‘Nourish the Future’ strengthens maternal and child nutrition outcomes in Dantewada and Bastar through community-led action

Dantewada: Under its flagship Nourish the Future initiative, Rise Against Hunger India organised a large-scale community engagement programme in Katekalyan block of Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, bringing together over 350 pregnant women, lactating mothers, Poshan Mitras, adolescents, and community volunteers.

The initiative adopts a community-led approach, where Community Resource Persons and local volunteers drive planning, outreach, and service delivery. The initiative focused on extending essential maternal and child health support to under-served populations who fall outside the coverage of existing Community Kitchen Centers (CKCs). Despite being newly introduced, the model received strong participation and acceptance from local communities

A key focus of the programme has been last-mile service delivery through convergence with government departments, including health and ICDS. This collaboration has enhanced access to ANC and PNC services, growth monitoring, and institutional delivery support, ensuring that vulnerable populations are better connected to essential public health systems.

The programme has resulted in notable improvements across key indicators in Dantewada and Bastar, where baseline levels were initially low. Maternal nutritional status (BMI, weight-for-age, and haemoglobin levels) improved from 58.19% to 60.34%. Over 85% of women and 91% of children participating in growth monitoring reported weight gain. The initiative also contributed to increased completion of recommended ANC visits, strengthened referral and follow-up systems, and improved early identification of high-risk cases. Additionally, the program facilitated 78 institutional deliveries.