In Thuan Chau district, located in the northwestern mountainous province of Son La, Vietnam, one third of children are suffering from stunting which is nearly double the national average. Over 90% of the population in Thuan Chau belongs to an ethnic minority group, who often live in rural, isolated areas, face poor health outcomes, have limited access to resources, and experience lower living standards compared to the majority Kinh population. In this setting, child malnutrition is driven by factors such as poor complementary feeding practices low access to diverse nutrient rich foods, and the replacement of traditional diets with low-nutrient, processed foods such as instant porridge, instant noodles, and potato chips.

This project aims to improve child health and nutrition in six communes in Thuan Chau district, focusing on increasing the consumption of nutritious foods among children by enhancing the knowledge and practices of mothers and other caregivers regarding nutrition and complementary feeding. Community educators and health workers will receive training to strengthen their knowledge and skills related to nutrition; the training will enable them to share accurate information and address community nutrition needs. Nutrition education sessions and cooking demonstrations will be conducted to share vital nutritional information with mothers and other caregivers, such as the signs and impacts of malnutrition, the complementary feeding needs of children, food hygiene, and age-appropriate feeding practices. The cooking demonstrations will bring together child caregivers and fathers in the community to provide hands-on learning opportunities to prepare nutritious and age-appropriate meals for children using locally available ingredients. The project will also produce creative and informative information, education and communication materials to reinforce key messages about nutrition.

• Enhanced knowledge and practices of mothers, fathers, and other child caregivers regarding nutrition and complementary feeding of children.

• Increased consumption of nutritious foods among children.