Bringing Nutrition Advocacy to Orthodox Church Leaders to Raise Awareness and Change Social Norms on Fasting Practices in Ethiopia, During the First 1000 Days: Abstract

"During the initial workshop, which was the first of its kind for nutrition, ENGINE outlined the seriousness of Ethiopia’s under-nutrition problem to influence this highly prominent group using the workshop as a platform for consensus building among church scholars and formulate religious guidelines around fasting practices, related to pregnancy, lactation and children under two."

The focus of this Empowering New Generations to Improve Nutrition and Economic opportunities (ENGINE) presentation for the International SBCC Summit 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 8-10, describes engaging religious leaders to fight maternal under-nutrition and childhood stunting in Ethiopia.

From the abstract:
"Empowering New Generations to Improve Nutrition and Economic opportunities (ENGINE), USAID’s flagship multi-sector nutrition project, led by Save the Children initiated an innovative approach to engage religious leaders in a national effort to fight maternal under-nutrition and childhood stunting. ENGINE’s baseline survey showed low consumption of animal source foods by children and women, during the First 1,000 days. ENGINE’s formative research identified long fasting periods as one of the main barriers for this low consumption, especially in Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) is the predominant Christian religion of the country, with seven fasting periods amounting to eight months over a year. Although EOTC doctrine and guidelines clearly prohibits fasting for pregnant, lactating women and children under seven, the details are not publically known. Communities rely on variable information handed down from generations and social norms which generally stress that fasting is required in order to adhere to one’s beliefs, without exceptions. To shed some light on this pertinent issue and raise awareness on the effects of fasting practices on undernutrition and stunting, ENGINE held two rounds of consultative workshops with EOTC senior leadership and church scholars. During the initial workshop, which was the first of its kind for nutrition, ENGINE outlined the seriousness of Ethiopia’s under-nutrition problem to influence this highly prominent group using the workshop as a platform for consensus building among church scholars and formulate religious guidelines around fasting practices, related to pregnancy, lactation and children under two.

Key Highlights:
ENGINE’s efforts helped to clarify these discrepancies and supported EOTC to develop a sermon guide based on church teachings, clearly outlining the laws and regulations on each of the four themes, to disseminate through churches, schools and communities countrywide. The completed sermon guide will be presented to the overall assembly and endorsed by the Holy Synod council members, chaired by his Holiness Abune Matias I, Patriarch of the EOTC. The Office of the First Lady has shown interest to support this advocacy effort."