November 2023 – With funding from the Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands and partnership with the NGOs of Garden for Health (GFH) and World Relief Rwanda (WRR), UNICEF Rwanda is implementing “One egg per child, Every day” Initiative to deliver integrated services and support to communities with high stunting rates including improved access to and utilization of animal source protein specifically eggs.

Key interventions include:

2022 World Cup in My Village:

UNICEF organized the 2022 “World Cup in My Village” campaign with the theme of “Igi Rimwe Kuri Buri Mwana Buri Munsi” – One Egg, Per Child, Every day. It was a roadshow with the mobile van with a big LCD screen, screening key World Cup FIFA games from 20 Nov – 18 Dec 2022 in 14 districts with high-level stunting rates to raise awareness and change attitudes and behaviors towards addressing malnutrition and stunting prevention through community sensitization on Improved Access and Utilization of Chicken Eggs and Animal Source Protein. The show included: Interactive sessions through edutainment approaches (e.g. music, dance, and drama), Public Service Announcement (PSA) screenings and distribution of IEC materials to disseminate Messages on Nutrition through videos, Quiz on the session and giving out of prizes (Chickens and eggs) to the winners, Live cooking demonstration and feeding of eggs to children, Sketch on Nutrition and food preparation by Comedians, Entertainment with local star musicians, and Modern Dance performance. It is estimated to have reached over 75,000 beneficiaries in all 14 districts (65% males and 45% females) including pregnant and lactating women with children under two and other segments of the community. The pre-and post-survey conducted revealed an increase of feeding a child one egg from once a month and/or rarely to at least 2 to 3 times a week. 

Digital campaign with HEZA Initiative:

Youth lead initiative from University of Rwanda (UR) College of Medicine and Health Sciences and UR Public Health students Association in Promoting Maternal and child health in Rwanda. The ten-day digital campaign reached about 100,000 interactions within Twitter space engaging key influencers/decision makers both with the local community as well as international community. 

International Protein Symposium in Kigali: 

UNICEF in Collaboration with the University of Rwanda (UR) and National Child Development Agency (NCDA) conducted a high-level symposium on 2 March 2023 in Kigali. The symposium was attended by key professors, researchers, and fellow students from both locally and abroad. The Objective of the symposium was to raise awareness of the importance of enhancing protein-based foods in Rwandan diets and to identify behavior modifications in the consumption of animal-based dietary diets in Rwanda. About 15 published and ongoing scientific papers were presented generating evidence and sharing knowledge on the importance of superfood – Egg – to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. 

Private Sector Engagement:

UNICEF in collaboration with Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) and the NCDA, organized the fifth Technical Meeting of the CEO Forum for Children on 17 February 2023 in Kigali. The meeting was chaired by NCDA and the PSF as Co-Chair attended by 41 participants from across different business sectors. The main purpose of the meeting was to bring together technical persons of leading corporate companies, preferably with expertise in communications and marketing, and agribusiness entrepreneurs to co-create innovative solutions to support the Government of Rwanda in rolling out the “One egg per child every day” campaign.