION AND SUSTAINABLE LIFE SKILLS

INTRODUCTION

BoldStep Initiative and Nutrition for Better Communities are launching a campaign dubbed "BoldStep Initiative/Nutrition for Better Communities fundraising campaign, to economically empower communities in Zambia and Kenya for self reliance, productivity and better nutrition."

About the Partner Organizations

1. BoldStep Initiative aims to transform young people’s lives through education, mentorship, awareness creation and empowerment programs by creating a platform and safe spaces for communities to discover, develop and impact the society positively. It is a non-profit organization registered and based in Kenya, and has designed programs that address broadly the gaps existing in business skills and competency for the Kenya youth, focusing on issues that include critical thinking necessary for generating initiative and innovation, problem solving and decision making. The programs emphasize on the application of principles of transferable skills in a competency based learning approach.

The project has four distinct components, which are interlinked and aim to reach entrepreneurs, recent graduates, students and young professionals directly and indirectly; including improving youth employability, supporting job creation, improving labor market information, enhancing life skills development, and strengthening youth policy development.

Goal

To increase employment and earning opportunities among targeted young people across Kenya.

Mission

To transform communities by fostering connections and providing access to resources through the creation of intentional, safe and dynamic spaces.

Vision

We believe that sustainable change stems from building collective power at the community level. We envision a future where all people have spaces to connect meaningfully and access the resources they need to thrive.

2. Nutrition for Better Communities is a Zambian local not for profit making organization that works to achieve sustainable community development by directly working with household on projects, programs and policy influence in the area of health nutrition. Co-founded by a GHC co-fellow pair Annie Fox and Davies Bwalya, the organization seeks to promote, protect and advance communities by building and strengthening rural households’ nutrition health. Officially registered with the government on 20th September, 2018, holding the GRZ certificate number RNGO 101/0853/18. The organization was initiated as an answer to the many nutrition challenges and food insecurity that children face in rural communities of Chipata (Zambia). The Organization seeks support in order to boost its programs by incorporating nutrition programs implementation to its recent advocacy work (nutrition education activities) in Maweni and Mkonyo villages.

Goal

To reduce acute child malnutrition and food insecurity by anchoring on community’s children food security as the ultimate solution.

Vision

To promote community driven sustainable growth and development through improved child nutrition.

Mission

Working with communities for social-economic development through strengthening their capacity and implementation of programs aimed at improving child nutrition.

OUR GOAL

“The two partner organizations will be working towards a common objective: to empower communities’ social and economic development in order for them to be self-reliant and sustainable, thereby enabling them to be productive and in charge of their nutrition and well-being"

USE OF FUNDS

Funds raised will be used to implement youth capacity building and nutrition programs by working with the communities in Maweni and Mkoyo villages in Zambia; and in Siaya County, Kenya. Specifically, the resources will enable the organizations to:

• Incorporate a hybrid village chicken project to nutrition education activities in Nutrition for Better Communities’ nutrition programs in Maweni and Mkonyo villages
• Develop and equip Kanyakla Space, a community resource center serving as a one stop shop where youth can share and receive information and knowledge to thrive and develop

With your support, the two partner organizations will go fully into program implementation.

OUTCOMES

Nutrition for Better Communities is projected to empower 1500+ direct beneficiaries in a period of 3 months to 1 year with each beneficiary receiving; 15 one month old hybrid village chickens, locally produced feed and training. For this, our project will focus on community engagement via a single commodity (village chicken-rearing) and to make it sustainable, after 1 year in Maweni and Mkonyo villages, the project will trickle down to other villages. It is worthy of mention that this project will not only support nutrition at the household level but also empower households with chickens and eggs ready for market, leading to wealth creation at household and the community as a whole. Clearly NBC nutritional program has the potential to trigger development processes that will benefit not only children in communities, but the entire community within which the programme is implemented.

BoldStep Initiative is hoping to develop and equip Kanyakla Space, a community resource center that will serve as a one stop shop where youth can share and receive information and knowledge to thrive and develop. The beneficiaries are expected to demonstrate improved personal management including social assets for resilience and personal development, acquire knowledge, skills and values that are necessary for successful operations on a business enterprise, and show capacity to access and retain employment or enterprise development