GRoWES: Global Research on WaSH (water, sanitation, hygiene) to Eliminate child Stunting
GuatemalaUnited States
Year Founded:
Project Stage:
2007
Organization type:
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Scaling
Budget:
$50,000 - $100,000
Scaling strategies launched within the past 6 months:
Not Applicable
- Early childhood development
- Food security
- Poverty alleviation
- Environment
- Sustainable agriculture
- Food
- Infant health
- Maternal health
- Intercultural relations
- Indigenous cultures
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Students from Missouri University of Science and Technology conducted a service-learning project to learn community-based participatory research (CBPR) as a tool to co-invent and co-own solutions to the public health challenge of stunting. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) as a data management framework, and employing both literature review of existing data as well as data collection via qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, a confirmatory SEM was constructed to identify how water and food were contributing to childhood stunting in small rural communities in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Educational interventions were shared with nurses to educate mothers who to avoid conditions that contribute to stunting.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
GRoWES uses science to understand the problem of stunting, uses engineering design to develop solutions, and using nursing to share solutions with mothers to improve conditions for their children. The success of GRoWES – eliminating childhood stunting – will shatter a current poverty trap and allow a generation of children to grow into strong, healthy, economically viable parents. Scaling up GRoWES will mean improvements in the lives of 150 million children today, and countless children in future generations.
Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?
We need to find the right way to package the current success of GRoWES and share the model more broadly as part of scaling-up efforts. The work that has been completed in Guatemala, India, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa is promising, and the approach holds across a variety of conditions and cultures. Promoting collaboration among scientists, engineers, and nurses - working in partnership to empower communities - works well at the local level. As a successful model, GRoWES must be disseminated to others.
Funding: How is your project financially supported?:
bequests - 50%
grants or contracts - 50%
Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?
GRoWES will work best as community-based participatory research (CBPR) where ownership and responsibility remains with the local community. We need to drive this forward in the public health sector.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
The United Nations - Scaling up nutrition movement - and bi-lateral aid agencies - USAID, DFID, etc - are investing resources in aspects of this space. But none are focused on the interface of food and water - current projects are siloed into either the "water/WaSH" or the "food and nutrition security" camps.
Founding Story
See growes.press web site.
Team
See growes.press web site.