Better Nutrition

Stunting—a serious consequence of malnutrition—affects more than 40 percent of children in Africa and India and has serious long-term health and cognitive effects on individuals and economic effects on society. In addition, the lack of simple micronutrients like vitamin A contributes to more than half of under-five deaths. For these reasons, Living Goods places an emphasis on improving child nutrition. CHWs promote immediate and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life—the best nutrition a mother can offer her newborn child. CHWs assess children’s nutrition status, provide at-home education on a healthy diet and focus on improving micronutrient intake during pregnancy and in the vital period from when a child is six months old until they turn two. To improve nutrient consumption, Living Goods also created Healthy Start, a vitamin-fortified porridge for children over 6 months, which is now the most popular product our CHWs sell. We test and distribute a wide range of other nutritional products such as vitamin A and iron folate.