Expecting too much from the rural development: a case of the Iringa nutrition project

The Iringa Nutrition Project (INP) supported jointly by the Government of Tanzania and UNICEF was started in 1984 as one way to improve mral livelihood. It was implemented in Jringa region because it was found that despite good food supply in the region, there were still high rates of malnutrition among children. The present study was carried out in Thirty­ nine villages of Ludewa and Iringa districts to evaluate the performance of the INP. Child growth and nutrition status data for the period between 1984 and 1992 were used. Indicators of project outcome included success in lowering the proportion of malnourished children and extent of coverage (number of children reached). In addition, regression analysis was used in identifying the community characteristics that were responsible for determining rate of mal­ nutrition changes in the study area. It was observed that 10 percent of the 39 villages in the project area were able to maintain a downward trend in malnutrition during the period 1984- 86 and 18 percent in 1987-92 period. None of the villages was able to sustain a continuous downward trend for the entire period of nine years (1984 to 1992). The regression ana ysis revealed that malnutrition declined significantly in those wards where the rates of malnutri­ tion were highest at the outset of the project. In addition Dominant cropping system and population size indirectly affected the capability to improve nutrition through their influence on coverage. In conclusion, the lringa Nutrition Project appears to have had only a modest impact on improving the nutritional status of children in lringa. This implies that, while the use o_f projects to combat malnutrition in poor countries may still be inevitable, we should not expect too much from these projects.