Emergency Relief and Development Overseas (ERDO) and Children of Blessing Trust (COBT) are partnering on a food assistance and emergency nutrition project in Lilongwe District, Malawi.
Malawi faces a persistent food security and nutrition crisis due to recurrent climatic shocks, poor harvests, inflation, and shortages of essential nutrition supplies. Currently, about 4 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) and Lilongwe District is projected to remain in IPC 3 (crisis). Families face multiple barriers to attaining food security including poverty, stigma, long travel distances, poor roads, and lack of assistive services for children with disabilities. Malawi’s lean season runs October to March, and this year’s harvest was poor. Maize prices have surged and families now buy maize in small quantities and often skip meals during lean months.
The project aims to improve the nutritional status of children with special needs and malnourished expectant and nursing mothers in Lilongwe District through comprehensive clinical and nutrition support. Key interventions include regular screening of children and mothers, provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), supplemental foods such as CSB++ and CSB+, fortified foods, vitamins, deworming medication and home visits. Parents and caregivers will receive nutrition and infant & young child feeding education, and community sensitization sessions will also be conducted to strengthen fathers’ involvement. Additional support includes targeted food parcels for households with severely malnourished children who during the lean season.
The project will reach 4,380 people including boys and girls, male and female care givers and pregnant and breastfeeding women.