Prior to Covid 19 pandemic, the Trusts’ Nutrition Programme team attended an African Union Summit on the CAAP 2nd Biennial Review Report which took place on 8th February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the theme Silencing the Guns – creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development. This theme highlighted on Accelerating Implementation of Agriculture, Climate and Nutrition Commitments in Malabo Declaration which has been used as a tool in the Trust’s advocacy agenda.
The team organised a technical side event with key implementing partners CARE and The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network ( FANRPAN) to discuss recommendations from Civil Society on how governments in Africa can improve food security, nutrition and climate resilience. CARE presented on the rationale for gender sensitive agriculture development. FANRPAN’s focus was on climate smart agriculture and agriculture investment, while GMT engaged participants on the significance of nutrition for national development and how to amplify civil society voices on nutrition.
During the side event, Ms. Alefu Tafere, a woman farmer who benefited from a project intervention supported by USAID through CARE Ethiopia made a very outstanding impression by demonstrating her experiences on climate change. It was intriguing to listen to the voice of a woman farmer and her experiences on climate change, agriculture and food security.
“This was a human impact of all joint advocacy campaigns, programme interventions and objectives rolled up into one outcome, changing the lives of individual families and communities. “Leave no one behind” – Kgomotso Seko
Ms. Alefu Tafere pictured at her homestead, shared her success story on how she began farming, bought a piece of land and bred animals with support from CARE
Different Heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU) also gathered at the African Leaders for Nutrition High-Level Event on the margins of the 33rd Ordinary Session of Assembly that took place in Ethiopia on the 8th of February 2020. The theme of the event was “Looking towards Tokyo: Leveraging commitments towards the Nutrition for Growth.”
GMT Nutrition team representing the Founder at African Leaders in Nutrition (ALN) hosted by the President of the AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina (centre)
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.