Change ETS

The context: a silent crisis

In Ampefy and neighboring villages, malnutrition represents a daily emergency. The combination of poverty, agricultural crisis and drought has drastically limited access to a diversified diet, affecting women of childbearing age and children under five in particular.

The data are clear: a recent study conducted on 437 women in the area (Rotella et al., 2024) revealed that 65% are underweight and only 44.2% practice exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of a child's life. Added to these critical issues is the scarcity of health facilities and the impossibility for many families to bear the costs of transportation or the necessary therapeutic food.

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Our answer: three pillars for change

The “Nourishing the Future” project, with the support of the Cariplo Foundation, responds to these challenges with a strategy based on three main pillars:

1. Care and Prevention

We bring health directly to the villages. Through capillary nutritional screenings, we promptly identify cases of acute malnutrition.

For children (0-5 years old): We provide ready-to-use therapeutic foods and flours enriched with moringa powder. A free drug fund guarantees the management of related diseases.
For women: We offer a complete maternity support program, which includes prenatal visits, ultrasound, preparation courses and childbirth assistance. The support continues with nutritional counseling and pediatric checks up to the child's second year of life.
Target 2025-2026: Take care of 360 malnourished children and assist 480 women during childbirth.

2. Access to Essential Nutrients

Sustainability is at the heart of our approach. Thanks to the success of the “Moringa Project”, active since 2016 with more than 10,000 plants, we can produce natural supplements at zero km.

Moringa powder, rich in nutrients, is integrated into the diets of women and children.
The school canteen, operating since 2023 near the medical center, guarantees a balanced meal a day to 332 children, providing them with the energy they need to study and grow.

3. Education and Awareness-raising

Countering malnutrition also means counteracting misinformation.

We organize culinary demonstrations in villages to teach families how to prepare nutritious meals with local resources, while promoting good hygiene practices.
Dedicated information campaigns will reach 2,000 women, spreading knowledge about maternal and child health.

An ambitious goal with everyone's support

Thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Cariplo, Change can implement this vital intervention. The goal is to achieve 6,000 boys and girls in the Ampefy community and its surroundings.

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