Discussion about entry
NUTRITION ON YOUR DOOR-STEP: EMPOWERING LOCAL PEOPLE TO PROMOTE NUTRITION WITH MORINGA OLEIFERA PLANT
This is discussion about NUTRITION ON YOUR DOOR-STEP: EMPOWERING LOCAL PEOPLE TO PROMOTE NUTRITION WITH MORINGA OLEIFERA PLANT .
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Ashoka's Changemakers
Thanks for a great entry! We wanted to learn more about what the cost would be for a small farmer to start this process on their own land. Also, we wanted to hear more about how the costs are absorbed – through microcredit, or are there other schemes? We also wanted to let you know that there are two other entries that are working on initiatives with moringa oleifera and thought you’d be interested in sharing ideas! One entry from Sudan is called “Moringa Oleifera for the rural areas of Sudan” and the other is “Greater nutrition to millions suffering from nutritional deficits with moringa oleifera,” from Kenya. Thanks!
- Naveen Shakir, Ashoka’s Changemakers
Response to First Comment on my entry
For domestic consumption need, all it would cost a farmer is the time to participate in the practical training to be facilitated by project and during which Moringa seeds would be distributed free of charge. With as few as five Moringa trees, there will be more than enough fresh leaves (and Moringa powder when the leaves are dried under shade and processed into powder through a process as simple as rubbing the dried leaves between your two palms). Moringa does not grow into a very big tree and therefore requires only a small space not more than six feet round and can be planted even about three feed from any structure, such as fence or building. The strength of Moringa is in its tap root. About 8-9 months after planting, the trees begin to produce seeds. A single tree can produce as much as 1000 seeds! When properly matured, these new seeds can be immediately planted (no need for dormancy period) by a small farmer interested in large-scale or commercial planting of Moringa. The surplus harvest will be bought over by project, processed into powder, packaged and branded for sale in urban markets. For small farmers wishing to participate as out-growers or suppliers of fresh or dried leaves to project, they will require about $500 to construct a roofed shed for drying Moringa leaves (they will be trained on how to do this hygienically) to be sold over to project.
As a natural health preparation, attractive packaging and hygienic processing will enhance its wide acceptability in the market. From sales proceeds and in-kind contribution by participants, project will be expanded, as a mass-movement, into other communities. Also with abundant Moringa leaves, participants will be motivated to be raising more livestock for income, with micro-credit from their coop groups.
Thanks for the information on the Moringa initiatives in Sudan and Kenya. I will check them out.
----Henry Osadolor
Sometimes doors didn't get
Sometimes doors didn't get painted on the bottoms, if that's the case this should be sealed off with any kind of paint, etc.
kupno mieszkania
Question about training and curriculum
Henry,
This is an interesting idea with the potential to positively impact malnutrition in Nigeria. Can you talk a little bit more about the training part of your program? For example, who will identify the public health workers and others to provide the training for the young women? Is the goal to teach participants how to farm and sell Moringa or to teach them about broader nutritional issues? Where will the training curriculum come from and how will it be funded?
Good luck!
Debbie
Response to 2nd Comment on my entry
Dear Debbie Koh: Thank you for the opportunity that your question has afforded me to think through my project idea again.
The project will partner with professional medical associations, the nutrition society and with the Health Depts at the local government and state levels. These are the employers of public health workers.
The public c media education component of project will sensitize all relevant groups but special appeals will go to authorities of high schools, so that their female students (who prepare family meals) and female members of other community/social groups. Project will be implemented mostly in traditional communities (with literacy rate very low or zero in many cases) and where issues of food are squarely under the control of women. For the project to succeed, therefore, the women (young and old) must be in the driver’s seat to drive the project.
The goals of project include, but not limited to:
1. To teach the participants to grow and process Moringa leaves and powder to meet the nutritional needs of their families;
2. To teach them broader but basic issues of nutrition (more of creating awareness) so that they will function effectively as the change agents for mobilizing other participants into project;
3. Because of the income generating potential of project, to teach participants to farm, process and market Moringa as micro-entrepreneurs.
The curriculum will be developed by project, using volunteer resource persons, and the curriculum will be appropriate to meet the practical needs of the participants, will be within their literacy levels, underlined with DIY (do-it-yourself) approach, and with lots of graphics and pictorial illustrations.
The training itself will be preceded by sensitization and awareness sessions, using multi-media presentations to highlight the nutritional and other advantages of Moringa as well as basic information/statistics on the reality of malnutrition in most Nigerian communities.
Therefore, curriculum development will be covered by project but the sensitization and practical training sessions will have to be externally funded may be, through opportunities and windows to be opened to project through our participation in the Changemakers competition.
Debbie, my sincere appreciation, again, for these interventions. ---- Henry