Mombasa launches campaign to increase vegetable consumption

Mombasa government has launched a campaign to increase vegetable consumption among residents.

The ‘Vegetable for All’ campaign is being conducted in partnership with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.

The project will focus on dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin-rich foods and other vegetables.

Data from the Global Diet Quality Project showed that 65 per cent of Kenyans consume green leafy vegetables.

Over the last 15 years, vegetable consumption has remained stagnant at 100 to 130 grams per person per day.

This is below the recommended 400 grams of fruits and vegetables by the World Health Organisation.

The project, which aims to reach 1.1 million people by 2026, is being implemented in five counties; Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru, and Mombasa.

It targets families with children aged three to 12 in the lower income group.

Project manager Denis Abri said the project will push for the Food Fiti brand to encourage a balanced diet.

He spoke during the launch of the programme in Mikindani, Jomvu constituency.

“We are promoting the Food Fiti brand that ensures there is access to fresh vegetables to consumers," said Abri.

“The programme is focusing on demand. We are creating awareness to ensure consumers understand the need to eat fresh vegetables in addition to having an enabling environment policy that relates to vegetable safety food standards.'

GAIN is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle human suffering caused by malnutrition.

Working with governments, businesses and civil society, the organisation aims to transform food systems to deliver healthier diets for everyone, especially the most vulnerable

To push the message further to Wananchi, Abri said that they were working on branding tuktuks and tuktuk operators.

“Consumers tend to relate more to brands; that’s why we are running the Food fiti brand. We shall make use of other media channels, like billboards," he said.

“We want people to change their behavior and take vegetable consumption seriously.”

The partnership between GAIN and Mombasa county cuts across the departments of trade, health and agriculture.

The scope of work includes pushing for safety standards through seminars and trainings and advocating for food safety.

“We currently have the food safety policy in progress. Our call to action is that we eat more vegetables because they are cheap and have high nutrients," Abri said.

The promotion of vegetables, he said, presents opportunities to motivate wider changes in diet or consumption patterns.

Phyllis Kemoto, health officer in Jomvu subcounty, praised the programme, saying it will help the county tackle malnutrition challenges in slum areas.

“Tuktuk is the common mode of transport in Mombasa, we felt that it is the best tool to push the campaign,” said Kemoto.

The programme will soon be rolled out across the six subcounties of Nyali, Jomvu, Likoni, Mvita, Kisauni and Changamwe.

John Chengo, chairman of tuktuk drivers in Mikindani said that they have benefited a lot from the trainings.

“Based on the teachings we received, we understand that vegetables are very important to us. The message will get to many because tuktuk drivers visit far flanked areas,” he said.