Enhancing Nutrition of Upland Farming Families (ENUFF)

Enhancing Nutrition of Upland Farming Families (ENUFF) Phase II is a multi-sector project that aims to improve family nutrition in remote and ethnically diverse upland farming communities in the Oudomxay and Houaphan provinces of Lao PDR.  The project is implemented between June 2020 and July 2024, with the aim to enhance the nutritional status of more than 6,000 families.

Building on earlier project achievements, Phase II of ENUFF applies multi-sectoral development approaches, including:

• Nutrition-sensitive farming to enhance the production of diverse crops and increase access to nutritious food.

• Resilient rural WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) to increase number of new or rehabilitated water points and sanitation facilities (e.g., toilets and handwashing with soap facilities) in households, schools, and health centres, and explore other options to year-round access water.

• Social Behavioral Change Communications (SBCC) to improve feeding, caregiving, and dietary practices of women who are lactating and/or are in the reproductive age; as well as intra-household demand for, use, and maintenance/management of water and sanitation facilities

Phases I and II of ENUFF are funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by SNV. The project contributes to realising the goals of the Government of Lao PDR’s national Multi-sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan. SNV staff will work closely with several government agencies, e.g., Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Education, and the Lao Women Union, alongside communities, to sustain the project’s outcomes and promote more conducive policy and institutional frameworks for improving nutrition.

ENUFF implements tried and tested SNV approaches for nutrition: Sustainable Nutrition for All (SN4A), rural water: Area-wide Rural Water Supply Services (ARWSS), and rural sanitation: Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All (SSH4A).

Key achievements in ENUFF Phase I

• Stunting among children under 5 years of age decreased from 42.3% to 37.7%.

• Diarrhoea incidence in children aged 6-23 months old decreased from 24% to 13%.

• Average number of annual and perennial crops grown increased from 2.2. to 8.2 and from 0.5 to 4.1, respectively, between baseline and end line surveys.

• Average number of large livestock and poultry raised by households in target districts increased from 2.2 to 4.2 and from 19 to 25, respectively, with the most significant surge observed in villages in Houaphan province.

• Proportion of children under 2 years of age receiving a minimum of four meals per day increased from 14% to 66% in target villages, and children’s dietary diversity improved averaging between 3.7 and 4.0 food groups, compared to 2.2 and 3.3 food groups at baseline (2016).

• Proportion of households with access to and use of improved water and sanitation facilities increased from 75% to 92%.