Improving Nutrition

Two billion people worldwide suffer from malnutrition. Each year an estimated 6.6 million children die before celebrating their fifth birthday, with poor nutrition the underlying cause of about half of these deaths.

Helen Keller International is dedicated to combatting the causes and consequences of malnutrition so that fewer people suffer loss of their productive years because they do not have enough of the right kinds of foods to eat. 

Since 1990, our Enhanced Homestead Food Production programs throughout Africa and Asia have empowered thousands of families to provide better nutrition for themselves and ensure food security by producing their own nutritious foods in home gardens and farms.
Targeting communities with high malnutrition and child mortality rates, we promote positive nutrition practices including breastfeeding and complementary foods to ensure children receive enough vitamins during critical stages of development.
We train community volunteers and health workers to identify and treat cases of acute malnutrition in children, ensuring the knowledge and skills become part local health systems and empowering communities to help themselves in times of crisis.