The ‘Nutrir’ programme, launched in 2008, promotes adequate nutrition and wellbeing of children under 12. The programme covers a range of nutrition

related subjects including diet, food safety, physical activity and hygiene. These lessons are given through a mixture of games, songs and teaching materials and lay the foundations for a healthy population with a good life expectancy.

Currently active in four provinces, where incomes are typically low, the ‘Nutrir’ programme also promotes the use of low-cost but nutritious Ecuadorian produce by providing delicious healthy recipe ideas. It also promotes the growing of ‘family orchards’ to help parents offer their families a more varied diet. These orchards have also helped change the relationship that children have with food, as they have grown it themselves.

To make the most of limited resources, the ‘Nutrir’ programme has a ‘train the trainer’ element, helping schools, the Government and non-profit organisations focused on children, to train carers in the prevention of early malnutrition. This also makes the programme sustainable with long term effective results.

The ‘Nutrir’ programme is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion MIES - INFA, the Ministry of Sports and INIAP and has been enthusiastically welcomed by schools. In 2010, more than 17 400 children and 3 600 teachers participated directly in the programme, sowing the seeds of a better quality of life.