Tell us a little about yourself...
I am a Senior Technical Specialist on GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition programmes in Kenya and Tanzania, which work primarily with families in tea plantations and farms. I have come full circle in life, as I grew up in a tea farming household, studied anthropology and nutrition, and now I focus on how tea farmers, plantation workers and their families can be well-nourished.
What do you love about nutrition?
Everyone can relate to nutrition because it is about food, and people: what people eat and how they make decisions about what they eat. I think it’s amazing that we can translate science and knowledge into what people eat and make a difference to families’ future.
What do you work on, and how does it relate to public private engagement for nutrition?
I manage GAIN’s workforce nutrition programme, specifically the ‘Seeds of Prosperity’ programme in Unilever Tea Tanzania, where we work with Unilever and IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative) to improve the diets of tea plantation workers, tea farmers and their families. You can find out more about the programme here.
“I have come full circle…”
What is exciting about it?
I never realised I could be part of something so big, where we are working with companies as an entry point. Seeing Unilever set aside land for workers to grow vegetables gives me such a buzz. And it goes beyond that – it’s about the families, households: when I hear a woman talking about how she has improved her family’s diet, it’s beautiful!
What is challenging?
You need to learn a new language, the language of business. Business managers still need to deliver tea, first and foremost, so it is important to secure the buy-in of managers, and make the case for investing in their workers’ nutrition, and this takes time. Also, workers often ask “How will this increase my income?” When we explain the health benefits - that they may not need to spend so much money on healthcare, and they can sell excess vegetables from their gardens – this piques their interest.
What's the latest?
We have reached just over 6000 workers and farmers, and have recently rolled out vegetable gardens across the plantations. We’ve had positive feedback from workers and farmers, and from managers within Unilever Tea Tanzania. The programme wraps up in December, and we will evaluate whether workers and farmers are eating more nutritious foods.
What's next?
We’re at the reinforcement stage of the project, where we repeat nutrition messages, for example through payslips, which are very important documents for workers. We’re also looking at ways to ensure the programme has a sustainable impact, for example through establishing vegetable gardens, planting fruit trees, and getting peer educators engaged in other nutrition programmes.
Has this work made you change your mind about anything?
I grew up in a tea farming region, and had always considered tea farmers relatively well off because they were paid. But I didn’t see the hidden hunger: the micronutrient deficiencies, for example. I thought of malnutrition as something focused on emergencies when I was younger: I now see that these workers are easily forgotten, but equally important.
If you had to have a slogan for this work, what would it be?
“Jamii yangu ndio zao muhimu kwangu!”, which means “My family is the most precious crop.”
What is your favourite food or meal?
I’m Kenyan, so I love ugali with vegetables like amaranth and spinach, and meat.
Where can I learn more?
Seeds of Prosperity | Workforce Nutrition on Nutrition Connect | GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition programmes