A total of 1025 cassava farmers (Male- 307: Female- 718) were trained on nutritional matters by the Nutritional TOTs. The follower farmers’ trainings included nutrition within 1000 days of window of opportunity, essentials of nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, complimentary feeding for infants, infant feeding practices for 12 months to 24 months, special feeding circumstances, hygiene practices and growth monitoring practices, food processing, preservation and storage. In the same period two (2) cooking demonstrations were conducted at Ganda ward and Jilore Ward.

During the cooking demonstration sessions, the following ingredients were blended to make cassava flour porridge, mixed grill of fresh cassava chips mixed with ripe mboki bananas and cowpeas locally known as Kimanga, chapatis, maandazi and ugali of cassava flour mix with maize flour, cassava leaves cooked with coconut milk locally known as kikwada. Again Ustadi conducted three (3) consumer awareness events in Malindi Sub County and Kilifi North Sub County.

The nutrition TOTs and the Aggregation Centre Committee members present realized that they can open retail kiosk outlets for their cassava flour blends by products given the high demand from the community thus exploring the local market for the cassava dried chips, cassava flour and its blends. Sales done during the consumer awareness showed how the outlets for the cassava by products will perform when they open business.

The farmers responded so well and agreed to diversify during planting where a variety of crops will be grown to ensure balanced diet food on the table for improved nutritional foods intake.