Ending Hunger & Child Malnutrition

A woman holds a baby wrapped in a blanket outside of their home, with two people in the background.

In this section

We’re working to make malnutrition a thing of the past

Not only is our model proven to increase consumption and nutrition for families living in extreme poverty, it’s also at the center of USAID Nawiri—a project that has successfully reduced chronic rates of acute child malnutrition in the drylands of northern Kenya.

For decades, the pastoral communities of northern Kenya have faced high rates of food insecurity, extreme poverty, and acute child malnutrition. As a result of climate change, prolonged droughts and severe flooding are becoming more common in this desert region—making resources even more scarce. To reduce the chronic rates of child malnutrition, Village Enterprise partnered with Catholic Relief Services on USAID Nawiri, a project funded by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

Leah Okero

Kenya Country Director

How we adapted our model to take on child malnutrition

To best suit the needs of households in Isiolo and Marsabit counties, Village Enterprise adapted our poverty graduation program by layering it with nutrition education and counseling, social and behavioral change components, and gender dynamics training. We’ve also added in unconditional cash transfers for purchasing nutritious meals, medicine, and medical care. As a result, children are eating more nutritious foods and families are no longer worrying about where their next meal will come from. Through USAID Nawiri, Village Enterprise impacted more than 107,000 lives, including the lives of over 24,000 children under the age of five.

A man walking with two children on a dry, open landscape under a clear blue sky.

A woman holding a baby stands near a group seated outdoors, all wearing purple shirts in a dry landscape.

Three women in colorful skirts and purple tops, smiling and waving in a dry landscape with trees in the background.

A woman in a purple shirt stands beside a herd of goats under a clear blue sky with a tree in the background.

A dry landscape with sparse vegetation and two tall acacia trees under a clear blue sky.

Two young women smiling at the entrance of a small store with shelves of various goods in the background.

Life-changing results

Among our recently graduated cohort of participants, the number of households with malnourished children decreased from 36% to just 4%. Village Enterprise’s adapted model also resulted in substantial increases in assets, savings, consumption and expenditure, business values, and nutrition for the households we served. These improvements are especially crucial in northern Kenya, as they make households more resilient to severe droughts and other climate shocks.

Our Impact through USAID Nawiri

17,983

Entrepreneurs
trained

6,058

Businesses
started*

107,898

Lives
impacted

24,271

Children under the age of five reached

96%

of households free of acute malnutrition**

*In the Village Enterprise model, businesses are typically launched by groups of three entrepreneurs

**Results from our most recent cohort that was enrolled in March 2023

Economic Indicators

These results showcase household averages from our most recent cohort that was enrolled in March 2023.

104% increase in assets
(from $75.80 to $155)

192% increase in savings
(from $31.96 to $93.35)

35% increase in consumption and expenditure*
(from $243 to $329)

102% increase in business value
(from $270 to $546)

*Consumption and expenditure is a proxy indicator for household incomes

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