Listening holistically: one village's path to address child malnutrition in Mali

Authors

Florence V. Dunkel, Holly Hunts, Nathaniel Sisson, Ada Giusti, Ibrahima Traore, Hawa Coulibaly

Publication

African Geographical Review

Abstract

This study chronicles a 14-year partnership between a Malian rural village and US academics to curb childhood malnutrition. Villagers described agricultural/nutritional traditions while expressing a desire for improved quality of life for the future. Through holistic observation and listening, student/faculty partners developed a trusting relationship, and documented the community’s fundamental knowledge-base. Collaborators studied children’s dietary intake to predict micronutrient deficiencies. Villagers ultimately chose to participate in the national lunch program and to additionally supplement children’s diets with eggs. The Expansive Collaborative Model described in this article, exemplifies a cross-cultural approach which could effectively mitigate malnutrition in remote African villages.

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