Agriculture to Nutrition (ATONU): THE USE OF COMMUNITY THEATRE TO COMMUNICATE NUTRITION BEHAVIOR CHANGE MESSAGES AND ENGAGE COMMUNITIES L . M. Sibanda, S. Sibanda, Z. Nyathi, T. Madzivhandila, B. Mkandawire, F.A. Gwelo Food, Agriculture and Natural; Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) http://fanrpan.org/projects/atonu/
Agriculture and Nutrition Disconnect • There is a disconnect between agriculture and nutrition • What can agriculture projects do to deliver positive nutrition outcomes? • FANRPAN working with the African Chicken Genetic Gains Project (ACGG-ILRI) to integrate Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions in Ethiopia and Tanzania • ACGG aims to improve the production and productivity of chickens kept by smallholders • Introducing improved and tropically adapted genotypes
Agriculture-Nutrition Pathways • The ATONU project is testing three pathways to deliver improved nutrition to smallholder farming households: (i) Agricultural production for own consumption (ii) Use of agriculture income to purchase other nutritious foods (iii) Women empowerment to improve agency, time-use and nutrition • The results from the household level studies will be used to model national level responses and inform policy engagements
Pathways from Agriculture to Nutrition National National economic nutrition growth outcomes Food Nutrition prices knowledge Food production Household assets and livelihoods Food Food Nutrient intake Child expenditure consumption nutrition Income outcomes (agricultural and Health care non-agricultural) Health status Non-food expenditure expenditure Mother’s nutrition Caring capacity outcomes & practices Female energy Women expenditure empowerment Adapted from Gillespie et al. 2012 and Headey et al 2012
Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions • ATONU package of nutrition-sensitive interventions: 1. Nutrition education and hygiene to increase consumption of eggs and chicken meat; 2. Influencing expenditure of income from sale of chickens and eggs to purchase other nutrient dense foods; 3. Women empowerment to influence changes in women’s time use and agency (decision-making) within the household; and 4. Promotion of home gardens for improved dietary diversity.
Delivery of Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions • 20 dedicated field staff in each country • Each field staff works with 40 households in one village • Behaviour change communication (BCC) messages delivered twice per month through group counselling sessions and individual household visits • Individual household visits conducted to reinforce the messages delivered during group sessions • Community theatre to deliver and reinforce messages
Theatre for Nutrition Behaviour Change (TNBC) • Community theatre used to communicate and advocate for nutrition behaviour change • Approach named Theatre for Nutrition Behaviour Change (TNBC ) • Theatre communicates serious messages using oral and visual arts • Reinforces other forms of message delivery • Adapted from the innovative Theatre for Policy Advocacy (TPA) successfully used by FANRPAN for policy advocacy
Why Community Theatre? • People love to tell and listen to stories • Oral medium traditionally used to pass information from one generation to the other • Community theatre does the following: ü Presents real stories and phenomena ü Brings out hidden values and awareness ü Leads to reflection on prevailing situations ü Addresses nutrition taboos and myths ü Instils sense of urgency - greater understanding of situation
Examples of Nutrition-Related Taboos/Myths • Consumption of fruits and chickens by pregnant women produces large babies, difficult delivery • Children should not eat eggs - causes baldness and convulsions • Amaranth not to be consumed by old men and children • Sweet potato not to be consumed by people with hernia • Children who consume goat meat and milk are unruly
The TNBC Process 1. Script development - informed by context 2. Audition and training of actors 3. Performance 4. Post-performance discussions and feedback 5. Policy recommendations
1. Development of the TNBC Script • Script messages aligned to those from the group counselling sessions and individual household visits • Addressed socio-cultural issues, e.g. local norms and taboos • Script translated into the local languages
1. Development of the Script - Storyline • Community members cast in different roles • Benefits of consumption of balanced diets and hygiene • Value of chicken, egg and vegetable production and consumption • Women empowerment and involvement of men • Testimonies of impact: ü maternal and child nutrition and health ü participation of men ü endorsement of interventions by community leaders
2. Training of TNBC Actors • Actors selected from the community • Training of actors by seasoned theatre director • Scenes played out to sensitize the community about the project’s NSIs & deliver BCC messages
3. TNBC Performances • The performances were conducted within 30-35 minutes, followed by discussions
3. TNBC Performances - Audiences • Performances played out to beneficiary households and other community members • Involved not just beneficiary households but the community • Included local, district, regional and national leaders – buy-in and commitment
3. TNBC Performances - Attendance Elders/ Country leaders Men Women Male youths Female youths Total Tanzania 583 428 1131 367 500 3 009 Ethiopia 98 489 291 336 255 1 469 Total 681 917 1422 703 755 4 478
3. TNBC Performances - Documentation • Performance was video recorded to share with wider audience • Videos edited and sub-titled in English
3. TNBC Performances – Leaders’ Participation • Participation of community leaders - local, district, regional and national levels • Leaders used the TBNC platform to address broader development issues
Post-performance Discussions and Feedback • Facilitated discussions and feedback session • Five groups: ü local and district leaders ü women, men, male youth and female youth • Addressed four questions: ü practices they liked (continue) ü Practices they did not like ( stop) ü Practices to improve ü What they commit to do
5.1 Positive Outcomes of TNBC • Local authorities commit to support nutrition interventions, e.g. provision of water for vegetable production • Extension agents appreciate role to improve agriculture and nutrition linkages • Women actively participating in budgeting and decision-making • Men actively participate in household chores to relieve women • Realisation of need for back to basics approach – revisit grand mothers’ kitchens • Local community of practice for sustainability: ü Emergence of local nutrition champions ü Schools nutrition clubs • Covered 4,478 community members vs 1,600 beneficiary households • Communities now eating for health, not hunger
School Nutrition Clubs School nutrition clubs were set up in ATONU villages in response to community requests during the TNBC
5.2 Policy Recommendations 1. Promote diversity in agricultural production - chicken, egg and vegetable production 2. Promote nutrition education for communities, e.g. school nutrition clubs 3. Agricultural extension to be equipped with nutrition knowledge and skills
Why Community Theatre- Recap • People love to tell and listen to stories • Oral medium traditionally used to pass information from one generation to the other • Community theatre does the following: ü Presents real stories and phenomena ü Brings out hidden values and awareness ü Leads to reflection on prevailing situations ü Addresses nutrition taboos and myths ü Instils sense of urgency - greater understanding of situation • Convening power and reach • Results from community theatre will be used to model national level responses and inform policy development
ATONU Partners Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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