Care meal-Locally produced Nutritious-therapeutic foods

The relationship between nutrition, health and learning is undeniably very strong. Nutrition is one of the major factors that impact a child’s early development. Research shows that nutrition in a child’s early years is linked to their health and academic performance in later years.

Also one might say that a child’s early years begin way before birth. Under-nutrition during pregnancy stunts fetal development and can lead to poor brain development and irreversible chronic illnesses. Under-nutrition of breastfeeding mothers have negative impacts on a child’s development, soon-to-be mothers also need to consume a healthy and balanced diet full of the vital nutrients that both the mother and child need.

Care meal is designed and formulated using locally produced agricultural products to provide the necessary nutrients and energy levels to children, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers for better Early Child Development any time anywhere. Thus reducing malnutrition and saving lives.

Malnutrition remains a serious problem globally. The World Health Organization report (2018) shows that 52 million children under 5 years of age are wasted, 17 million are severely wasted and 155 million are stunted, while 41 million are overweight or obese. It further shows that around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. These mostly occur in low- and middle-income countries. It also has more negative impacts on human capital, economic productivity, and national development overall.

In Uganda, 2.2 million children under 5 years (29 percent) suffer from stunting (low height-for-age), (UBOS, 2018) and with a population growth  rate of 3 percent a year the situation stands to worsen.  

Uganda statistics show that if there is no change in nutrition by 2025; 568,000 lives of children under 5 will be lost due to stunting, 272,000 lives of children under 5 will be lost due to wasting, almost15,000 mothers’ lives will be lost, 82.1 million Equivalent school years of learning will be lost, and1.1 million children will be born with irreversible brain damage. Care Meal will reduce the Malnutrition problem and save many lives.

Care meal is targeting children, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers who are at risk of malnutrition.  The lives of about 2.3 million children under the age of 5years and over 500000 pregnant women and breast feeding mothers will be saved from different forms of malnutrition and related adverse effects.   Care meal will further increase revenue generation in over 460,000 families and create over 100,000 jobs along the supply chain. This will be more beneficial since the agricultural products used to produce Care meal are mostly produced by women and children that are the majority in Uganda agricultural sector and many developing countries.

Many of these vulnerable people cannot afford a healthy diet and they
normally depend on like one type of food. You find someone can only
afford  bananas, cassava but cannot afford beef, eggs, milk etc. We
therefore profile the foodstuffs and make one with all nutrients
required for a healthy diet thus saving them on cost and improving
accessibility.

Product development is essential in reducing malnutrition and hunger around the globe. Using locally produced agricultural products, Care meal has been designed and developed as per the nutritional and energy requirements of children under age 5 years, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers. It is produced using locally available nutrient rich foods. Some of the foods include, millet, beans (different varieties), groundnuts, corn, bananas, vegetables, fruits and others.

The different ready to eat Care meal products are designed to offer the required daily nutrients and energy per serving. Care meal does not require preparation before eating as it is ready to eat and comes already prepared which reduces the huddles of preparation that are time and resource consuming. The utilization of the locally produced agricultural products makes Care meal products affordable and easily available.

The production of Care meal further promotes sustainable agricultural systems and circular economy, reduces food wastage, increases food security, increases revenue generation and promotes a healthy productive society whose future is guaranteed.

We utilize the spider web strategy, where all stakeholders involved in the supply and value chain are linked into a network with a strong focal point. Computer based database of suppliers, locations and their products are segregated into one network, so are the value chain players. This maintains reliable and sustainable consumption and production. The networks are also used for communication and knowledge transfer or even finding solutions of any encountered challenge in the supply and value chains.

A different network involves other stakeholders that are fighting malnutrition. These are well segregated on a regional basis for easy identification and better outreach purposes. These networks further act as promoters of the Care meal products, extensively reaching to different communities and having them access the ready to eat nutritious -therapeutic foods.

The interface will also help in reaching out and communicating to different clients, responding to the needs on time and offer any guidance as need arises. It will further include the knowledge about the nutritional and therapeutic needs of different categories.

Employing solar ovens and bio gas in our Care meal production together with 100 percent biodegradable packaging is among one of our major goals, as this will further reduce on the cost of production while promoting circular economy and a healthy environment.

Nutrient profiling of local agricultural produce and converting them into nutritious- therapeutic products (Care meal) through product design and development is our core innovation. Locally produced agricultural products like beans, maize, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, bananas, wheat and others are highly utilized through value addition using  environmentally friendly processes to make affordable nutritious -therapeutic foods for nutritional and energy requirements of children under age 5 years, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers.

Food and nutrition insecurity happen not because the food produced is not enough but because of the shortfalls, inefficiencies and lack of innovation along the food supply chain. Creating the system of getting the right food with the right quality and nutritional requirements at the right time, when and where necessary is what we do best.

Providing the good quality Care meal products, we must have the good quality agricultural products. This means the primary producers and suppliers must adhere to the recommended international standards.  Primary producers and suppliers are therefore facilitated in producing and supplying the required quality through different trainings and knowledge sharing.

The innovation also creates the opportunity for women and children that are the most active in Uganda’s agriculture, in terms of better health, guaranteed income, wellbeing and a brighter future.  This is coupled with the organized agriculture production system that minimizes losses during production.

Integrating technology is key as our systems are based on circular economy models. Information Technology is used for swift communication and spider web like network information transfer and sharing, including raw material sourcing, providing awareness and solutions to challenges and delivering the Care meal products to the clients.  A one stop platform for enhancing efficiency along the whole supply chain is currently being developed to put all sectors under one roof.

