Improving Diocesan Nutrition Management Services The Diocese of Maralal is one of CAFOD’s strategic partners and the Diocese is located in Kenya’s arid and semi arid region where the risk of deterioration in food security frequently remains substantive particularly for the northern and north eastern pastoral areas. The area is generally food insecure and suffers from chronic food shortage for most of the year. Currently, the Diocese is not currently implementing any nutrition projects even though the malnutrition rates remain high. 
The most recent nutrition survey conducted in Maralal showed global acute malnutrition rates of 15.7 %. The main causes of malnutrition include lack of access to food especially during dry spells, poverty and decreased food affordability due to increased food prices.  
The failure of the short rains in late 2010 has worsened the plight of communities with reported livestock deaths, critical shortage of water and threat of famine.

The need for this project has therefore been prompted by a need to improve the existing disaster preparedness of nutrition services provided by the Catholic Diocese of Maralal. CAFOD’s partner has been the first port of call for local people during crises (even though the quality of services provided to the community was not up to international standards). The partner therefore has the potential to reach some of these affected beneficiaries which other actors do not have easy access to in a professional way following international standards. 

The purpose of the project will be to provide an opportunity for partners to become conscious of and take measures to improve the quality of nutrition management at health facility and community levels.  
    

Whilst CAFOD is looking at possibilities of providing emergency response support to communities it would at the same time like to support the partners to upscale and upgrade their nutrition management services as part of disaster preparedness and improve quality of service to internationally acceptable standards. From this the partners can be able to support their surrounding communities effectively and reduce vulnerability to malnutrition. 

Further, by hiring a nutrition assistant, this proposal will enable the Catholic Diocese of Maralal to benefit from the partnership between Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, WFP and UNICEF who will provide training, food and non food supplies through the delivery of essential nutrition services, through an initiative known as High Impact Nutrition Interventions (HINI) in Kenya. HINI has proven to be cost effective and feasible in prevention and treatment of under nutrition globally. Through the HINI initiative, the community is supported in various ways including:
1. Promotion of optimal infant and young child nutrition and improved hygiene practices.
2. Prevention of micronutrients deficiencies through supplementation, de-worming and therapeutic zinc supplements for treatment of diarrhoea.
3. Food fortification using multiple micronutrient powders.
4. Integrated management of acute malnutrition.
5. Increased dietary diversity through consideration of nutrition in food and agriculture programmes, incorporation of nutrition in school curricula and pre-service education.

In addition, within this partnership, the Catholic Diocese of Maralal will be supported with blended food for supplementary feeding, and general food distribution during times of need from WFP during times of drought.  
Money from this project will not be used to purchase food aid, but rather to provide support to the partner for on the job training, purchase of small equipments (Salter scales, height boards, MUAC tapes), acquire fuel to access project sites in the delivery of food aid and costs for supporting the hiring of a nutrition assistant for two years.
The hired nutrition assistant will be key in strengthening the partnership with stakeholders at County level, and will be the focal point in delivering essential nutrition services, high impact nutrition interventions (HINI), ensuring coordination at County level, maintaining efficient nutrition surveillance; set up of monitoring and reporting systems, monitor actions which slow down progress in critical nutrition issues, advocate for sound and sustainable nutrition policies at County level.