Taking nutrition to its roots
Empowering providers of nutritious food with nutrition and a sustainable future
Nutrition - did the mere mention of the word paint a picture of delicious vegetables, fruits, and cereals in your mind? Ironically, the World Food Programme says, daily wage communities like paddy and dairy farmers - the primary providers of all things nutritious, are among the major communities that suffer from food insecurity in Sri Lanka.
According to the World Food Programme 6.3 million people in Sri Lanka are food insecure. Of the 6.3 million 76% rely on food-based coping strategies, such as eating cheaper and less nutritious food, limiting portion sizes, or reducing the number of meals eaten a day.
Farming communities - despite the close association with commodities - are alarmingly under the threat of malnutrition due to discrepancies that drag their livelihood into jeopardy. While some issues are foreseeable, fertilizer price hikes or scarcity, obtaining reasonable selling prices for their produce, and land scarcity, they also face unforeseeable calamities, such as extreme climate changes, disasters and elephants or other animal conflicts.
These issues work together and make balanced, nutritious food unaffordable to them.
The most recent plague that struck all farming communities was none other than the economic crisis caused by hyperinflation.
W. P. Seneviratne, Hemavathi, and Buddhika Gayani are such farmers whose lives took a toll from the economic crisis.
"In the wake of the economic crisis, farming was becoming difficult by the day. We were on the verge of giving up on farming. The price of fertilizers and paddy seeds hiked to unimaginable heights." W. P. Senevirathna from Amapola recalled.
Buddhika Gayani from Karagaha west, sharing her plight as a corn field farmer said, “With the difficulties I endured, I struggled to even buy a packet of corn seeds” She added: “If I were to obtain a loan to purchase the seeds, I may have to pay back a higher amount with interest by the end of four months - which is when the harvest is due.”
Deeper dive into farmers' destitution
Many farmers had resorted to settling with negative coping strategies that have significantly reduced their financial resilience to provide nutritious meals for their families. World Vision -ACTED data found that 59% of farmers have used seed stock they saved for the next season, 40% have sold assets, and 23% have sold livestock to cover basic needs.
Children in farming communities, on the other hand, are under severe threat of acute malnutrition since their parents are unable to provide a balanced, nutritious diet. UNICEF, reported in June 2022, that Sri Lanka is the second highest country in South Asia to report cases of acute malnutrition among children under the age of 5. Furthermore, at least 17% of children in Sri Lanka are suffering from chronic wasting, a disease that threatens fatality. Out of all districts, Children in Monaragala have been facing the highest wasting rate, with a record high of 25.5% in 2022.
A holistic approach to nutrition
This year, we commemorate Nutrition Month with the core focus on empowering people to use consumer rights to nutrition - under the theme Healthy Food Our Right. But, if we broaden the spectrum and take “Right to Nutrition” for farming communities into account and their children suffering from fatal diseases, one might be overridden by many questions.
Are there solutions in place to provide nutritious meals for farming communities? Are these resources sustainable? Will these solutions help fight against malnutrition?
The good news is that some sustainable solutions and initiatives proactively take measures to stretch a helping hand to the ones in need.
World Vision Lanka and Sarvodaya, hand in hand, partnered with World Vision Australia to reach out to these farming communities. The initiative was themed RISE Lanka - short for Resilient, Inclusive Sustainable Economic development, for Sri Lanka. The initiative’s core focus was to address the food insecurity and nutrition needs of the country's most vulnerable population in Monaragala, Badulla, Bible, Meegahakiula, Lunugala, Rideemaliyadda, and Welikanda.
The Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership and implemented by World Vision Sri Lanka provided AUD 3.3 million to fund the RISE Lanka project, launched in January 2023, and 15 months since, has supported the livelihoods of 39,308 people in the farming communities including people 52% women and 9% people with disabilities.
The farmer families for the project were selected according to a system of allocating points, prioritizing people with disabilities and widows.
Through the RISE Lanka project's holistic support initiative, around 11,734 paddy and dairy farmers were supported. More than 8,781 acres were cultivated with a variety of crops such as paddy, corn, maize, cowpea, banana etc.. Around 717 underweight children were fed through special nutrition programmes that provide knowledge to their parents and caregivers on preparing nutritious meals with locally available food. Over 417 pregnant women and nursing mothers were enrolled in nutrition and dietary advice sessions.
The local government medical officers from the Ministry of Health too intervened in the child nutrition programme.
The Uva Province Early Childhood Development and Primary Education Deaprtments’ Rideemaliadda area Early Childhood Development officer said: “Rideemaliyadda Grama Division of the Badulla District is one of the main districts that is hit by destitution. The RISE Lanka project’s feeding initiative was extended to 23 Preschools out of the 70 preschools in the area.”
“If you check the statistics, Children in Uva province, Badulla, and Monaragala Districts are suffering malnutrition and protein deficiency”: the Early Childhood Development Officer said.
He added: “Through this initiative they provided a variety of meals for 5 days. Children enjoyed those meals. Moreover, we noticed that the children’s school attendance too increased due to this initiation.”
