At ADRA Madagascar, we are committed to fostering sustainable and positive change within communities. Nutrition is one of the key sectors where behavior change is crucial in Madagascar. With the support of UNICEF, ADRA is implementing the Collaborative Project for Social and Behavioral Change (PCCSC) in 63 fokontany across the districts of Ampanihy, Betioky, and Toliara II, in Atsimo Andrefana — a region in the south of the country where inadequate nutrition practices contribute to child malnutrition and poor health.
The project takes a multi-sectoral approach, addressing critical areas such as nutrition, early childhood development, health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education, social protection, and food systems.
The first phase of the project focused on assessing common nutrition practices in the target communities and identifying 14 key behaviors to promote better nutrition, especially for women and children. To advance this process, ADRA organized a dynamic workshop where participants analyzed field data, discussed findings, and pre-validated the priority behaviors. This event brought together representatives from government partners and civil society organizations (CSOs) actively engaged in sustainable behavior change initiatives within local communities.
In the second phase, the project carried out community awareness campaigns, case referrals, and behavior monitoring to ensure lasting impact.
Key achievements since May 2025 include:
- Training of 126 community health workers in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), women’s nutrition, and early childhood development.
- Training of 156 local actors (midwives, traditional practitioners) in Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
- 252 cooking demonstrations conducted, reaching 16,089 participants.
- Establishment of 63 IYCF groups and 63 listening groups.
- Training of 11,724 parents on MUAC family screening.
- Training of 63 operational monitoring committees and development of 693 tracking tools.
Through these efforts, the project has directly reached 22,700 people — including 18,000 children under 5 and 4,700 pregnant and breastfeeding women — helping communities build lasting resilience against malnutrition.
