Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

In Zimbabwe malnutrition is still affecting infants, young children and women and presenting as one or more forms of under nutrition, including low birth weight, stunting, anaemia, underweight, wasting, Vitamin A deficiency, and Iodine deficiency disorders (MoHCC, 2014). Obesity and nutrition related non-communicable diseases are also on the increase with a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in young children and women. At global level, nutrition is gaining recognition as a vehicle for social development; however, Africa is still behind in terms of development, one of the many reasons is poor nutrition. According to the global nutrition report of 2015 (IFPRI, 2015), for children under 5 years of age 161 million of them were stunted, 51 million are wasted, and 42 million were overweight. In Africa, the prevalence of malnutrition is high, and despite several interventions there is little, if any, evidence of any meaningful improvement in nutritional status of women and children (Gillespie et al., 2013; Ruel& Alderman, 2013).

This highlights the complex multifaceted nature of malnutrition and presents as a huge burden on efforts to address malnutrition by national governments in Africa. However, in this era of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) malnutrition should not be one of the worries of national governments in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LAMIC), including Zimbabwe. A multi-sectoral response needs to be strengthened and be better coordinated to achieve real progress toward food and nutrition security in Zimbabwe. According to Vollmer et al., (2014) this suggests the need for direct health investments towards improving the nutritional status of vulnerable groups and children in Low And Middle Income Countries.(LAMIC)

All of Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition(MILKSUN)  interventions  are anchored to  the Feeding Ourselves Sustainably in HIV&AIDS response  (FOSHA) program; it uses food as a tool for community development. Feeding Ourselves Sustainably ,HIV&AIDS (FOSHA) is a concept that anchors nutrition in a wider context ensuring that educational social ,cultural, economic and political influences are taken into account.

Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition(MILKSUN aims to support this process since sound nutrition is a basic human right and a prerequisite for the attainment of people’s full intellectual and physical potential, this is important for children. Investment in early childhood development is therefore crucial (Gillespie et al., 2013, Ruel& Alderman, 2013). In most developing countries including Africa this is constrained by lack of adequate resources and commitment by national governments.

1. About

Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN) is a social justice movement. It uses food as a vehicle for social change,also as a tool for community development.It subscribes to a human-rights based approach to food security and investment  in agriculture and food systems.

• Programs

1. Feeding Ourselves Sustainably in HIV&AIDS Response (FOSHA)

There are many  coping  mechanisms for the chronically ill ,people living with HIV and AIDS but the nutrition therapy remain  by far the most effective. Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN) , has a vibrant  Feeding Ourselves Sustainably program that is manned by organic volunteers. 

Feeding Ourselves Sustainably in HIV&AIDS Response (FOSHA)  is a concept that anchors nutrition in a wider context ensuring that educational social, cultural, economic and political influences are taken into account.

Feeding Ourselves Sustainably remains the hub of the work we do at the Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN). All its  activities and projects plug into and are fed by the energy generated by members who participate in the garden work.

ii. Agroecology

Agroecology is the design, management, and development of sustainable agroecosystems based on the application of ecological principles while considering social, economic, and cultural factors of farming communities.

iii.  Local Economy Trading Scheme Pass On  Talent (LETSPOT)

Local Economy Trading Scheme Pass On  Talent (LETSPOT) Local Economy Trading Scheme Pass On  Talent (LETSPOT ) is a process where every  citizen  participate in community wealth creation enterprises.

A resource starter pack  not limited to money ,is passed on to one another methodically creating a source  of livelihood to a beneficiary who in turn will pass on and agreed quota to a community seed bank .

The model which is based on diligence, co-operation and self-help to improve one’s own well-being and food security. It  is all  inclusive as it is a vehicle used by citizens to be participants in  local  economic development .  

It  is all  inclusive men and young people  who  were previously being sidelined and left out in developmental projects are now part of the economic development project.

It   is all  inclusive as it is a vehicle used by citizens to be participants in  local  economic development .

iv.  Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is a strategy for sustainable community driven development. Beyond the mobilization of a particular community, ABCD is concerned  with how to link micro-assets to the macro-environment. The appeal of ABCD lies in its  premise that communities can drive the development process themselves by identifying and mobilizing existing, but often unrecognized assets, and thereby responding to and creating local economic opportunity.

ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes  individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets—not concentrate on their needs. An extensive period of time is spent in identifying the assets of  individuals, associations, and then institutions before they are mobilized to work together to build on the identified assets of all involved. Then the identified assets from an individual are matched with people or groups who have an interest or need in that asset. The key is to  begin to use what is already in the community.

ABCD’s community-driven approach is in keeping with the principles and practice of participatory approaches development, where active participation and empowerment (and the prevention of disempowerment) are the basis of practice. It is a strategy directed towards sustainable, economic development that is community-driven.

3. Our Constituency

• Inadequately Served Populations 

Are groups or persons that face a higher risk than the general population of acquiring, suffering or dying from TB,Cancers,Malaria ,HIV & #COVID 19 pandemic , and have less access to information and services. They include people living with HIV, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs & harmful substances, people in detention(inmates), sex workers and transgender persons. Depending on the dynamic of the HIV epidemic and the legal status of these populations, ISPs may also include women and girls, youth, migrants and people living in rural areas

“A human rights-based approach requires not only addressing the final outcome of abolishing hunger, but also proposing ways and tools by which that goal is achieved. Application of human rights principles is integral to the process.” Right to Food Guidelines, Introduction, para. 19.

4. Objectives

1. To equip the farming households including young farmers with the ability to be self reliant and food/nutrition secured in an ecologically sound way, and where possible to produce surplus and add value for effective marketing.
2. To ensure that continuity of organic farming practice and information spread through farmer to farmer learning and interaction is happening extensively in all communities where Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN) works.
3. To complement and actively participate in appropriate networks for information exchange and advocacy at all level
4. To establish Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN) as a relevant, well organized, motivated and adequately resourced organization doing high quality work.
5. to promote complimentary use of medical sciences and natural healing methods.
6. To promote and build capacity  of Multi-diversified Impilo Life Kollective Scaling Up Nutrition (MILKSUN) membership  in nutrition sensitive and specific interventions
7. to deepen relationships among members, to increase knowledge, effectiveness and capacity for collective action
8. to build bridges between  key institutions ( business, local government, philanthropy etc) to increase partnership and cooperation
9. to strengthen  community engagement in reducing  malnutrition
10. To support communities in reduction of  stigma and discrimination ,gender based violence ,Violence Against Women ,Non-Communicable Diseases,#covid 19,TB ,cancer ,HIV and AIDS with sustainable livelihoods.

5. Specific Objectives

A. Nutrition Sensitive

1. Agriculture and food security
2. Social safety nets Social safety nets
3. Early Child Development
4. Maternal Mental Health
5. Women’s Empowerment
6. Child Protection
7. Schooling
8. Water ,Sanitation and Hygiene
9. Health and family planning services

B. Nutrition Specific

1. Health and nutrition during adolescence , preconception, pregnancy and lactation
   1. Maternal dietary of micronutrient supplementation
   1. Promotion of optimum breastfeeding
   1. Complementary feeding and responsive feeding practices and feeding stimulations
   1. Dietary supplementation ,food diversification and micronutrients supplementation children
   1. Treatment of severe acute malnutrition
   1. Disease prevention and management
   1. Nutrition in emergencies

C. Community Functions

1. Enabling Health

2. Assuring Food Security

3. Stewarding Ecology

4. Shaping Local Economies

5. Contributing To Local Food Production

6. Raising Our Children

7. Co-Creating Care