Spirulina-enriched foods for the malnourished children of Central African Republic
NANGA
KAYE
Integrated Community Development International (ICDI)
Integrated Community Development International (ICDI)
574-306-2810
ICDI PO BOX 247 Winona Lake, IN 46590
Acute and severe malnutrition rates are above emergency thresholds in many regions of CAR, a country devastated by almost 20 years of civil war. Despite its poor nutrient content cassava remains the major staple food for a majority of Central African households. Imports of manufactured food commodities are expensive and counterproductive to local food processing initiatives. ICDI’ spirulina –based food processing project is designed to offer cheap local alternatives to high-protein foods for which poor households in CAR have limited access.
ICDI has been helping farmers in CAR develop nutrition gardens and plant diverse crops such as soybeans, cowpea, and maize since 2004. Called the greenbelts cooperatives, this network of farmers has helped ICDI offer healthier food option to 15,000 beneficiaries made up of malnourished children, vulnerable pregnant or nursing women and HIV/AIDS patients in the urban centers of Bangui and Berberati. The services and products generated by this new project will address in an even more targeted manner the nutrition needs of countless rural and urban poor in CAR.
The project will be implemented as a joint venture between ICDI and Association Agro-piscole de NDRESS in three phases with specific activities.
Phase I: set up of the mini food processing plant
Establish partnership and sign agreement with Spirulina producers association
Establish a mini spirulina-enriched food processing plant in Bangui
Train ICDI Orphan Care health and nutrition staff on food processing techniques
Train ICDI Orphan Care health and nutrition staff on quality control of food products
Phase II: beginning production and distribution
Begin production of spirulina enriched foods
Train nutrition agents to promote the use of this processed food throughout CAR
Phase III: Distribution and marketing
Train nutrition agents in the marketing of spirulina-enirched food for income generation
Establish ICDI spirulina-enriched food kiosks in the Bangui and Berberati
After a 12-month implementation period, ICDI expects to measure the following results:
• 1 fully functional mini food processing plant established in Bangui
• 3 spirulina-enriched (pasta, rice, cassava) based foods developed approved for distribution and marketing
• At least 15,000 direct beneficiaries assisted by spirulina-enriched foods
• At least 15,000 indirect beneficiairies purchase and use the spirulina –enriched products
• The rates of acute and severe malnutrition in the direct beneficiary’s populations reduced by half the after one year of activity
• Income of beneficiaries involved in sales of spirulina-enriched food increased by 50%.
For the next three years, ICDI will need a total budget of $ 550,000 to mobilize needed expertise, purchase equipment and materials, enhance raw material production, manufacture, monitor and evaluate, distribute and market spirulina-enriched foods within CAR. Year 1: budget is estimated at $350,000, Year 2 and Year 3 at $100,000 each.
If granted financial resources to implement this project, ICDI will accomplish carry three most important actions:
Action 1: Setting up a mini food processing plant in Bangui
Action 2: Manufacturing spirulina-enriched foods
Action 3: Distributing and marketing spirulina-enriched foods to the malnourished people of CAR
Despite the presence of a peacekeeping force, peace and political stability are still fragile in CAR. In an event of another political unrest, the country will experience severe setbacks in its efforts toward development. A project like what ICDI is proposing will indirectly be affected, as the ability to manufacture, distribute, and market its products will be compromised by the situation of insecurity.
More than 10,000
Less than $50
Idea phase
Integrated Community Development International
1‐5 years
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
ICDI is an implantation partner with International organization such as WFP, UNICEF, and USAID and numerous other organizations. This partnership is centered on logistics facilitation and sharing, expertise, and project implementation.
If granted financial resources to implement this project, ICDI engage in three most important actions:
Action 1: Setting up a mini food processing plant in Bangui
Action 2: Manufacturing spirulina-enriched foods
Action 3: Distributing and marketing spirulina-enriched foods to the malnourished people of CAR
After the military coup d’état that toppled the Central Africa Republic government in 2003, the ensuing violence and lawlessness left thousands of families in desperate need of food, water and sanitation assistance. Compelled by the overwhelming needs surrounding him, Jim Hocking, ICDI’s founder, son of an American missionary who grew up and has spent most of his adult life in CAR decided to bring assistance to the people and land he loves. In 2004 he founded ICDI and launched the ambitious project of drilling wells to provide clean and safe water throughout CAR despite extreme conditions of insecurity. Parallel to well drilling, ICDI opened an Orphan Care center to welcome children orphaned by war and the rising HIV/AIDS pandemic. Orphans, widows and other categories of vulnerable people soon flocked to the center. Realizing that many beneficiaries were malnourished, ICDI developed several strategies to address their needs. A joint venture meeting with spirulina farmers last September 2009 in Bangui (CAR) led to the decision to establish a food processing unit that will manufacture healthy and nutritious foods to address more specifically the needs of the people ICDI is serving and offer to a general public new alternatives to costly imported food commodities.
The social innovator behind this project is ICDI’s Agricultural Development Manager, Nanga Kaye. Originally from Chad, Central Africa, Mr Kaye has an advanced degree in agronomy and has worked in many African countries helping farmers improve the productivity of their fields through the adoption of sustainable practices. Kaye is currently helping ICDI design and implement an innovative agriculture program that makes the personal development of farmers the first priority of the organization while encouraging farmers to farm with purpose
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