Food security
Improving the food security and nutrition situation of vulnerable households in Afghanistan is central to the country’s development. With 50% of children under five suffering from chronic malnutrition, 70% from iodine deficiency and iron deficiency, and 50% of women of child-bearing age suffering from iron deficiency, reducing malnutrition is not only a priority objective of development, as defined by the first Millennium Development Goal, it is a prerequisite for development: an undernourished population cannot work to its full mental and physical capacity.
Specifically, VARA Food Security projects aim to:
- Improve diet diversity throughout the year, by improving the choice and use of available foods;
- Ensure year-round availability of foods needed for a safe and balanced diet through dissemination of appropriate food production, preservation and storage techniques;
- Improve household food security by diversifying food and income sources, notably for women.
In the latter case, food security and infrastructure activities have had favorable effects on each other. For instance, while food security activities have enabled continuation on infrastructure through food for work programs, the continuous repair and maintenance may have had positive impact on regular delivery of food supplies to those regions.
Different training provided for the below:
- Basic Nutrition Education
- Collecting nutrition information
- Trials of Improved Feeding Practices
- Food requirements for good nutrition
- Project Cycle Management
- Participatory Development Communication
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Gender concepts and approaches
- Business Development Services
- Food processing techniques
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Producer Organizations
- Rapid Market Analysis