Background & Context

In Kenya, 26% of children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. The 5-year severe drought in Kenya also adversely affected 4 million families living in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to even more reduced access to food. In 2022, an estimated 942,000*1 children below 5 years were suffering from acute malnutrition and an even larger number (estimated 1.8*2&7 million) of children were affected by chronic malnutrition. Last accounted data from a 2014 study in Kenya estimated that the effects of malnutrition noticed in healthcare, education and workforce productivity resulted in an USD 4.2 billion loss (6.9% of GDP)*3 in Kenya.

The Creative Challenge

In a developing country like Kenya, post pandemic economic crises and drought response posed a more immediate threat to overall food security. Even if the problem of early-age malnutrition has a knock-on effect on society, this issue gets very little focus from government or NGOs active in healthcare.

Additionally, most modern methods of post-natal training in the form of contact programs fail due to high cost of implementation and lack of compliance amongst users.

The solution: Weave modern learning in traditional fabric of Kenya

Most women in rural areas with little formal education depend on traditional wisdom in childcare. This knowledge is passed on by mothers and elders, as their trusted guide for childcare. We realized these women had little access and knowledge of modern methods of post-natal nutritional care.

Our observation of the mothers led us to a solution: Mothers invest in traditional garments, called lessos, which they wrap around their waists, which they also use to carry their children on their backs when working.

We realized we could design nutrition lessons printed on lessos and distributed to mothers. Because it is customary for mothers to gift lessos to their daughters when they come of age, get married, or have children, having lessons on lessos would pass the knowledge down generations effectively.

Execution

We turned lessos into lessons in postnatal nutrition. We created 3 different kinds of Lessos, one for each of the 3 stages in the first 24 months of a child’s development, each containing illustrative and instructive lessons on breastfeeding and complementary nutrition, serving as a daily guide and ready reminder on raising a healthy baby.