Grow Great

At present, one in four children in South Africa is stunted.

Stunting prevents children all over the world from achieving their full potential. The impact of stunting reaches far beyond height – it impairs a child’s brain development, performance in school, and learning ability for the rest of their life – and it can begin even before a baby is born.

Although stunting is largely irreversible, it is preventable.

THE GAP

Stunting results from a number of factors, including inadequate nutrition for the expectant mother and her child. But it can also be the result of substandard living environments that lead to frequent illness or even lack of psychosocial stimulation. Believe it or not, love, play and early stimulation of a child’s mind, may be as important as healthy food in helping that child thrive.

OUR APPROACH

In collaboration with DG Murray Trust’s Grow Great Campaign and other local stakeholders, we have developed an engaging, story-based video series to raise awareness around the importance of stunting prevention and help frontline health workers communicate these critical health messages to the families they serve. By empowering families with knowledge, we can work towards a brighter future for all South Africans.

DISSEMINATION

Our content is disseminated through collaborations with multiple local partners, including community health workers, local clinics, local NGOs and the South African Dept. of Health.

IMPACT EVALUATION

We are committed to designing and implementing rigorous evaluations of all our health education interventions. We use a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative studies like in-depth stakeholder interviews and community focus groups, as well as quantitative methods such as large randomized controlled trials.