To help households improve their resilience in the face of food insecurity and malnutrition, the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa (FSRP-TOGO) is supporting the training of 720 women processors in the production and use of cereal-rich flour for children incorporating moringa, néré and/or orange-fleshed sweet potato (PDCO), and in good hygiene and quality practices.

In collaboration with the Togolese Coordination of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations (CTOP) and the Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Division, this capacity-building took place in the country’s six agricultural regions from 22 to 27 January 2024, bringing together ten cooperatives of 20 people per region for a total of 120 women trainers nationwide. These women will in turn train 600 women processors throughout the country in good processing and hygiene practices, with the aim of helping to diversify and improve the nutritional value of processed products, specifically orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, néré, moringa and the production of rich flour for children in accordance with recommended standards.

In Sokodé, in the central region, the training took place in two stages (theoretical and practical) and will help to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in rural households with a view to making up for micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies, one of the main causes of which is low consumption of foods rich in micronutrients.

The training modules focused on (i) the basics of a balanced and diversified diet, (ii) supplementary feeding for children aged 6 to 23 months and (iii) basic hygiene.

All these modules were accompanied by recommendations and discussions with the women who, once trained, will go on to organise cooking demonstration sessions within their respective contact groups.