The "Dignified Lives" project is an initiative of ADRA Ecuador and is financed by ADRA International that is working towards the prevention and reduction of chronic child malnutrition the provinces of Cayambe and Latacunga.

This project is impacting 1,930 people, including children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and community members, and seeks to educate, inform, and prepare families to improve the quality of life of all those involved.

Among the methods of intervention, community surveillance for the early detection of malnutrition cases, educational workshops on breastfeeding, healthy and complementary feeding for educators, students, and mothers of children under 5 years of age, and the implementation of organic school gardens stand out.

Regarding school gardens, 210 students and educators in Latacunga participated in and received training in environmental conservation, time management, and healthy eating practices.

So far, the participants have described the experience as deeply rewarding and the change has been noted in the families who have become aware of the importance of learning about these topics, through the training provided, demonstrating the positive impact of this work. Despite the difficulty of completely eradicating chronic childhood malnutrition, the project has managed to raise awareness among people in 14 communities, benefiting approximately 60 families per community.

Furthermore, having the trust of the leaders of the indigenous communities and their inhabitants, as well as being able to empower people in nutrition issues, thanks to the intervention of the project, reflects the positive results of this initiative.

This article was provided by the South American Division Spanish website.