Utilizing smart energy systems is one of our core. Piloting the use of solar and bio-gas technologies in our production systems is already done. Installing large solar and bio-gas systems in a few months is our main target. These technologies will further be promoted along the whole supply chain in order to promote resource efficiency and better environmentally friendly practices. The goal is to make all our system environmentally friendly, from production to consumption.

It is not that foods to solve the malnutrition problem are not there, but the lack of proper innovation and efficient supply chain systems is the problem.

Our solution is tailored on local conditions, utilizing the locally available agricultural products, transforming them into nutritious –therapeutic products that are accessible and affordable. Our strength lies in product innovation and the spider web network strategy that organizes all the players in supply chain for efficiency and quality delivery.

Through partnerships both in investment and supply chain, the Care meal products will have an efficient supply and consumption strategies that will enable its success. Our strong partnerships with health facilities, NGOs, public and other stakeholders will lead to success.

After rolling out the standardized Care meal products at the beginning of 2019 and with our small production processes, about over 12,000 clients have been served. This has helped us to do product and market evaluation.

With the planned resource mobilization in terms of more investment for producing about 1 ton of Care meal per day, the target is to serve over 1million Ugandans in the next 1 year and initiate exports to the neighboring countries. For 5 years, Care meal will be accessible by over 5 million people and the production target is at 3 tons per day.

For the next one year, the goal is to mobilize more resources to reach a production capacity of 1 ton per day and serve over 1 million Ugandans. Our target for 2 years is to serve over 2 million Ugandans and start exports to the neighboring countries. Our 5 year target is to produce 3 tons per day and serve over 5 million people both in Uganda and the neighboring countries.

Mobilizing over 10000 supply chain stakeholders (primary producers and intermediate players) and creating over 1500 direct and indirect jobs in 2-5years are our other targets.

Financial resources for expansion to the required sustainable commercial production are the major constraints. Investment for acquiring better equipment and spacious premises for large quantity production is key in meeting the short and long-term targets.

Accessing good quality raw materials and sustainable supply chains is one of the complexity we have to solve.

Sourcing for low interest or interest free loans, partnerships and other support are our target. This well help to rise enough capital to operate at a sustainable level.

Organizing the raw material suppliers and creating awareness on better sustainable production methods is our strategy for better quality production and losses reduction.

Two workers as full time, 5 workers as part time.

Our team of experts has great experience in product development for investment, product standardization, sustainable agriculture, sustainable consumption and production, nutrition and business development and marketing.

Linking all the skills together has helped to develop the product and have it ready for consumption. The team has also developed a business strategy base on circular economy principles for sustainable consumption and production.

Our networking strategy with the stakeholders gives the team another backbone for success along the value and supply chain.

1. Transformation and Rural Initiative,
2.  Real Medical Foundation

These are organization that are involved in promoting better health among vulnerable groups. Networking with them helps us to reach our intended clients

Our business models is hinged on circular economy and entails creating the value proposition along the whole supply chain. We integrate the concept of no waste thus all waste along the supply chain is a resource.

Organizing the primary producers and other players along the value and supply chain is key for better production in terms of quality and quantity thus more income and less losses at every stage. We create value through training the producers, giving and advising on the right inputs for production, farming financial literacy and overall sustainable agriculture production. We provide the knowledge and expertise in helping to utilize any waste generated at every stage along the supply chain thus more benefits to all the players. Adding value to the agricultural products through product development is major, as this creates the major linkage between the primary producers, intermediate players and consumers. Our innovation creates the most value to the consumers through accessing the products that solve the malnutrition problem thus guaranteed better, healthy and productive lifestyles. The circular economy principles along the supply chain bring more income to different stakeholders through sustainable consumption and production.

A sustainable business model coupled with innovation for market needs is key to our financial sustainability. Making more sales on our good quality nutritious-therapeutic products is key for financial sustainability.

Partnerships with potential funders will further be of great value for better and timely investment to sustain the market needs thus production and consumption sustainability.

For sustainable development to be achieved, malnutrition problem must be solved. However, resources are needed for innovation, product and system development, and investment to enable the eradication of the problem.

Applying to Solve will helps in mobilizing whatever resources are available to achieve our success and have a better healthy and productive population.

Solve can therefore be the best link to establish partnerships in order have adequate resources to advance this project. Linking us with potential international players will be great for our project in the dimensions of all resources whether financial, equipment, training, and will further increase the visibility of Care meal globally.

Organization that work towards the reduction of malnutrition, healthy living donors . Organizations like USAID, FAO, WHO, UNICEF, Nestle among others.

The AI prize will help in establishing systems for product profiles and nutrient matching. This will help in product development based on actual nutrient profiles and help the raw material sourcing.

The organization has another goal of using facial malnutrition analysis technology. One does not have to first carryout blood analysis or other fluid tests which is rigorous, time and resource consuming. Detection of malnutrition using facial and body surface analysis technology will be a game change in the fight against malnutrition for the vulnerable groups.  

This would be used to reach out to the more vulnerable children, pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers thus saving more lives. It will further be used in setting an interaction platform with different stakeholders like care givers, doctors, women, children, and nutritional product providers. This will solve a lot in terms of information access, health care providers accessibility, vulnerable groups accessibility and data capture of the overall malnutrition situation among different communities.