We are changing the lives of women in under resourced communities impacted by chronic disease and malnutrition. Our primary focus is to reduce the consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates, refined oils and highly processed 'junk' foods and to encourage the consumption of nutrient dense whole foods instead. Our programs, implemented over 6 weeks, provide nutrition education and tools related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), budget shopping, healthy cooking and healthy food choices.
5million people died from diabetes in 2015, that's 1 every 6 seconds. In South Africa health is impacted by various social determinants i.e. poverty, chronic disease, poor public healthcare facilities and education, and gender inequality. It is estimated that by 2030, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will account for five times as many deaths as communicable diseases in low and middle income countries. South Africa has the 3rd highest obesity rate in the world with an average of 30% (10million).
Through our Eat Better South Africa! community programs, we are not only addressing the diabetes and obesity epidemic, but also the alarming prevalence of malnutrition and malnourishment caused by poverty. Our programs have proven successful in improving health markers, and in some cases, even reversing NCD's such as diabetes. By creating equal opportunity to health and wellbeing, we are significantly impacting mortality and morbidity rates in under resourced communities.
This simple cost effective dietary approach encourages communities to be less reliant on the already overburdened state healthcare facilities and social grants. Healthy individuals create healthy, empowered communities and economies. With women empowering themselves to make healthier food choices for their families, our program also addresses the intergenerational transmission of poverty related disease.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
