Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
LAEJN Editorial Team
The Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP) at the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday convened a Household Nutrition Communication and Outreach Campaign Message Validation Working Session aimed at enhancing nutrition awareness and improving household feeding practices across rural communities.
The session, organized by the Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) with support from RETRAP, brought together technical experts, communication specialists, nutrition professionals, and key project stakeholders to review and validate messages intended for nationwide dissemination. RETRAP is funded by the World Bank.
Speaking at the opening session, RETRAP Food Security and Nutrition Specialist Sayba Tamba indicated the exercise is an essential step in ensuring that all nutrition messages shared with the public are accurate, culturally relevant, and aligned with Liberia’s food security and nutrition priorities. The validated messages will inform community outreach activities, radio programs, training manuals, and household counseling sessions under the project.
According to Madam Tamba, the outreach campaign aims to raise public awareness about the importance of nutrition and food diversification in improving household health and resilience. It also seeks to strengthen knowledge on nutritional needs for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and other vulnerable groups.
She emphasized that the campaign will promote the consumption of diversified diets, emphasizing the role of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein sources in preventing malnutrition. As part of the effort, households will be encouraged to adopt practical actions to incorporate a wider variety of locally available foods into their daily meals.
During the working session, participants reviewed draft messages for clarity, accuracy, and alignment with the national nutrition guidelines. They also proposed ways to improve the content for use across multiple communication platforms, including rural radio, community forums, and farmer training activities.
Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network National Coordinator Estelle Liberty noted that involving communication professionals will help ensure that the nutrition messages are easy to understand and reach households effectively, particularly in rural areas where access to information is limited.
The initiative targets key groups, including families and households to improve meal planning and diversify food preparation; mothers and caregivers who play a central role in child feeding and maternal nutrition; farmers who are encouraged to grow and consume more nutrient-rich crops, vegetables, fruits, and small livestock; and community leaders and influencers such as traditional authorities, women’s groups, youth groups, and religious leaders who help shape local food norms and practices.
The Ministry of Agriculture reaffirmed its commitment to expanding nutrition education nationwide, emphasizing that improved public awareness is essential to reducing malnutrition and strengthening household well-being. RETRAP Food Security and Nutrition Specialist noted that the Ministry will continue collaborating with counties, community structures, and development partners to ensure rural families receive clear, practical, and reliable information that supports healthier food choices.
This includes increasing community outreach activities, strengthening partnerships with local media and extension workers, and promoting the use of locally available, nutrient-rich foods to improve diets across Liberia’s farming communities.
