The objective of this pillar is to promote good practices in food and nutritional security in rural communities and implement productive activities to promote the production of healthy food for human consumption using local resources that will allow sustainability in the near future.

Among the actions promoted within this pillar are:

• Home Garden

• Smoke-free kitchens

• Safe Water Consumption

• Good Hygiene and Cleanliness Practices

• Family Diet Diversification

• 1000 Days Window Program

• Pedagogical School Gardens

• Medicinal Gardens

• Sexual and Reproductive Health

Home Gardens

Home garden promote bio-intensive agriculture (to produce more in less space being friendly to the environment) and the production of native plants of high nutritional value. With this gardens families have the opportunity to produce healthy food for consumption.

Smoke-Free Kitchens:

Funcafé promotes the use of improved stoves that have efficient combustion chambers and fireplaces reducing up to 50% of firewood used for cooking and 100% smoke.

Safe Water Consumption:

This action promotes four water purification methods adopted by the World Health Organization WHO- including:

1. Filtering

2. Boiling

3. Sodis

4. Chlorination

The goal is to reduce diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water especially in children under 5, pregnant women and during breast-feeding.

Good Hygiene and Cleanliness Practices:

The objective of this practices is to promote a healthy environment in homes reducing contamination and parasitic diseases in children under 5.

Nutritional preparations:

Nutritional preparations are made using crops from home gardens and native plants of high nutritional value produced in the community, combining vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and protein. In workshops, safety practices in food packaging and cooking methods are taught.

1000 Days Window Program:

In this action prenatal care, pregnant women nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding and food supplements are promoted.  Funcafé, in partnership with local health authorities, enhance population to attend the nearest health posts.

Pedagogical school gardens:

Pedagogical school gardens are established in communities within Funcafé´s coverage in partnership with the educational community (parents, teachers, principals, educational and community authorities) in order to provide practical interaction by becoming small learning labs. Additionally, school gardens supplement school snack and introduce new technologies at community level.

Medicinal gardens:

Medicinal gardens are established to encourage the use of natural medicine in controlling common diseases.

Sexual and Reproductive Health:

In this action educational workshops are held to promote methods for family planning, responsible parenthood, prevention of sexually transmitted infections -ITS-, life plan and other activities to promote a healthy sex life.