Involving Rural Kenyan Women in the Development of Nutritionally Improved Weaning Foods: Nutribusiness Strategy
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Date
1997Author
Muroki, Nelson M
Maritim, Gabriel K
Karuri, Edward G
Tolong, Hilary K
Imungi, Jasper K
Kogi-Makau, Wambui
Maman, Suzanne
Carter, Eloise
Maretzki, Audrey N
Type
ArticleMetadata
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This paper describes a participatory process employed by three collaborating universities to engage rural Kenyan women, who are members of organized women's groups, in the development of recipes for culturally appropriate, nutritionally desirable weaning foods. These foods will be processed on a small commercial scale in rwo rural locations,
Borner and Murang'a, using ingredients grown by the women on their "sharnbas" (garden plots). The weaning foods will be marketed as dry mixes in urbanized communities where women do not engage in agriculture. The processing and marketing will be accomplished through the mechanism of a nutribusiness cooperative run by the women in each of the districts. The pluses in the weaning food development process include (1) a community assessment, (2) the collection and analysis of traditional weaning recipes, (3) the provision of feedback to the communities, (4) district-level product development workshops, (5) nutritional analysis and computer optimization of the products (Mixed Porridge and BASCOT), and (6) community workshops to prepare and evaluate the optimized products. Through their involvement with this project, women acquire
nutrition knowledge and skills and have the opportunity to generate income for themselves and their households.
Citation
Journal of Nutrition Education Volume 29 Number 6Publisher
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Nairobi, International Programs, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama JDepartment of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802