Suaahara Social Mobilization and Governance Strategy

This strategic approach will stimulate men and women to act collectively to develop and implement strategies that reduce local barriers to adoption of key behaviors that support optimal maternal and child nutrition. The Suaahara project will leverage the experience of the Action Against Malnutrition through Agriculture (AAMA) program implemented from 2009-12 by Helen Keller International. The AAMA plus project, supported by USAID, worked intensively with local social mobilization, governance processes, and multi-sector stakeholders to improve the nutrition status of pregnant, lactating mothers, and children under 2 years. Social Mobilization (SM) is a process that engages and motivates a wide range of partners and allies at national and local levels to raise awareness of and demand for a particular development objective through face-to-face dialogue. SM includes the added component of national level efforts to raise awareness and support widespread and often coordinated action by stakeholders at all levels. Social Mobilization is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, firmly anchored in local governance processes and oriented towards helping communities and community organizations to interface with local governments and other service delivery agencies. The Local Governance system will ensure increased capacity of local governments to manage resources and deliver basic services in an inclusive and equitable manner. It recognizes that while making the "demand" side of local governance more effective, little will be achieved unless the "supply" side is also strengthened to effectively meet the increased demands articulated by and heightened expectations of local communities and citizens. The Suaahara SM/Governance strategy will work closely with the SM and Citizen Awareness Centre, Ward Citizen Forum, local users group, VDC committees (FSNSCC), and utilize the VDC/local grants for the welfare of mothers, children, and disadvantaged groups. The strategy aims to empower pregnant women, mothers, and caretakers of young children to make informed decisions regarding maternal and child nutrition, help change social and gender norms that result in or are related to harmful health, hygiene, and nutrition practices, and strengthen the social-support networks/systems for pregnant women and mothers of young children. The specific SM/Governance objectives include empowering pregnant women, mothers, and caretakers of young children to make informed decisions regarding maternal and child nutrition, helping change social and gender norms that result in or are related to harmful health, hygiene, and nutrition practices, strengthening the social-support networks/systems for pregnant women and mothers of young children, and increasing collective efficacy to deal with challenges to nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation, healthy timing and spacing of children, and homestead food production. The Suaahara SM/Governance strategy will also facilitate the MSNP initiatives at VDC, District, and central levels. Careful intervention design and planning based on these lessons will enhance both the quality and the sustainability of Suaahara's efforts. The strategy aims to implement and evaluate actions to improve maternal and child nutrition and prevent stunting in X VDCs/wards of 20 targeted districts. The guiding principles and lessons of the Suaahara SM/Governance strategy include developing a motivating, measurable goal that resonates with community members and inspires them to reflect and act, strengthening local leadership to facilitate the SM/Governance process, and supporting SM/Governance to address food security, nutrition at 4 and 3 category DAG households in selected VDCs of Suaahara districts before scaling up throughout the VDCs. All SM/Governance activities will be in line with Social Mobilization guidelines 2066 of MOFALD.