One Acre Fund-Tubura is distributing IYACU, a nutritious maize flour, to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to alleviate stunting and malnutrition among children in six districts.

One Acre Fund Rwanda is an agricultural development organisation incorporated in Rwanda as a foreign branch of the One Acre Fund U.S. non-profit.

In Rwanda, the organisation operates under two community benefit companies, namely: One Acre Fund, focused on partnership activities to improve food systems, and Tubura, which is a subsidiary of One Acre Fund which is focused on direct services to support their prosperity.

IYACU (as it is branded) is a fortified whole maize flour product that One Acre Fund produces from maize grains aggregated from Rwandan farmers to address the issue of malnutrition. IYACU may be consumed either as porridge or maize ugali.

"At One Acre Fund, we strongly believe that contributing to the existing measures in the country which targets to alleviate stunting and malnutrition is of paramount importance.

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"This is why One Acre Fund in partnership with IITA initiated a project which targets to deliver nutritious fortified whole maize flour to rural communities including some ECD centres in the districts of Ngororero, Burera, Nyamasheke, Rulindo, Kayonza, and Gakenke,” said Evariste Bagambiki, Communications Specialist at One Acre Fund.

The Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2019-2020 indicated that stunting stood at 33 per cent for children under the age of five, whereas the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) target was 15 per cent for Rwanda.

"Malnutrition is therefore still prevalent, particularly in rural communities,” he said.

Fortified whole maize flour is needed for children given that in the first 1,000 days of life, babies’ brains form new connections at a pace never repeated again.

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According to UNICEF over 80 per cent of a child’s brain is formed by the age of three, and up to 75 per cent of each meal goes directly to building a baby’s brain.

"These first 1,000 days have a lasting effect on a child’s future, and there is only one chance to get it right,” Bagambiki said.

Rwanda and partners such as Tubura put much effort into early childhood development (ECD) to support a child in these critical early years, providing holistic access to early learning, good nutrition, hygiene, and protection.

He said that since One Acre Fund-Tubura launched the IYACU whole maize flour in 2023, they have distributed more than 48, 290 kilogrammes to 2,173 ECD centres.

In Nyamasheke District, 8,190 kilogrammes were distributed in 698 ECDs.

"One Acre Fund-Tubura is working with shop owners, one shop in every sector, to reach the community with the fortified whole maize flour.”

Since 2023, it has distributed 194,022 kilogrammes to 83,916 households.

Rachel Murekatete, a mother and ECD caregiver from Rubona village, Nyarusange Cell, Kirimbi Sector in Nyamasheke District, said that ECDs look after the children while their parents are busy with other activities.

"The children are secure at the ECDs. They are not vulnerable to stunting and malnutrition as they receive porridge, milk, and nutritious food. The maize flour plays a big role in fighting stunting,” she said.

Another mother, Clemtine Ayingeneye, said that children are getting healthier as they acquire the ability to speak, learn, and reason in their early years.

"We could not afford the nutritious maize flour for our children. This is playing a big role in eradicating malnutrition,” she said.

Cyprien Ndagijimana, a caregiver with two children at an ECD centre, said that nutritious food has retained children in ECD centres.

"Children are growing in a happy environment free of hunger and stunting thanks to the nutritious maize flour support,” she said.

Marie Claire Nyiraneza, a caregiver at an ECD centre, added that children benefiting from ECD services have both physical and cognitive development.

One Acre Fund currently serves more than one million smallholder farmers in Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.