ECSC-SUN secretariat conducted visit to Afar
The aim of the visit is to observe the Ethiopian Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) Women Economic Empowerment and Adolescence Initiative (WEE & AI) intervention progress. The visiting team oversees the impact of knowledge gained through training and outcome of the distributed resources as well as practical actions taken by target beneficiaries with an emphasis on the added value to household nutrition. As WEE & AI intervention, target beneficiaries living in #Afar #Asayita, have been provided skill training, 40 milking goats for 20 women, vegetable seeds (onion, tomato, pepper, and cabbage) for 10 households per their preference. In addition, agricultural hand tools (Hoe, shovel, watering can, fork,) and fruit seedlings (500 Mango, 400 Orange) have been provided to Hameltole Primary schools. Now, target beneficiaries are producing milk from the goat and feed their children. The school gardening activity is in good progress. For instance, in Hameltole school the seedling is ready to transplant to the gardening area. Adolescents in school club presented drama to the visitors. Their edutainment technique was powerful to address nutritional messages like child feeding practice, food restriction norm, hand hygiene and gender equality. The community was not familiar with consuming some food items. Through training, knowledge sharing and social and behavior change intervention, now beneficiary groups started to eat egg in a roosted form. ECSC-SUN and implementing partner #Amref Health Africa, Gender Equality Project at #Save the children Semera field office and government sectors like #agriculture, #health and #women affair worked closely to bring these positive changes. The visiting team appreciated the progress and joint efforts !
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Nutrition leaders forum
The 6th Ethiopia Nutrition Leaders Network (ENLN) annual forum conducted with the theme “Nutrition Leadership Towards Resilience and Climate Change Actions for Nutrition in Ethiopia” on Nov. 23, 2024. Hiwot Darsene, Lead Executive Officer, Nutrition Coordination Office and Member of the ENLN made the opening speech with her representative, Yonatan. The government of Ethiopia is implementing the food and nutrition strategy to improve the resilience of vulnerable pregnant and lactating women and children under 2 years of age. In her speech, she emphasized on malnutrition – infection cycle. Climate induced undernutrition leads to increase in disease related childhood mortality and morbidity. According to, Ms Dragana Strinic, Country Director at Save the Children Ethiopia Country Office and Chair of Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN), children have been impacted by the climate crisis which threatens their health, nutrition, education, development, survival and future. In her keynote remark, she highlighted that impactful leadership is pivotal in reducing such climate-induced food system and nutrition challenges. The founder and chair of ENLN, Israel Hailu, reaffirms nutrition leaders’ commitment, and the network works closely with all food system and nutrition actors to make Ethiopia free from hunger and malnutrition. She also calls up on all nutrition leaders to further commit and provide the required voluntary support to the country’s effort until we achieve unfinished nutrition agenda in Ethiopia. It is recalled that Hidar 14 (November 23) is the date that Ethiopian Government endorsed the first ever Food and Nutrition Policy. To commemorate this day and make it a national Nutrition Security Day nutrition leaders make their annual forum. Representatives from food and nutrition implementing sectors, research institutions, donors and nutrition communities attended the event physically as well as virtually. The event includes speeches, presentations, networking and panel discussion, ECSC-SUN provided technical and financial support to make this colorful event happen.
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Planning workshop completed
ECSC-SUN and implementing partners plan alignment workshop was successfully completed. The ECSC-SUN secretariat held its annual plan alignment workshop with implementing partners from November 8-9, 2024, at the Robi Hotel in Adama. Attendees included representatives from Save the Children’s Award Office, Gender Equality Project (GEP) staff from Afar and Somali regions, and key implementing partners Amref Health Africa (Afar) and Mums for Mums (Tigray). The workshop aimed to synchronize each partner’s plans with ECSC-SUN’s strategic objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. Based on the secretariat annual plan, implementing partners drafted their plan and presented to the workshop participants. After through discussion, partners incorporated the feedback and produced refined aligned version of the plan. Each plan now includes specific budget allocations and a timeline for implementation. In addition, Essential donor compliance and reporting standards shared; financial and narrative reporting tips were given to participants to improve reporting quality and consistency. The workshop officially closed with closing remark. In his closing remark, Mr. Abebe Bimerew, ECSC-SUN National Lead emphasized revitalizing regional platforms key is the key priority in the annual plan, with a particular focus on Tigray. He urged regional leads to actively map Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in their areas and foster collaboration. He also emphasized the importance of early project initiation and timely reporting to achieve planed activities. ECSC-SUN has been implementing Irish aid funded project named “Enhancing Leadership, Commitment and Accountability to Improve Nutrition Outcomes”. GEP and implementing partners implementing Women Economic Empowerment and Adolescent Initiative (WEE&AI) intervention pilot project in three regions, Afar, Tigray and Somali, benefitted 90 target women.
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Regional Sensitization Workshop
The workshop aimed to sensitize Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on nutrition multisectoral integration in Central Ethiopia Region in Butajira Town. Ethiopian Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) secretariat participated in the workshop on October 30, 2024. It is recalled that ECSC-SUN General Assembly delegated The Hunger Project Ethiopia to coordinate the Central Ethiopia’s support platform. The workshop, financially supported by The Hunger Project Ethiopia, gathered key stakeholders from CSOs to discuss regional platform establishment. It was collectively decided that the official regional platform establishment workshop would be scheduled for the first week of December 2024. The ECSC-SUN Secretariat’s technical support was also formally requested to ensure the success of this upcoming event. # ECSC-SUN # TheHungerProjectEthiopia
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ECSC-SUN endorsed strategies
ECSC-SUN endorsed two strategic documents during its General Assembly. On September 23, 2024 , ECSC-SUN held its general assembly meeting and learning event at Hyatt Regency Hotel with the them “Collaborative effort for better nutrition: Equity! Leaving no one behind ! ” More than 60 coalition members, government sectors and development partners participated in the event. ECSC- SUN Gender Transformative Food Systems and Nutrition Programing Strategy and ECSC-SUN Food and Nutrition Advocacy strategy documents endorsed during the meeting. These strategy documents help coalition members to guide their advocacy activities and gender related interventions.
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Oromia region ECSC-SUN support plat form launched
Oromia region ECSC-SUN support plat form launching wor kshop held with the presence of higher officials. Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) is striving to improve nutrition status of the country. As a coalition it has supported the country’s initiative to end malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. ECSC-SUN has established support platforms in different regions including Oromia region. Her excellency Professor Netsanet Workeneh, Oromia regional health bureau head, made opening remark on the Oromia support platform launching workshop. On her speech she emphasized the impact of malnutrition on children health and growth in the region. She underscored that the regional government is committed to avert the problem working in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations. Collaborative efforts can make difference in maternal and child nutrition according to Mr. Abebe, ECSC-SUN National lead. He explained that the civil society organization’s role is undeniable in capacity building and other aspects of food and nutrition strategy implementation. Action against hunger, ECSC-SUN regional platform leading in Oromia, is facilitated workshop in collaboration with regional food system and nutrition coordination office. Action against hunger continues as the chair of the steering committee and Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekanyesus Development and Social Services Commission is selected as co- chair for steering committee in the regional platform.
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Nutrition leadership training
The first “Nutrition leadership” training held in Southwest Ethiopia, Mizan town. The training enhanced the multisectoral nutrition leadership capabilities of the regional Food and Nutrition Coordination Office. The Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) and Alive and Thrive supported the initiative. #NutritionLeadership #ScalingUpNutrition #Ethiopia #Alive & Thrive #ECSC-SUN #Savethechildreninternational
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