“Due to the current economic situation, there’s a lot of uncertainty with the development of our children. Family Health Service Officer W M Yasawathi from Bibila Health Department said, sharing her observations. On the first day of the program we measured the weights of the children. The children were given a mid-day meal in addition to their regular meals for 14 days under this project.” She continued to say, “By the 12th day of the feeding program I recorded an increase of 600g to 800g - a visible increase compared to the weight I recorded at the beginning”
P. Nilandi from Serana, from Arawatta said: “My husband doesn’t have a permanent job. He finds work on daily wages. So there are days that he doesn’t get any work. During those days we can’t afford to give nutritious meals or meat to our children.” She continued to say: The initiative by RISE Lanka is a real relief to us and through this project my daughter has gained weight. I am very happy about that.”
Furthermore, around 600 families were supported with training, tools, seeds and plants to initiate home gardening, around 2,478 pre-children were provided with mid-day meals, 1,957 children received nutrition and hygiene awareness, 101 savings groups were formed, with 2,008 members, and 588 couples were given training in financial management at home.
A gap identified
While in the quest to uplift farming communities' access to nutrition and economic sustenance, World Vision staff stumbled upon a key factor that hinders the livelihoods of farming communities.
They understood that while strengthening the agricultural and dairy farming systems, barriers posed for women and people with disabilities to engage in community decision-making and income generation must be addressed too.
Women and people with disabilities in areas of concern lacked equal control over financial decisions and contributions to their homes. The World Vision Lanka teams attributed community attitudes, stigma, and harmful gender norms as barriers for smallholder women farmers and disabled producers.
For instance, women and people with disabilities are limited or not allowed to travel, so they are often excluded from participating in training that may expose them to new technologies. Therefore, they find it hard to add value to their craft, tap into more profitable markets, and lack information and avenues to increase their income.
In response to this issue, World Vision provided people with disabilities, women, and men the necessary training to educate them on how husbands, wives and members of the family can work together to uplift their financial position and better their children’s nutrition.
D. M. Shanika Dilrikshi from Welanlanda, one of the farmers in the C-Change (Community Change) module shared how the female farmers were introduced to communal agricultural methods. “They gave us tips on how to manage time and resources through this programme.” She added: “This project truly empowered women like us who were previously confined to their homes.”
Buddhika Gayani also said that she was able to avoid debts and reap many benefits through these initiatives. She said: “We do corn farming in a communal agriculture method (Athkam Kramaya). I save around Rs. 2000/- by this method. There is a good communal unity among farmers. We have very meaningful dialogues too.”
“I am reaping huge benefits actually through the communal agriculture method rather than getting hired labor. Other than financial benefits, we get our work done faster since in the communal method, farmers tend to finish work within a day. Hired farmers on the other hand may drag work for a few more days”: She added.
“We learnt that the husband and wife are equal. We also learnt a monthly formula to save”, T.M Chamila Kumuduni, a local farmer’s wife said.
Sharing his gratitude to the initiative’s special focus towards the disabled, D.G. Priyantha, a dairy farmer with disability from Welikanda said: “We didn’t have the knowledge on how to raise cows properly. Since we received training from the RISE lanka project, we were able to increase our milk production”. Adding a note of aspiration he said,“Now I don’t feel that I am disabled anymore and I hope to continue to work hard and prosper in life.”
“Through the financial support I received from the RISE Lanka project I was able to make a big saving and also start a cowpea cultivation. I harnessed around 50kg of cowpea harvest and earned three folds of the amount I received from the project”: W. M. Sunil Rathnayaka, another disabled farmer from Moraththamulla said.
R M Padmalatha Ratnayaka from Serala too shared how she received help from the project to continue their farming pursuits to manage expenses of their child with disability.
She said: “My 9 year old daughter is suffering from a neurological disease. She is receiving medication from the Peradeniya Hospital monthly. Sometimes if medicine is not available in the government Hospital we spend around 40,000 Rupees for her medicine. In situations like that we find ourselves in financially difficult situations.”
“Since my husband is a government worker we weren’t categorized as a family that has a special needs child. But RISE Lanka had obtained our details from the provincial council and took the initiative to reach out to us.”
“We received 41 Kg of premium quality paddy seeds from the RISE Lanka initiative that would be sufficient to cultivate 1 acre. We were able to cultivate them and yield a good harvest that is enough to sustain the 6 members in my family. As a mother, I am so happy that persons with disabilities were given prominence:” She said.
Let's continue to help the ones in need
For the past 47 years, World Vision Lanka - together with an army of volunteers and donors has impacted many lives in Sri Lanka, irrespective of race or religion. The prize they strive for is to facilitate children with a wholesome life.
Women, children and people with disabilities in farming communities rose praises of gratitude to one’s who made every effort, big or small, to uplift their lives.
But the story doesn’t end here. It begins with you taking measures to reach out and help the vulnerable too.
Published in: Daily Mirror