“To continue to make progress in MIYCAN, local actors must be engaged and supported,” said Victor Ogbodo, director of Alive & Thrive’s Nigeria country program. “Organizations such as the CBOs we collaborated with play an important role in locally-led development. We are generating a culture of sustainability.”

The capacity-strengthening program reflects the commitment of Alive & Thrive and FHI 360 to foster sustainable results through locally-led development. The goal of Alive & Thrive’s capacity- building support is to help equip governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), communities and other stakeholders with the resources and processes they need to strengthen MIYCAN themselves over the long term. For the 21 CBOs, Alive & Thrive’s training on grant/proposal writing and finding funding opportunities has been critical to this approach. “Sustainable funding from donors and government is an important aspect of locally-led development,” Ogbodo said. “This will help the CBOs sustain themselves financially and continue their good work.”

Building on the support from Alive & Thrive, the CBOs are having an impact. In Lagos, the Chamagne Foundation partners with communities and health care facilities to encourage pregnant women to give birth at primary health care centers instead of going to traditional healers. In one recent case, the CBO’s work with mothers, fathers and community leaders helped increase the number of women attending antenatal care (ANC) at the IIado primary health care facility from as low as eight to 65 within a month. The Chamagne Foundation’s strategy includes “continuous sensitization on how unsafe cultural practices can lead to maternal mortality and how all of these can be avoided” by using the primary health care centers, said Alabi Adekemi, the CBO’s program coordinator. “Our maternal, infant, and young child nutrition support groups across all our project sites were riddled with myths and harmful cultural practices around pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding,” she noted. “Our constant monthly engagements with them have helped dispel most of the myths, and we are able to support members” from pregnancy through the complementary feeding stage, Adekemi said, adding that the CBO also helps ensure that mothers get their children immunized.

Another CBO in Lagos, the Neo Child Initiative for Africa (TNCI), expanded its focus from solely children and caregivers to families, health care workers and community members. Recognizing the “interconnectedness” of factors that affect nutrition, TNCI conducted a needs assessment with support from community stakeholders and primary health care facilities in the local government areas of Epe and Shomolu. “We needed to understand how nutritional practices of pregnant and lactating mothers are influenced by factors such as family dynamics, community support, religion and access to health care,” said Esther Nwaiwu, TNCI’s senior program coordinator. As a result, TNCI now reaches fathers, mothers-in-law and extended family members, along with health care workers and community gatekeepers such as community and religious leaders, youth leaders and market leaders. “Communities are often the first line of support for children and their caregivers, and involving them in this initiative would enhance its effectiveness and sustainability,” Nwaiwu said. For example, during World Breastfeeding Week last year, TNCI partnered with government officials in Shomolu to conduct outreach in two local markets, reaching more than 300 women and their families with messages about the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding. “Involving families, health care workers and community members in this initiative’s activities brought about and also promoted ownership and collaboration, leading to better outcomes for mothers and children,” Nwaiwu said.

The Good Women Association (GWA), also in Lagos, has made reaching more adolescents and vulnerable girls a priority. Adolescents and vulnerable girls often face unique challenges such as poverty, gender-based violence, lack of access to education and limited opportunities for personal development. “Investing in the well-being and empowerment of adolescents and vulnerable girls is essential for breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting gender equality,” said Biola O. Ibiefo, GWA’s executive director. The CBO provides vocational training; empowerment workshops on topics including self-esteem, reproductive health, life skills and financial literacy; and one-on-one mentorship and counseling sessions to support girls facing challenges such as early marriage, teenage pregnancy or abuse. GWA collaborates closely with local schools, community centers and other organizations to reach more adolescents and vulnerable girls. It also networks with NGOs, government agencies and grassroots organizations working in similar areas to share resources and best practices. “Supporting adolescents and vulnerable girls aligns with broader goals of sustainable development, as empowered girls are more likely to become agents of change in their communities,” Ibiefo said.

Because of the rising cost of meat, the iDevPro-African Institute in Kano is raising community awareness about nutritious locally available alternatives, such as beans and moringa. “By highlighting the nutritional benefits and affordability of locally available foods, we aim to empower communities to make informed choices and adopt sustainable food practices that promote their overall well-being,” said Dr. Mansur Tukur, iDevPro’s executive director. After conducting community needs assessments to understand local preferences, dietary habits and knowledge gaps, iDevPro conducts community outreach, workshops and training sessions to educate community members about the benefits of beans and moringa. The CBO partners with local influencers, community leaders and religious leaders to endorse and promote the alternative food sources. “Engaging community leaders and influencers helps spread the message effectively,” Tukur noted. Community members have started incorporating a variety of local ingredients into their meals—including moringa, which iDevPro has promoted as an affordable superfood, he said. “This leads to more diverse and balanced diets.”

Through the capacity-strengthening program, Alive & Thrive has helped the CBOs strengthen locally-led development and lay a solid foundation for sustainability. “The CBOs are just getting started,” Ogbodo said. “We are excited about what they will accomplish.”