Acknowledgments

Making the Complementary Feeding for Children Aged 6–23 Months recipe book required a team of partners. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all those who worked tirelessly to make this book possible.

The Kenyan Ministry of Health led the project, providing technical expertise and guidance. Specifically, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Head of the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics (DND) at the Ministry of Health, Veronica Kirogo, for taking the lead in this process. The Deputy Head at the DND, Leila Akinyi, the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Program Manager, Rose Wambu, supported by Caroline Kathiari and the entire Division of Nutrition and Dietetics team provided coordination and insights. The Ministry also facilitated meetings with members of the Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Technical Working Group and the Kenya Nutrition Information Technical Working Group (NITWG) to ensure we had Kenya’s top experts contributing their knowledge to this project.

This book is an addendum to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office’s (ESARO) nutrition work. UNICEF acted as both the funder and provided technical expertise to the project. We would like to acknowledge Patrick Codija, Laura Kiige, and Betty Samburu for their support, guidance, and commitment to this project.

As the project coordinating organization, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) provided oversight, coordination, and technical expertise. Leah Kaguara, Wendy Gonzalez, Caroline Aurah, and Andoni Santamaria Kampfner were thoughtful partners in guiding the development of the book.

The implementing partners were Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) at Georgia State University, Devi Partners, Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Emory University’s School of Public Health, and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Team members included Ann DiGirolamo, Alyssa Lowe, Amma Amoateng, Amy Callis, Frida Okeyo, Lawrence Odollo, Amy

Webb Girard, Emily Ogutu, and Esther Omosa.

Finally, we want to thank the mothers and other caregivers of Kenya who are working hard to raise the next generation. Their commitment to improving the lives of their children was our constant inspiration.

Together this group of diverse partners across continents, countries, and cultures worked together to create a truly innovative approach to complementary feeding and nutrition. We are thankful for all the partners and excited to share this book with you, the mothers and caregivers of Kenya. If you wa nt to go fas t, g o al one.

This is so much more than just a book of recipes, it is a kitchen guide that can help you turn your kitchen from a place where you cook to a place that creates foods that nurture and protect your children.

Every mother, father, and caregiver wants what is best for their children. They dream of strong, healthy children and better futures. While a recipe book cannot guarantee a better future for your child, it can help! Mothers know to cook, so this recipe book does more than give instructions on how to cook. It explains how to cook what is best for your child.

Mothers are very interested in learning more about what to cook and why. But they are also very busy. When we talked to mothers and caregivers they told us that recipes with a lot of steps and complex ingredients were not practical for their budget or time. They wanted simple, traditional meals that were healthy for their children.

So that’s what we created.

This book shows you what to cook...and why those ingredients are important. It helps you plan nutritious meals that meet your child’s needs as he grows. It also is a practical guide that shows you how to substitute certain ingredients based on what is available and what you can afford.

Cooking healthy and nutritious foods doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. This book shows you how to cook the most nutritious meals on a budget. And how to plan meals that will help your baby grow healthy and strong.