India’s commitment towards a malnutrition free India has led to the conception of various schemes and policies directly or indirectly related to nutrition. But despite these consistent efforts by the government, malnutrition has prevailed chronically in India. A strong need to assess the implementation and utilization of these government nutrition programmes was felt to identify gaps and bridge them.
‘Voices from the field’ is a unique initiative to help people at the grassroots to share their feedback on government schemes and policies while suggesting ways to strengthen them. VHAI has undertaken a similar study for the Planning Commission of India, succeeded by NITI Aayog, to review the Eleventh Five- Year Plan through the eyes of the public. Inspired by the successful impact of the study, the idea of capturing ‘Voices from the Field- Community Assessment of Food and Nutrition Security’ was culminated. The study is a collaborative effort of VHAI and ICCO in collaboration with CFNS in selected districts across Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha to bring forward the challenges faced by the community, the outcomes of their efforts, and their perception on how to bring about the change in addressing malnutrition.
